Mariano Marcos State University

GRADUATE SCHOOL
Laoag City

Student: Anthony M. Rafanan

Course: Master of Arts in Education- Language and Literature
Professor: Dr. Bert A. Gamiao
Subject: Lang 202: Developments in Linguistics

Students’ Attitudes towards English, Filipino and Ilocano

A Survey Research

I. Introduction

“Knowing the language can help us to express our opinions, hopes, and even our dreams

(Abidin, 2012).” Shams (2008) stated that in a second language learning context, there are various

factors that influence the learning process such as motivation, attitudes, anxiety, learning

achievements, aptitudes, intelligence, age, personalities, etc. The matter of learner’s attitude is

acknowledged as one of the most important factors that impact on learning a language (Fakeye, 2010).

Learning could not come about easily unless students have positive attitudes toward it on one hand,

and attitudes might originate from life experiences, on the other hand. As such, since attitude can

influence success or failure in learning it plays a very crucial role. Attitude is therefore considered as

an essential factor influencing language performance and received considerable attention from second

language researchers.

There are many reasons why students’ attitude toward language learning is important. For

instance, Weinburgh (1998) believes that attitudes toward learning influence behaviors such as

selecting and reading books, speaking in a foreign language. Generally, it is believed that learners’

attitudes dictate whether or not they will be able to absorb the details of language. In other words,

achievement in a target language relies not only on intellectual capacity but also on the learner’s

attitudes toward language learning. This means that learning language should be approached primarily

as a social and psychological phenomenon rather than as a purely academic one. As Tella, Indoshi,
and Othuon (2010) investigated, negative attitude toward English is the most affective and

psychological factor that results in the students’ poor performance in English.

Thus, if a learner does not have the interest and tendency in acquiring the target language to

communicate with others, this learner will possess a negative attitude and will not be motivated and

enthusiastic in language learning. Students’ attitude, i.e. feelings, beliefs, likes, dislikes, needs, should

be considered, since their attitudes influence language learning. This study looks into the concept of

attitude as one of the major affective factors for success in learning a language. More specifically, it

investigates the attitudes of freshmen students toward English, Tagalog and Ilocano language and

taking into account their exposure to these languages in their homes.

Purpose of the study

The purpose of the qualitative study is to discover the feelings and ideas about English,

Tagalog and Ilocano language of the Grade 7 students of Balatong Integrated School. The study is led

by the following research questions:

1. What are the attitudes of the Grade 7 students toward learning English, Tagalog and

Ilocano?

2. To what extent are the students exposed and engaged in using English, Tagalog and

Ilocano at home?

3. What are the educational implications of the results of the study?

Research Design

The design of this study is descriptive in nature. An adapted Survey Questionnaire on

Attitudes was employed as a measuring instrument. The participants were required to answer the

Likert form items honestly, giving their own perceptions about their attitudes toward learning English,

Tagalog and Ilocano. Open-ended questions were also included in the instrument.
II. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Table 1. ATTITUDE TOWARDS ENGLISH

1 2 3 4 5
1. My desire to learn English is 1 1 7 8 19
2. I worry about speaking in my English class 6 2 8 5 15

3. My attitude towards my English teacher is… 0 2 0 3 31

4. I worry about speaking English outside of class 7 4 8 1 16

5. My attitude toward English speaking people is... 9 3 19 3 2

6. My motivation to learn English in order to 1 0 1 2 32

communicate with English speaking people is…
7. My motivation to learn English for practical 0 0 3 3 30
purposes (e.g., to get a good job) is…

Table 1 shows the respondents’ attitudes towards English. The respondents answered each of

the indicators from among the five levels of favourability with 5 points being the highest.

It can be noticed from the table that in attitude indicator 1, 19 students (52.77%) answered 5

points which indicate that they have a very strong desire to learn English. Eight (8) students (22%)

answered with 4 points which also indicate that they still have a favourable desire to learn English.

However, in indicator 2, 15 students (41.66%) responded with 5 which suggests that they worry very

much about speaking in their English class. Similarly in indicator 4, 16 students (44.44%) responded

with 5 points which indicates that they have strong anxiety in speaking English outside of the class.

Meanwhile, in indicator 3, 31 students (86.11%) answered with 5 which means that they have a very

favourable attitude towards their English teacher. In indicator 5, 19 students (52.77%) responded with

5 points which means that they have a neutral attitude towards English speaking people. For indicator

6, 32 students (88.88%) responded with 5 points which indicates that they have very high motivation

to learn English in order to communicate with English speaking people. And in indicator 7, 30

students (83.33%) responded with 5 points which indicates that they have a high motivation to learn

English for practical purposes (e.g., to get a job).

Table 2. ENGLISH AT HOME

always very some- rarely very never

frequent times rarely
-ly
1. How often do you listen English at home? 1 2 10 6 5 12

2. How often do you speak English at home? 1 0 7 7 12 9

3. How often do you read English at home? 15 7 9 2 2 0

4. How often do you write English at home? 0 3 22 2 1 7

5. How often do your parents encourage you 1 1 6 6 3 18

to learn English?

Table 2 shows the respondents’ extent of exposure to English at home. The respondents

answered each of the indicators from among the six levels of frequency.

It can be noticed from table 2 that a total of 23 students (63.88%) responded with low levels

of frequency in indicator 1 with 6 responses for rarely, 5 for very rarely and 12 for never which

means that majority of the respondents often do not listen English at home. In indicator 2, a total of 28

students (77.77%) responded with low levels of frequency with 7 responses for rarely, 12 for very

rarely and 9 for never which means that majority of the respondents often do not speak English at

home. On the other hand, a total of 31 students (86.11%) responded with high levels of frequency in

indicator 3 with 9 responses for sometimes, 7 for very frequently and 15 for always which means that

majority of the respondents often read English at home. Also, a total of 25 students (69.44%)

responded with high levels of frequency in indicator 4 with 22 responses for sometimes and 3 for very

frequently which means that majority of the respondents often write English at home. On indicator 5,

a total of 27 students (75%) responded with low levels of frequency with 6 responses for rarely, 3 for

very rarely and 18 for never which means that most of the respondents are not being encouraged by

their parents to learn English.

Table 3. ATTITUDE TOWARDS FILIPINO

1 2 3 4 5
1. My desire to learn Filipino is 0 1 1 5 28

2. I worry about speaking in my Filipino class 9 7 5 1 13

3. My attitude towards my Filipino teacher is… 2 0 2 3 28

4. I worry about speaking Filipino outside of class 16 0 5 10 6

5. My attitude toward Filipino speaking people is... 2 0 4 7 23

6. My motivation to learn Filipino in order to 0 0 2 6 27

communicate with Filipino speaking people is…

7. My motivation to learn Filipino for practical 0 0 3 10 22

purposes (e.g., to get a good job) is…

Table 3 shows the respondents’ attitudes towards Filipino. The respondents answered each of

the indicators from among the five levels of favourability with 5 points being the highest.

It can be noticed from the table that in attitude indicator 1, 28 students (77.77%) answered 5

points which indicate that they have a very strong desire to learn Filipino. However, in indicator 2, 13

students (36.11%) responded with 5 points which suggests that they worry very much about speaking

in their Filipino class. In indicator 4, 16 students (44.44%) responded with 1 point which indicates

that they have low anxiety in speaking Filipino outside of the class. Meanwhile, in indicator 3, 28

students (77.77%) answered with 5 which means that they have a very favourable attitude towards

their Filipino teacher. In indicator 5, 23 students (63.88%) responded with 5 points which means that

they have a a very favourable attitude towards Filipino speaking people. For indicator 6, 26 students

(72.22%) responded with 5 points which indicates that they have very high motivation to learn

Filipino in order to communicate with Filipino speaking people. And in indicator 7, a total of 32

students (88.88%) responded with 5 points which indicates that they have a high motivation to learn

Filipino for practical purposes (e.g., to get a job).

Table 4. FILIPINO AT HOME

 alway very some- rarely very never
s frequent times rarely
-ly
1. How often do you listen Filipino at 15 1 13 5 0 2
home?
2. How often do you speak Filipino at 15 4 9 6 1 1
home?
3. How often do you read Filipino at 13 4 12 4 1 1
home?
4. How often do you write Filipino at 11 5 12 4 2 2
home?
5. How often do your parents 15 3 6 3 3 6
encourage you to learn Filipino?

Table 4 shows the respondents’ extent of exposure to Filipino at home. The respondents

answered each of the indicators from among the six levels of frequency.

It can be noticed from table 4 that a total of 29 students (80.55%) responded with high levels

of frequency in indicator 1 with 13 responses for sometimes, 1 for very frequently and 15 for always

which means that majority of the respondents often do listen Filipino at home. In indicator 2, a total of

28 students (77.77%) responded with high levels of frequency with 9 responses for sometimes, 4 for

very frequently and 15 for always which means that majority of the respondents often do speak

Filipino at home. Similarly, a total of 30 students (83.33%) responded with high levels of frequency

in indicator 3 with 12 responses for sometimes, 4 for very frequently and 13 for always which means

that majority of the respondents often read Filipino at home. Also, a total of 28 students (77.77%)

responded with high levels of frequency in indicator 4 with 12 responses for sometimes and 5 for very

frequently and 11 for always which means that majority of the respondents often write Filipino at

home. On indicator 5, a total of 24 students (66.66%) responded with high levels of frequency with 6

responses for sometimes, 3 for very frequently and 13 for always which means that most of the

respondents are being encouraged by their parents to learn Filipino.

Table 5 ATTITUDE TOWARDS ILOCANO

 1 2 3 4 5
1. My desire to learn Ilocano is 1 0 0 0 34

2. I worry about speaking Ilocano in class 18 3 3 1 11

3. I worry about speaking Ilocano outside of 15 7 1 2 13

class
4. My attitude toward Ilocano speaking people 6 0 2 3 25
is...
5. My motivation to learn Ilocano in order to 2 0 2 1 31
communicate with Ilocano speaking people
is…
6. My motivation to learn Ilocano for practical 2 0 3 5 26
purposes (e.g., to get a good job) is…

Table 5 shows the respondents’ attitudes towards Ilocano. The respondents answered each of

the indicators from among the five levels of favourability with 5 points being the highest.

It can be noticed from the table that in attitude indicator 1, 34 students (94.44%) answered 5

points which indicate that they have a very strong desire to learn Ilocano. In indicator 2, 18 students

(50%) responded with 1 point which suggests that they do not worry much about speaking Ilocano in

their class. In indicator 3, a total of 23 students (63.88%) responded low levels with 7 responses for 2

points and 15 responses for 1 point which indicates that they have low anxiety in speaking Ilocano

outside of the class. In indicator 4, 25 students (69.44%) responded with 5 points which means that

they have a very favourable attitude towards Ilocano speaking people. For indicator 5, 31 students

(86.11%) responded with 5 points which indicates that they have very high motivation to learn

Ilocano in order to communicate with Ilocano speaking people. And in indicator 6, 26 students

(72.22%) responded with 5 points which indicates that they have a high motivation to learn Ilocano

for practical purposes (e.g., to get a job).

Table 6. ILOCANO AT HOME

 always very some rarely very never
frequent times rarely
ly
1. How often do you listen Ilocano
at home? 30 6 0 0 0 0
2. How often do you speak
Ilocano at home? 32 4 0 0 0 0
3. How often do you read Ilocano
at home? 14 2 11 2 4 4
4. How often do you write Ilocano
at home? 16 2 5 3 5 5
5. How often do your parents
encourage you to learn Ilocano? 15 0 9 4 3 6

Table 5 shows the respondents’ extent of exposure to Ilocano at home. The respondents

answered each of the indicators from among the six levels of frequency.

It can be perceived from table 6 that a total of 36 students (100%) responded with high levels

of frequency in indicator 1 with 6 responses for very frequently and 30 for always which means that

majority of the respondents often do listen Ilocano at home. In indicator 2, a total of 36 students

(100%) responded with high levels of frequency with 4 for very frequently and 32 for always which

means that majority of the respondents often do speak Ilocano at home. A total of 26 students

(72.22%) responded with high levels of frequency in indicator 3 with 11 responses for sometimes, 2

for very frequently and 14 for always which means that majority of the respondents often read Ilocano

at home. Also, a total of 23 students (63.88%) responded with high levels of frequency in indicator 4

with 5 responses for sometimes, 2 for very frequently and 16 for always which means that majority of

the respondents often write Ilocano at home. On indicator 5, a total of 24 students (66.66%) responded

with high levels of frequency with 9 responses for sometimes and 15 for always which means that

most of the respondents are being encouraged by their parents to learn Ilocano.
 ILOCANO FILIPINO ENGLISH

A. The easiest to learn? 30 5 1

B. The hardest to learn? 0 1 35

C. The most interesting to 3 16 17

learn?
D. Your most comfortable 23 8 5
language?
E. The most important to get 4 2 30
a stable job?
Table 7. Comparison among Attitude towards Ilocano, Filipino and English

From table 7 indicator A, it is apparent that 30 students (83.33%) responded that Ilocano is

the easiest language to learn while 35 students (97.22%) believed that English is the hardest language

to learn in indicator B. For indicator C, English and Filipino were chosen as the most interesting

language to learn which garnered close responses: 17 and 16 responses respectively. For indicator D,

23 students (63.88%) chose Ilocano as their most comfortable language. And for indicator E, 30

students (83.33%) believed that English is the most important language to learn to get a stable job.

CONCLUSIONS

Based form the above discussion of results, the researcher has drawn the following

conclusions:

A. The respondents had generally favourable attitude towards English as proven by

their strong desire to learn English, their highly favourable attitude towards their

English teacher, their high motivation to learn English in order to communicate

with English speaking people and their high motivation to learn English for

practical purposes.
 B. Despite having favourable attitude towards English, the respondents are not so

much exposed to different aspects of learning English at home and are not being

encouraged by their parents to learn it.

C. The respondents had highly favourable attitude towards Filipino as proven by

their strong desire to learn it, their highly favourable attitude towards their

Filipino teacher, their high motivation to learn Filipino in order to communicate

with Filipino speaking people and their high motivation to learn Filipino for

practical purposes.

D. The respondents generally have much exposure to Filipino at home as indicated

by the high levels of frequency responses.

E. Ilocano had the most favourable attitude response among the three languages. For

the respondents, Ilocano is the easiest to learn and the language they are most

comfortable most probably because they Ilocano is their mother tongue.

F. Among the three languages, the respondents considered English as the most

interesting to learn and most important language to learn to get a stable job.

IMPLICATIONS TO LANGUAGE TEACHING

The findings of the research indicate that the respondents have favourable attitude towards

learning the three languages. It is important then for the school specifically for language teachers to

sustain this favourable interest and attitude in them which could be achieved extrinsically through

giving them positive, communicative and interesting language activities in the classroom. For that

reason, creating an encouraging atmosphere in language classes help maintain the students’ positive

attitudes toward English and Filipino which are taught in school. Language curriculum and class

activities should be planned according to students’ needs, feelings, and attitudes.

It is also of equal importance to note that it is not only in the school where children learn

language; the home is also vital to language learning. Parents of the respondents should consider

exposing their children to materials and resources most especially in English. They need to encourage
their children to learn English as it is being considered by most of the respondents as the most

important to getting a stable job in the future.