Republic of the Philippines

ISABELA STATE UNIVERSITY

City of Ilagan Campus

OFICE OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL

RESEARCH TITLE JUSTIFICATION

Researcher FELITA J. CALIBOSO Date

1. Proposed Research Title

PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED OF ENGLISH TEACHERS AMONG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS OF
ILAGAN WEST NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL.

2. Narrate results of stakeholders’ interviews to support existence of the problems for research.

Every English teacher faces a big challenge to make every student be interested in English subject.
As an informal interview was conducted, the English teachers cited some of their struggles
especially to those students who can’t even read a phrase or even a word. The very first thing that
the students’ consider is how can they construct sentences using the language, be fluent about it,
how to avoid errs in grammar and are hesitant to answer questions orally. Until this time, these are
still the barriers that hinders every student to perform well in English. And as one of those teachers
that are in the same situation, it is hard to make interventions and remedies especially if there is no
tool to utilize.
Thus, this researcher is very much interested to know the problems encountered by English
teachers in order to formulate an intervention that will eradicate,if not, will lessen such struggles.
The intervention benefits the teachers to help the students cope up in English subject .
Moreover, it will also a big help to the students for them to develop their skills and knowledge and
have mastery on the competencies in English.

3. Briefly cite authors and their statements to support your problem which are your compelling reasons for the
study.
Learning barriers in English are still present nowadays. So, the very goal of this research
is to know the problems of English teachers and formulate an intervention out of it.With this,
doubts in teachers’ teaching ability will be lessen, as well as it motivates them more in teaching
especially to those coping students.
As long as students with limited English language skills have attended schools a debate
has raged among educators and policy-makers regarding how best to educate these children. A
major focal point of this debate is bilingual education. That is, the viability, advisability, and
effectiveness of using students' primary language in instruction. However, everyone agrees that
ELs must learn English, learn it well, and meet rigorous standards. No matter what the method or
program of instruction, teachers of English language learners need special skills and training to
effectively accomplish this task. While this debate continues outside the classroom, inside the
classroom teachers are called on to meet the challenge of teaching English learner students every
day(Gandara).
English language teachers believe that listening comprehension is a very important skill in
teaching and learning theEnglish language. Teacher’s qualifications, teaching experience, attended
training courses in teaching strategies and methodology related to listening comprehension are very
important traits. They believe that they can be successful as any other English language teacher
regardless of the problems that they encounter in teaching listening skill. If they keep in touch with
the latest ideas and courses related to their teaching profession, read more about English, pursue
higher education, this would make them as efficient as native English language teachers and may
be better.
According to (Lado, 1957), even years of exposure to English language teaching in school
fail to bring them up to acceptable standards of the language in many schools.Learners remain
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ISABELA STATE UNIVERSITY
City of Ilagan Campus

OFICE OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL

deficient in using the English language even in ordinary day-to-day communication. This problem
is becoming more acute because of rapidly growing technologically advanced economy demands a
large number of students to pursue professional, technical and academic programmes which clearly
require appropriate knowledge of the target language- English. It is felt by most pedagogues that
traditional teachings and sheer translations of the concerned texts are not the obvious solution to
these problems, as later they would require adequate grasp of the language to communicate in the
work environment as well. This .Students of different background can face different types of
difficulties in the process of learning English. They can commit specific mistakes in learning
English pronunciation, grammar, spelling, meaning and vocabulary usage. There is a close
connection between the mother tongue of a learner and specific difficulties in learning and the kind
of errors a learner typically commits. Moreover, if these are the things that students are having
trouble with, these should also be the struggles of the teachers especially on what approach best suit
each problem in order for it to be addressed properly. If teachers will be provided with tools or
intervention that caters the needs of the students, they will be more effective and efficient.
Generally, teaching English might seem similar to any other teaching, yet it has its own
unique challenges. These challenges exist in various forms. A number of studies have discussed
these challenges along with their solutions. Below are the challenges encountered in English
teaching. Severe shortage of training. In some countries, problems regarding a severe shortage of
trained English teachers are reported (Nunan, 2003; Salahuddin, Khan, & Rahman, 2013;
Nurkamto, 2003).
Thus, teachers might “find themselves teaching English either without sufficient English
training generally or in teaching English to learners particularly and such thing frequently occurs in
poor or rural area” (Garton, Copland, & Burns, 2011, p. 740). Since teachers may get only basic
preparation in the supportive theory and practical applications, they may then struggle for
embodying teaching methods effectively (Bulter, 2005; Littlewood, 2007). Emery (2012) outlines
some issues that occur because of insufficient preparation for teaching: teachers’ inabilities to deal
with challenges that take place in teaching context because of the lack of training, teachers’ poor
language ability, and teachers whose English is not their subject area are hired to teach it. Such
challenges take place in a rural area because rural areas lack proper and good teaching and learning
tools (Mishra, 2015).
Furthermore, English teaching process tends to be challenging when it comes to the
teachers’qualification, language proficiency level, and training since these points can cause
teachers’ confidence (Emery, 2012). Teachers whose teaching training is not enough might strive to
embody teaching methods effectively (Littlewood, 2007). Applying appropriate teaching methods
and techniques is tough because the teachers do not merely think of how to transfer four language
skills, but also how to remain students’ motivation and enthusiasm in learning and practicing
English (Ansari, 2012). Crowded class. According to Emery (2012), one of the most often
mentioned problems encountered by English teachers is that “overcrowded classes and the effect of
such condition can have on teaching and learning” (p. 4). Nurkamto (2003) also lists one of the
challenges in teaching English that is the size of the classroom. Likewise, Baker and Westrup
(2000) state several problems of teaching large classes, such as “desks and chairs are fixed or
difficult to move; students sit close together in rows; little space for the teacher and students to
move in the classroom; walls between classrooms are thin, and noise will disturb other classes” (p.
2). Consequently, it is necessary that teaching and learning process requires comfortable and
enjoyable atmosphere, otherwise, teachers might be in failure to fulfill students’ need and achieve
learning goals.
Lack of vocabulary. Hasan (2016) states that one of the most challenging tasks students
encountered is mastering vocabulary. Maruyama (1996) as cited in Hoa and Mai (2016) point the
reason why students lack vocabulary, i.e. “students believed that they did not need to know words
because they were not common, even rarely used in their daily lives, therefore, they have no
motivation to learn the words” (p. 155). Consequently, students in English as a foreign language
context are limited by their knowledge of grammar and vocabulary of the target language and have
to struggle to comprehend the content (Chung, 2016). Lack of English exposure. Teaching English
as a foreign language is a challenging duty in the places where English has inadequate exposure.
Lack of English exposure also serves less opportunity for students to use English. Khan (2011)
argues that the lack of English purposes demotivate students to practice and understand English due
to students’ insufficient background knowledge of English. Moreover, it gets more difficult for
 Republic of the Philippines
ISABELA STATE UNIVERSITY
City of Ilagan Campus

OFICE OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL

teachers to encourage students to be enthusiastic in using English due to the lack of English
exposure (Khan, 2011). Limited resource accessibility.
Another challenge in English language teaching is the issue of resources. Garton et al
(2014) states that “in some countries, such as South Korea and Malaysia, textbooks are set; in
Singapore and China, teachers can select from government-approved books, yet, it is a matter that
in many countries appropriate books are either not available or not used in the classroom” (p. 740).
Furthermore, Ajibola (2010) argues that “the inadequacy of resources also constitutes a trial to the
English teaching and the larger number of students is the large number of sources is needed” (p.
97).
In addition, lack of facilities and equipment hinder teachers to embody an effective
teaching process (Fatiloro, 2015; Nurkamto, 2003). Pande (2013) puts forward that “language
could only be understood by practicing all the four skills; listening, speaking, reading, and writing”
(p. 417). Hence, the availability of teaching aids holds vital role and needs to be provided as soon
as possible, otherwise teachers will not be able to teach effectively. In other words, to get students
familiar with English and to provide them sufficient with exposure of target language, the amount
of learning resources are in dire need. Linguistic problems. Mukattash (1983) categorized English
teaching challenges that are encountered into two: first, most inaccuracies done regarding the
pronunciation, morphology, syntax, and spelling; second, most of students have problems in
expressing themselves when using English. The first issue is also strengthened by Khan (2011) that
“specific problem connected to pronunciation, stress, and intonation become problem for students”
(p. 72). As a consequence, these linguistic problems are found in all language skills, which make
students demotivated in practicing a target language. Another issue regarding linguistic problem is
first language or mother tongue interference. Both teachers and students frequently talk using their
mother-tongue language which unconsciously affects their English performance (Fatiloro, 2015).
Additionally, Pande (2013) describes when teacher and students speak in their mother-tongue, they
sometimes use English words in the midst of the sentences and dis-remember that every language
varies in stress, intonation, and pronunciation.

4. Discuss how the problem can be solved.

To ensure that students and graduates are well equipped to secure, productive employment as early
as they graduate in Grade 12, English proficiency is a must.Therefore, as early as today,barriers
that hinder teachers to teach English subject to high school students should be address in order to
be more effective in their field of specialization. The intervention that will be formulated will serve
as a tool to have a remediation for the students to be more active in the said subject.
In every aspect of life, English is much utilized because it allows anyone to be globally
competitive. Learning of the students are the product of teachers’ efforts to teach. So, if the root of
the problem will be resolved, everything follows. The product of the school will speak the
characteristics and the ability it has.

5. List bibliographic entries of scientific articles that support on your title.

Ajibola, M. A. (2010). Confronting the challenges
66 Journal of Foreign Language Teaching & Learning Vol.2 No.2 July 2017
of teaching English language as a second language in Nigeria. Journal of the Nigeria English
Studies Association (JNESA), 95-105.

Ansari, A. A. (2012). Teaching of English to Arab students: Problems and remedies. Educational
Research

A. M., Khan, M. R., & Rahman, A. (2013). Challenges of implementing English curriculum at
 Republic of the Philippines
ISABELA STATE UNIVERSITY
City of Ilagan Campus

OFICE OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL

rural primary schools of Bangladesh. The International Journal of Social Sciences Vol.7(1),

Ayah Isam Alrawashdeh1 & Norma Nawaf Al-zayed2 1 Northen Border University, Saudi Arabia
2 Department of English, Faculty of Art and Science, Middle East University, Jordan
Correspondence: Norma Nawaf Al-zayed, Department of English, Faculty of Art and Science,
Middle East University, Jordan. E-mail: dr_normaalzayed@hotmail.com
Received: September 21, 2016 Accepted: October 10, 2016 Online Published: April 27, 2017
doi: 10.5539/elt.v10n5p167 URL: http://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v10n5p167

Bulter, Y. G. (2005). Comparative perspectives towards communicative activities among

elementary school teachers in South Korea, Japan and Taiwan. Language Teaching Research, 423-
446. Chung, H. V. (2016). A study of reading comprehension problems in English encountered by
first year students of faculty of Vietnamese studies at Hnue (Unpublished doctoral dissertation).
Hanoi National University of Education,
Emery, H. (2012). A global study of primary English teachers’ qualifications, training and career
development. ELT Research Papers, 1-32. Fatiloro, O. F. (2015). Tackling the challenges of
teaching English language as second language (ESL) in Nigeria. IOSR Journal of Research &
Method in Education (IOSR-JRME).

Gandara, Patricia; Maxwell-Jolly, Julie; Driscoll, Anne

Policy Analysis for California Education, PACE (NJ1)

Hasan, L.-N. K. (2016). The effect of lack of vocabulary on English language learners’
performance with reference to English departments students at Salahaddin University-Erbil.
ØÄÙÇÑì ÒÇäßÄ ÈÄ ÒÇäÓÊÉ ãÑÄÙÇíÉÊííÉßÇä (ZANCO Journal of Pure and Applied
Sciences), 211-227.

Hoa, N. T., & Mai, P. T. (2016). Challenges in teaching English for specific purposes: Empirical
study at Vietnam Universities. Canadian Center of Science and Education,

Khan, I. A. (2011). Challenges of teaching/learning English and management. Global Journal of

Human Social Science Vol. 11, 68-79.

Lado, R. (1957). Linguistics across cultures: Applied linguistics for language teachers. University
of Michigan Press: Ann Arbor.

Mishra, B. (2015). Innovative ways of English language teaching in rural India through
technology. International Journal of English and Literature Vol. 6(2), 38-44.

Pande, V. B. (2013). Problems and remedies in teaching English as a second language. Confluence,
416-421.

6. Mention subjects/topics in your major field where your proposed title belongs.
 Republic of the Philippines
ISABELA STATE UNIVERSITY
City of Ilagan Campus

OFICE OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL

Bachelor of Science in Education Major in English