CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

In the year 2019, due to health protocols, people are required to stay at home. Due to this

circumstances, a lot of individual lose their jobs and some are required to do their tasks and

responsibilities online. The advancement of technologies and the internet became an important

aspect for the people to do and apply for a job where it can sustain and support their everyday

needs. It is where people discovered different online platforms that offers online jobs such as

virtual assistance, networking, freelancing, online teaching, and etc.

Philippines is one of the countries where English is considered to be a second language,

but most of the citizens are very fluent in using the English language. With the circumstances

that happened during the pandemic, a lot of people discovered teaching English Language as a

Second Language online, which became prominent until these days. This kind of job only

requires online appearance and fluency in using the English language. This requirements

motivates and aspires a lot of Filipino most especially the students who are still in the modular or

online set-up because it became an opportunity to for them to earn money while learning at their

own pace.

Nowadays, the teaching industry is very prominent, and being an ESL teacher is more

convenient and efficient for every individual. Some people said that becoming an ESL teacher is

the only option they have to balance and sustain their responsibilities and needs. It became a big

help to them because they can have this kind of job as a full time and a part time job. This job
also gives them a lot of opportunities and ideas. These insights encouraged the researchers to

conduct this study to discover the lived experiences of ESL teachers.

Statement of the Problem

Generally, this study will aim to determine the lived experiences of the English as Second

Language (ESL) teachers in teaching English Language to Foreign Students.

Specifically, it will seek to answer the following questions:

1. What are the lived experiences of ESL teachers in teaching English to foreign students?

2. What is the essence of the lived experiences to ESL teachers?

3. What output can be derived from this study?

Assumptions of the Study

This study will be anchored on the assumption that teaching English as a Second

Language offers opportunities for ESL teachers to enhance their personal growth, such as gaining

intercultural competence, developing empathy, and expanding their own language skills. The

ESL teachers are having difficulties in finding their back-up internet connection most especially

in their equipment when they are experiencing a sudden power interruption. The teachers are

having difficulty in disciplining the students, because there are students who are not participating

and interactive during the class. The teachers need to force their smiles and energy even though

they are really annoyed to the student’s behavior and attitude during the class. The ESL teachers

believe that teaching online is a great opportunity for them to have an experience when it comes

to teaching and for them to become a teacher internationally. Being a teacher helped them

financially, most especially the part time teachers, because they were able to manage their time

while they are studying their desired course and they were able to support themselves without

relying to their parents financially. However, it is a challenged for them because it is energy
draining and they really need to force themselves to teach even though they are already tired

because the penalty in a company is expensive than their own salary. Lastly, this study assumes

that teachers who are teaching English as a Second Language became more open and it became

an opportunity for them to learn new language as they communicate and teach foreign students

online. They’ve realized that language is not a barrier as long as every individual is willing to

learn and be taught by anyone.

Epistemology and Theoretical Perspectives

This study will be anchored on the epistemology lens of interpretivism, constructivism

theory, and sociocultural theory.

Interpretivism. Involves the researchers to interpret elements of the study. Interpretivism

is “associated with the philosophical position of idealism, and it is used to group together diverse

approaches, including social constructivism”. (Michael, 2004). It aligns with the idea that

understanding the subjective experiences, beliefs, and perceptions of ESL teachers are essential.

ESL teaching involves diverse cultural and individual backgrounds and these factors

significantly influence the teaching and learning experience.

Constructivism Theory. It is the theory that states learners construct knowledge rather

than just passively take in information. As people experience the world and reflect upon those

experiences, they build their own representations and incorporate new information into their pre-

existing knowledge. It states learners construct knowledge rather than just passively take in

information. It places a strong emphasis on active learning, the use of existing knowledge,

practical experiences, social interaction, and reflective thinking. These aspects are crucial to

efficient language learning and proficiency development.

engagement in social activities, as an individual interacts with other people, objects, and events.

Therefore, human cognitive development cannot be separated from the social, cultural, and

historical contexts from which such development emerges (Johnson, 2009). In the context of

ESL teaching, sociocultural theory highlights the importance of understanding and valuing the

cultural backgrounds and experiences of students as well as the teachers. ESL teachers can

develop empathy and expand their own language skills by engaging in meaningful interactions

with students from different language and cultural backgrounds.

Significance of the Study

The findings of this study will directly benefit the following:

ESL Companies. The findings of the study will benefit ESL companies as it provides

insights into the challenges faced by ESL teachers, enabling them to tailor their support, training,

and resources to better meet the needs of their teachers and improve the overall quality of

English language education.

Curriculum Developers. The findings of the study will be valuable to curriculum

developers who are involved in designing English language curriculum and materials.

Understanding the lived experiences of ESL teachers can provide valuable input for the

development of learner-centered, culturally inclusive, and contextually relevant curriculum

materials.

Aspiring ESL Teachers. The findings of this study will benefit aspiring ESL teachers as

it offers valuable insights into the lived experiences of current ESL teachers, providing a realistic
understanding of the profession’s challenges and opportunities, which will give them

preparations in pursuing this kind of career.

ESL Teachers. The findings of the study will directly benefit ESL teachers by providing

them with insights into the challenges and opportunities they may encounter in teaching English

as a Second Language.

Foreigners. They will benefit from the findings of this study as it provides insights that

can improve teaching approaches, promote cultural sensitivity, address communication

challenges, provide personalized support, and foster a meaningful cultural exchange in English

language learning.

Students. By improving the understanding of the challenges faced by ESL teachers,

students who are part-time ESL teachers will be provided with more valuable insights when it

comes to the experiences of ESL teachers. It could improve their learning experience.

Parents. The findings of this study will give benefit as it gives insights into the

challenges and opportunities faced by ESL teachers, allowing them to better understand the

learning environment and support their children's English language learning journey.

Future Researchers. The findings will provide them data about the lived experiences of

ESL Teachers for future studies.

Definition of Terms

The following terms will be defined conceptually and operationally for clarity and to

facilitate understanding in the presentation of this research and its findings:

English as a Second Language. English as a Second Language (ESL) is a traditional

term for the use or study of the English language by non-native speakers in an English-speaking

environment (Richard Nordquist, 2019).

Online Teaching. Online teaching is the process of educating others via the internet.

Various methods can be used, such as one-on-one video calls, group video calls, and webinars

(Thomas J. Law, 2022).

In this study, it refers to the method ESL teachers use to teach English.

Lived Experiences. Personal knowledge about the world gained through direct, first-

hand involvement in everyday events rather than through representations constructed by other

people. It may also refer to knowledge of people gained from direct face-to-face interaction

rather than through a technological medium (Oxford reference, n.d).

In this study, it refers to the actual lived experiences ESL teachers face when teaching

English as a second language.

Challenges. Something that by its nature or character serves as a call to make special

effort, a demand to explain, justify, or difficulty in a undertaking that is stimulating to one

engaged in it. (IGIGlobal, 2023)

In this study, these are the problems or difficulty ESL teachers deal with in order to teach

English.

Time Management. Time management is the coordination of tasks and activities to

maximize the effectiveness of an individual's efforts. Essentially, the purpose of time

management is to enable people to get more and better work done in less time (Ben Lutkevich,

n.d).

In this study, it refers to the effective allocation and utilization of time by ESL teachers in

planning, organizing, and balancing other responsibilities and in teaching ESL.

shared set of symbols (George N. Gordon, 2023).

In this study, it refers to the interaction between ESL teachers and foreign students.

Emotions. A complex experience of consciousness, bodily sensation, and behavior that

reflects the personal significance of a thing, an event, or a state of affairs (Robert C. Solomon,

2023).

In this study, it refers to the emotions an individual feels about being an ESL teacher.

Financial Need. Financial need is the difference between cost and ability to pay.

Demonstrated financial need formalizes this concept as the difference between a college’s cost of

attendance (COA) and the student’s expected family contribution (Mark Kantrowitz, 2020).

In this study, it refers to the specific challenges and requirements related to ESL teachers'

financial resources, including salaries, benefits, and financial support for professional

development.

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter gives account to data and information related to the study. These are the

related literatures and studies that provide the background of the study.

Conceptual Literature

English as a Second Language

According to the study of Si (2019), ESL, also known as “English as a Second

Language,” refers to English learners as a second language, such as Indian and Malaysian

learners. It is the language that plays the same important role as the mother tongue, which is used

for communication and spoken formally.

speaking countries, and the other is for countries that were once colonized by English-speaking

countries. For ESL learners, they learn English in a natural condition, a subconscious acquisition

that is similar to the process of mother tongue acquisition (Si, 2019).

The Use of English Language

The British Council conducted interviews with six English language students to

understand the ways in which their English courses were impacting their lives. They found that

English was a liberating force: enabling the learners to be competitive in the job market, access

college-education overseas and enhance their ability to access information and build friendships

online (Adelaide A., 2014).

English is a universal language and is spoken in many countries in the world. English is

the official language of 45 countries in the world. Communication is very important in today’s

time; English provides the medium for all the cultures to communicate through books, movies,

plays, internet or other resources. Many companies in today’s time require their employees to be

well versed with English, so that they can communicate with the company’s international clients.

In such a situation, employees with good command on the language are at an advantage (Capalar,

2018).

Foreign Students Learning English Language

According to the study conducted by Sari (2021), both English Language Education

Department (ELED) and non-English Language Education Department (non-ELED) students

shared common problems in learning English related to the issues of vocabulary shortage,

grammar difficulties, pronunciation problems, low speaking and listening skills. The noticeable

difference was seen on the difficulty in developing ideas that is only faced by ELED students
while difficult in all aspects of writing skills faced by non-ELED students. The strategies

implemented by both ELED and non-ELED students included jotting down the unknown words,

learning English using Google, learning English through social media, reading journals, using

subtitles, watching movies that use English as a medium of communication, listening to English

movies, singing English songs, joining English courses, making imitation, and practicing their

English writing and speaking skills. The strategies to deal with the difficulties that were

implemented by ELED students were reading online comic, memorizing vocabulary, reading

English article or essays, listening to podcast, telling a story using English language, increasing

confidence, and memorizing form of verbs. Meanwhile, the strategies that just implemented by

non-ELED students were joining English activity programs, doing English exercises, getting

used to the English language, and using the correct English language.

The study entitled “Students’ Attitudinal Factors in Learning English as a Foreign

Language” by Mustafa et. al. (2015), shows that the students from Indonesia English Education

Department have high or positive attitudinal factors in learning English as a foreign language. It

indicates that the students’ attitude toward English language learning can, to a certain degree,

influence their learning results. There is a positive correlation between attitude and motivation

and the students’ enthusiasm, commitment and persistence are the key determinant of success or

failure, the more favorable the attitudes the students have the higher the motivation the students

possess. It was found that instrumental reasons were considered the primary source of the

students’ attitude towards learning the English language.

The findings of the study entitled “Factors Affecting the Attitudes of Students towards

Learning English as a Foreign Language” showed that the attitudes of Grade 10 students towards

learning EFL is positive. There are social factors (e.g., English native speakers, peer groups and
learners’ parents) affecting students’ attitudes positively. On the other hand, educational context

factors like English language teachers, the English language learning situations (e.g., the

classrooms, arrangements of seats and the physical learning environment) had negative impacts

on students’ attitude. However, the findings showed that target language learners have positive

attitudes towards the other educational context factor that is the English textbook of Grade 10

which means English as a Foreign Language teaching materials in the study’s context affect

students’ attitudes positively (Getie, 2020).

Lived Experiences of Teachers

Different teachers have different challenges and experiences. According to Aldevera et al.

(2019), Senior High School Teachers experience stress and challenges with their new teaching

responsibility. Their challenges included the lack of equipment for the skills enhancement and

the behavioral maturity of the Senior High learners. The reasons of stress felt by the teachers

were disruptive student behavior, overlapping activities, student diversity, limited resources and

support, and accountability policies. The teachers encountered challenges in the application on

the skills on their specialized subjects due to lack of equipment, tools, and learning materials.

The lives of teachers in far-flung schools are challenged to work out of their comfort zone

and to deal with students and communities with different cultures. They employed different

strategies for adaptation that helped them survive and stay in far-flung areas. Their situation as a

far-flung teacher is not as easy as what some had narrated. They were able to manage and cope

with different problems and challenges in the far-flung areas; they even became more resilient,

brave, consistent, and determined to stay and impart their knowledge to the empty minds of their

children (Lariosa et al., 2022).

21st century learners, technology integration has become critical in meeting that need. Teachers

lacked the knowledge and experience to use technology effectively to enhance the learning

process of students. Teachers expressed appreciation for accessibility to information, student

accountability, and customization of assessments and grading practices. Classroom management

and student communication and social skills were deemed to be impacted negatively by some

teachers.

It is the teacher who makes the curriculum and its different elements compatible with the

nature of multi-grade classes. Teachers of multi-grade classes in both non-prosperous and

prosperous provinces had similar views on using teaching methods, determining learning

activities and grouping methods. However, they did not have the same views on determining the

type of learning materials and resources (Mortazavizadeh et al., 2017).

According to the study of Condino (2021), English teachers who are being in the Online

Distance Learning (ODL) modality for almost a year now, found preparations very easy and they

did not find much difficulty as the school year ended. Eight (8) themes emerged about their

feelings in the beginning, middle, and end of the school year. At the beginning of the school year,

the teachers had feelings of anxiety and challenge. In the middle of the school year, they had

feelings of inefficiency and stress. However, they also felt hopeful that this pandemic would soon

be over. Lastly, at the end of the school year, the teachers concluded their first school year in

ODL with the feelings of fulfillment, confidence, and resilience.

The Filipino English teachers experienced emotional drawbacks that referred to extreme

homesick towards their immediate family members in the Philippines. They also encountered

some cultural drawbacks such as the language barriers brought about by their students’
differences in accent and English-speaking proficiency level. In addition, teachers also fell into

the trap of psychological drawbacks characterized by burnout and depression. Foreign teachers

like the Filipinos do not always get a seamless teaching experience while employed outside their

country (Sumalinog, 2022).

In the study conducted by Aziz, et al. (2021) the rural schools suffer from the

disadvantages of teaching and learning environment. The researchers found that limited English

environment, shortage of teaching resources and poor physical environment were the reasons

that the environment failed to support English language teaching and learning. Also, English

teachers in the study appraised the stress cognitively to seek possible solutions. Personal, social,

professional and institutional coping strategies were the four strategies used by the English

teachers as coping mechanism either to manage and alter the stress or to regulate the response to

the stress.

The out-of-field teaching of history courses triggers incompetence and lack of self-

confidence among teachers and instructors; elicits lack of depth and interest in providing quality

education; provokes confusion in learning transfer; and students under out-of-field history

teachers also get relatively lower scores. Coping mechanisms of out-of-field teachers ranging

from a harmonious working environment, peer tutoring, mentoring, and class observance. Out-

of-field history teaching leads to problems concerning teachers’ performance and the learning

transfer and requires proper attention and effective solutions to achieve quality instruction and

the goal of history education (Sebrero, 2021).

Based on the study conducted by Martinez (2021), English language teachers have

redesigned their teaching strategies in accordance with the capabilities and needs of the students.

Also, some activities have been modified to make them compatible with distance learning.
Online Teaching

According to Johansson (2021), during the global pandemic of 2020 – 2021, educational

change can be understood in terms of experiences, through listening to teachers’ voices, which

have the capacity to bring new knowledge for future usage of digital platforms in education.

Teaching is an embodied experience and opportunities for movement have become limited in the

virtual learning environment. A radical change in the methods of communication has also

occurred, in particular the verbal and non-verbal clues of oral interaction, which differ in

physical and virtual classrooms. Interpersonal relationships have been shown to be of the utmost

importance for successful learning, and these need to be formed and maintained both online and

offline. Some students are at risk of falling behind academically and socially due to remote

learning.

Google meet is the most used platform for online teaching. In terms of stress level,

teachers between the ages 36 and 50 are the most stressed. As per time spent on online teaching,

most teachers spent 3-5 hours a day, and it is also found out that the more hours spent on online

teaching, the more benefit the teachers and students will get (Husin et al., 2022).

Beale (2016) emphasizes the importance of a supportive and encouraging online

environment. Distance learning is challenging for students and the experience can be frustrating

and de-motivating if technology fails. More than ever, teachers need to work at providing

positive encouragement to their students, praising and rewarding success and acknowledging

challenges when they exist. It is also valuable if teachers can identify new skills that students are

acquiring – not least skills in problem-solving, using information technology and resilience – and

encourage their classes.

online mode by their respective governments. No one has the information that how long this

pandemic will remain, and hence the teaching method was shifted to online mode. Even though

some of the educators were not tech-savvy, they updated themselves to battle the unexpected

circumstance (Pillai et al., 2021).

Instructor’s quality is the most prominent factor that affects the student’s satisfaction

during online classes. This means that the instructor needs to be very efficient during the

lectures. He needs to understand students’ psychology to deliver the course content prominently.

If the teacher can deliver the course content properly, it affects the student’s satisfaction and

performance. The teachers’ perspective is critical because their enthusiasm leads to a better

online learning process quality (Gopal et al., 2021).

Teachers used a variety of platforms, and choice of platform was mainly due to user-

friendliness and interactivity, or administrative decision making. teaching strategies included pre-

recorded videos and self-directed learning in which teachers assigned specific tasks for students

to perform independently. Teachers prioritized subject content and covering curriculum

objectives over creative and student-centered pedagogical approaches (DeCoito & Estaiteyeh,

2022).

According to Yao et. al. (2020), in the online teaching process, simply providing teaching

resources is not enough. Taking more live broadcasts to form more teacher-student

communication and instant feedback is an effective way to improve student performance. More

attention and feedback should be given to students to form an effective online communication

mechanism. In the process of online teaching, teachers should not only assume the role of
transmitting knowledge, but also play the role of “leader” and “accompanier” through effective

guidance and communication.

The use of ICT can facilitate and make teaching easier maximizing the learner autonomy,

transferring traditional mode of teaching in learning English. Lack of basic ICT knowledge and

skills, the digital divide, the students’ laziness were some of the challenges of using ICT.

Moreover, ICT use in online teaching can contribute learners to work in their own pace; provide

a new platform of learning by expanding the access of resources in learning system (Bhandari,

2023).

Related Studies

Based on the study of Marciaga (2019) entitled “A Phenomenology: Teachers Lived

experiences with Workplace English as a Second Language”, teachers have poor communication

between the parties involved in workplace ESL programs. It is also difficult for the employees or

students to participate in regular ESL classes in their communities, for they have many

responsibilities at once which complicates learning English. Teachers are also experiencing a low

level of commitment from the company side regarding ESL programs. Another issue experienced

by teachers is the lack of an adequate location for English language instruction. Teachers

commonly use the cafeteria inside the company as their classroom. ESL workplace programs are

lacking necessary resources. First, there is a need of basic resources such as textbooks and

workbooks for students. Some teachers explained that they do not have enough books and

sometimes must request authorization to make photocopies. Second, there is also a necessity of

technology resources such as computers and internet. Teachers without English language skills

do not have the same growing opportunities as their peers with proficient English language skills

within the company.

Second Language are first the learning skills which is perceived to be high needed with 52.77%.

Communication is a sub-skill that is mostly cited relevant for teachers in teaching of English as a

Second Language. Teacher’s speaking skill is regarded by participants to be a basic competency.

Secondly, the life skills with 36.11%. It targets on how students can grow and progress in their

everyday life that is eventually geared towards strengthening their personal and professional

qualities, and the least considered skill is the basic skill with 2.78%. The values the teachers

deem necessary to teach are Universalism, Self-Direction, and Benevolence. The most

commonly utilized strategies as employed by teachers are collaborative, speaking strategy,

eliciting and teaching strategies (Tungpalan, 2020).

Although Filipino teachers were positive about teaching English to Thai students, they

perceived that English language teaching in the country is a challenging task because of students'

lack of interest in the English language; lack of exposure to and support for an English speaking

environment; unclear and unsuitable English language curriculum; and lack of teacher

professional development (Ulla, 2018).

The research conducted by Senom et. al. (2013) highlights a spectrum of challenges

novice ESL teachers encounter while teaching foreign students. The participants of the study

voiced their concerns about their students’ lack of interest, illiteracy, misbehavior, and negative

attitude towards learning English. The novice ESL teachers also found themselves struggling

with high expectations from parents. Despite the struggles, the novice ESL teachers consider

these experiences to be valuable that they can learn from.

Through the investigation, it is found that the majority of ESL teachers expressed that the

use of online teaching was effective but with various limitations. There were limitations
connected to teachers’ readiness to adopt online teaching, accessibility to mobile phones and

internet connectivity, classroom management in terms of low students’ participation and

assessment. The study also found that it was important for instructors to be prepared and flexible

in utilizing e-learning to increase learning effectiveness (Lukas & Yunus, 2021).

The study “Exploring the Lived Experiences of ESL Teachers in the Teaching of English

Subjects” gathered five themes which include sensitivity among students on error correction;

divergent attitudes of the students towards pronunciation instruction; pronunciation errors of

students in both segment and suprasegmentals; teacher’s ways of dealing with the level of extent

of students’ fossilization period; and challenges in teaching the English language. The result

implies that students’ lack of exposure to language learning opportunities contributes to the

emerging problem in the fluency of the language. Therefore, it challenges ESL teachers in

dealing with students’ difficulties in learning the English language (Castro, 2023).

In the study conducted by Georgia Danos in the year 2019 entitled “ELA and ESL

Educators’ Lived Experiences in Urban, Middle Level, Mainstream Classrooms”, the results

showed that the English Language Arts (ELA) mainstream teacher, Mr. Scott, was disengaged in

class; disinterested in his students; unaware of his students’ backgrounds and needs; unaware of

professional development offered; resistant and resentful towards new pedagogical approaches;

tentatively interested in but unaware of best practices; displayed unprofessionalism; and

indifferent about students’ academic success. The ESL co-teacher, Ms. Beasley, overcome

several obstacles to teach and when she taught; did not appear to have a supportive relationship

with her co-teacher; received no support to teach her ELLs; was overworked and did everything

herself; and was knowledgeable about and implemented effective best practices.
 In the study conducted by Cheung (2021), the findings revealed that although there were

fewer interactions between the teacher and her students, teaching in synchronous online mode

provided the teacher with opportunities to utilize certain online features to augment methods of

checking student understanding. The study identified the teacher’s pedagogical beliefs, the

context and professional development as facts that influenced the level of technology integration

in her Zoom classes. The study concludes that embracing process-oriented pedagogies may be

necessary for a higher level of technology integration among ESL teachers who have adequate

professional development opportunities and school support.

According to the study conducted by Gonzales (2018) entitled “Regulation, Exposure,

Recognition (RER) Theory for Improved ESL Teaching Experience in Cebu”, the teachers’

challenges include issues on social stratification, salary, employment regularization, cultural

difference and communication, and teaching competence. The opportunities include English

communication, exposure to international culture, and local and international opportunities. It is

concluded that regulation of ESL schools in Cebu improves the ESL teachers’ social status,

competence and experiences and creates local and international economic advantage.

Based from the thematic analysis, the experiences of the identified seven (7) neophyte

ESL teachers were anxiety as initial reaction, fear of committing grammatical and pronunciation

errors, difficulty of motivating students, students’ lack of knowledge on the target audience,

difficulty on students’ pronunciation and grammar, improves teachers; communicative

competence and evaluating students’ four macro skills. Moreover, the different teaching

strategies used were using reinforcement, various teaching methodologies, utilizing interactive

materials, building rapport, tracking students’ performance and scaffolding (Aporbo, 2023).

Synthesis
 English language was a liberating force: enabling the learners to be competitive in the job

market, access college-education overseas, and enhance their ability to access information and

build friendships online (Adelaide A., 2014). This pushes a lot of people most especially students

to learn and study English as a Second Language. However, it is not easy. According to Sari

(2021), both English Language Education Department (ELED) and non-English Language

Education Department (non-ELED) students shared problems in learning English related to the

issues of vocabulary shortage, grammar difficulties, pronunciation problems, low speaking and

listening skills. Due to the high demand for technology and the work-from-home setup caused by

the pandemic, online ESL teaching became prominent in the country, which is the Philippines.

An individual becomes an ESL teacher, even though they are undergraduate, or they

didn’t graduate in an education course. However, different teachers have different teaching and

lived experiences. Those experiences can bring positive or negative outcomes which may greatly

affect their teaching styles and pedagogy. According to Castro (2023), students’ lack of exposure

to language learning opportunities contributes to the emerging problem in the fluency of the

language. Therefore, it is a challenge to ESL teachers in dealing with students’ difficulties in

learning the English Language. Also, the ESL teachers’ challenges include issues on social

stratification, salary, employment regularization, cultural difference and communication, and

teaching competence. But, teachers also have opportunities which include English

communication, exposure to international culture, and local and international opportunities

(Gonzales, 2018).

Although Filipino teachers were positive about teaching English to Thai students, they

perceived that English language teaching in the country is a challenging task because of students'

lack of interest in the English language; lack of exposure to and support for an English speaking
environment; unclear and unsuitable English language curriculum; and lack of teacher

professional development (Ulla, 2018). The most commonly utilized strategies as employed by

teachers are collaborative, speaking strategy, eliciting and teaching strategies (Tungpalan, 2020).

Given the concepts and studies above, this shows that teachers’ teaching techniques and

how they teach the English Language greatly affect how students perceive and acquire language

learning. Also, the support that they receive from the school or workplace will be one of the

factors that affect a teacher’s ability to teach effectively and efficiently. Teachers used a variety

of platforms, and the choice of platform was mainly due to user-friendliness and interactivity, or

administrative decision-making. Teaching strategies included pre-recorded videos and self-

directed learning in which teachers assigned specific tasks for students to perform independently.

Teachers prioritized subject content and covering curriculum objectives over creative and

student-centered pedagogical approaches (DeCoito & Estaiteyeh, 2022). In conclusion, all of the

materials that are gathered help in building and supporting the researchers’ paper in filling the

gap for conducting the study.

CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

This study will be conducted to identify the lived experiences of Filipino ESL teachers. In

this chapter presents the procedures and methods to be used in the study. These include the

research design, context of the study, participants of the study, the research instrument, data

gathering procedure, data analysis procedure, and subjectivity of the researchers.

Methodological Perspective
 The participatory phenomenology research design will be utilized in this study. It will

cover the lived experiences of the Filipino ESL teachers. The researchers look for distinct

concepts and categories in the data, which formed the basic units of the analysis. In other words,

the researchers will break down the data in the concepts. It will utilize scheduled interview so

that the participants can share their experiences through writing or oral interview in order for the

researchers can collect data.

Context of the Study

This study will cover the lived experiences of ten (10) Flilipino ESL teachers in the 1 st

District of Capiz who are currently working as, five (5) fulltime and five (5) part-time ESL

teachers. This study will be conducted at Capiz State University, College of Education, Arts and

Sciences, Teacher Education Department, Pontevedra, Capiz. It will include the lived

experiences of Filipino ESL teachers.

The participants will be the Filipino ESL teachers that are currently living in 1st district

of Capiz. The researchers will interview the participants regarding their lived experiences as a

Filipino ESL teacher. The study considered the uniqueness of the participants live experiences

in teaching English as a Second Language.

Participants of the Study

The participants will be the selected Filipino ESL teachers. There will be a total of 10

participants, 5 full time and 5 part time ESL teachers, from the 1st District of Capiz.

For the selection of participants, purposive sampling will be used. Participants will be the

ESL teachers in the 1st District of Capiz. It is a technique widely used in qualitative research for
the identification and selection of information-rich cases for the most effective use of limited

resources (Patton, 2002).

In choosing the fulltime ESL teachers participants, the following criteria is considered:

(1) the participant must be currently living in the 1st District of Capiz, (2) they must be full time

ESL teachers that have at least 4 up to 10 years of experience, (3) they must be working more

than 8hrs everyday, (4) they are teaching both elementary and high school students from

Southeast and East Asia countries, (5) they are available at the time of the schedule interview,

and (6) they have the ability to communicate experiences and opinion in an articulate, expressive

and reflective manner (Bernard, 2002).

In choosing the part-time ESL teachers participants, the following criteria is considered:

(1) the participant must be currently living in the 1st District of Capiz, (2) they must be part-time

ESL teachers that have at least 6 months up to 3 years of experience, (3) they must be working 2-

6 hours every weekdays and 8hrs during weekends , (4) they must be a College student that are

still enrolled in a University/School, (5) they are teaching both elementary and high school

students from Southeast and East Asia countries, (6) they are available at the time of the schedule

interview, and (7) they have the ability to communicate experiences and opinion in an articulate,

expressive and reflective manner (Bernard, 2002).

Data Gathering Procedures

A good source of data gathering is a scheduled interview. The participants will be the

Filipino ESL teachers who will be interviewed by the researchers personally and virtually. The

answers will be documented through oral and written records. Open-ended questions will be
framed in such a way that relevant and significant information regarding the lived experiences of

the participants will be drawn from the participants.

The researchers will utilize guide questions, which will be prepared ahead of time.

Moreover, in conducting the study, the following are the steps that will be used by the

researchers to gather data: First, in formulating a question, it should be related to the study to

better follow the conversation. It should be open-ended questions to invite the informants to talk

and enable to gather more information. Second, in choosing the participants, they should be

officially a Filipino ESL teacher that has at least 6 months up to 10 years of experience and are

currently living in the 1st District of Capiz. Third, in scheduling the interview, they must be

willing to participate and share their lived experiences as an ESL teacher. They must also be

available at the time of the schedule interview. They have the ability to communicate experiences

and opinion in an articulate, expressive and reflective manner (Bernard, 2002). Fourth, by using

their shared experiences, the researchers should transcribe the recorded responses of the

informants. Lastly, the researchers will create a product that is a guidebook that contains the do’s

and don’ts of being an ESL teacher as well as the advices that the researchers will developed

based on the experiences of the participants.

Guidebook of ESL Teacher

Extraction of Themes

Transcribe Lived Experiences

Schedule an Interview

Selection of Participants

Formulation of Questions
 Figure 1. Data gathering procedure

Data Analysis Procedure

The researchers will use thematic analysis as a means to gain insight and knowledge from

the data gathering. The method enables researchers to develop a deeper appreciation for the

group or situation they are researching. By using thematic analysis to distill data, researchers will

determine broad patterns that will allow them to conduct more granular research and analysis. It

is highly inductive: themes emerge from the data that is gathered and are not imposed or

predetermined by the researchers. The researchers will gather data through audio recording,

pictures/video and questionnaire statements. The data from conversations on audio recording will

be transcribed. The researchers will code the data by hand or through a software program.

Coding is an explicit and iterative process in which the researchers will alter and modify the

analysis as reflected by the data and as ideas emerge. To ensure the integrity of the code – that is,

that they will not be misinterpreting and are free of researchers bias – they should be developed

and reviewed by the researchers. The researchers will read and re-read the data, double checking

the code for consistency and validation. The researchers will identify the themes and sub-themes:

patterns that have emerge from the coded data. The researchers will finalize the name of each

theme, writes its description and illustrates it with a few quotations from the original text to help

communicate its meaning to the reader.

Subjectivity of the Researchers

The researchers will plunge themselves into conducting this study because it is in line

with their course and it has been a big help in becoming teachers. They will consider this study a

great help for them in order to prepare themselves since they are taking up Bachelor of
Secondary Education major in English. Researchers will serve as interviewers during individual

interviews to follow up on their unclear answers. It will be the responsibility of the researchers to

know their study since it is part of their curriculum, they have their own experiences that they

will acquire and it will serve as their learning for those courses in which they have been enrolled.

It would be a big help to the researchers to be academically prepared for the future and get

involve with this kind of study in order to have a realization for this research endeavor.