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Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

Rationale

The characteristics of English sentence structures influence how

complicated English sentences are, making sentence structure analysis crucial to

comprehending and applying phrases. Many college students struggle with this

dilemma: although the words of a lengthy statement are generally understood, it

can be challenging to fully comprehend its meaning. The learners most frequent

syntactic mistakes involve sentence structure, including subject-verb

agreement, tense, auxiliary verbs, numbers, and the use of conjunctions,

prepositions, articles, and other words (Yu, 2021).

The English language is the door for vast potential of human

achievement. If one needs to communicate in everyday life, having a working

knowledge of English is essential. This is especially true in light of the fact that

the developed nations have opened their doors to hiring skilled people from the

less developed nations. Only those with a command of the English language

and in-depth knowledge of the specific field are awarded with occupations.

While this is going on, graduates or even postgraduates with poor English skills

are fired (Kottairaj et al., 2020).

The Philippines is considered one of the largest English-speaking nations

in the world. In fact, English is one of the official languages in the Philippines.

Filipinos are thought to be among the more fluent English speakers. This is

one of the explanations why other ASEAN nationals from the Asian continents
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have opted to study in the Philippines or turn to Filipino tutors to acquire the

English language. Although Filipinos are generally proficient in English, there

have been questions regarding how much of a competitive advantage this

would give them. Throughout the years, a gradual deterioration in English

language proficiency can be observed among Filipinos based on the EF English

Proficiency Index, and the Test of English for International Communication

(TOEIC). This was acknowledged by the stakeholders and was agreed that the

nation needs to step up efforts to improve English teaching and learning, given

that these are essential skills for the workforce (Sioco & De Vera, 2018; Santos,

et al., 2020).

Lack of knowledge about its structure has a huge impact for it affects

how we understand the language as well as how we create our own sentences.

As English major students, learning sentence structure is essential because it

is the basic and fundamental to understand English better. Thus, this study will

seek to determine the level of syntactic competence of first-year BSED students

Major in English of Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Colleges enrolled during the

academic year 2022-2023.

Research Objectives

This study aimed to determine the level of syntactic competence of first-

year BSED students major in English of Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Colleges

enrolled during the academic year 2022-2023. Moreover, this study has the

following objectives:
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1. To determine the level of syntactic competence of 1st-year BSED students

major in English.

2. To develop an intervention program based on the findings of the study.

Review of Related Literature

Since humans are social beings, language plays a significant part in life. In

the sense that people possess a language and use it to communicate with others,

it is thought that humans and language have a close relationship. Language is

used to communicate knowledge, ideas, views, feelings, and experiences. It can

be expressed verbally or in writing. English is utilized as an international language

in order to facilitate successful communication between people all over the world

(Virginanda, 2019; Buarqoub, 2019).

Being fluent in all facets of English, including speaking, reading, listening,

and writing, is increasingly essential, particularly in this day of globalization.

Throughout the world, English has grown and has expanded to the

globalization trend. English widespread use has affected the language of

communication in a variety of industries, including science, business,

entertainment, and cross-cultural understanding (Rintaningrum, 2018).

To compete in the globalization era, one needs to be communicatively

proficient in English. Sometimes, a person's potential is measured by his/her ability

to communicate in English. It was evident from a national law that was

implemented in the early 2000s, which ordered schools to become internationally

standardized by introducing English as a language of communication. Even though

this rule is no longer in effect, it is still believed that students' future success
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depends on their ability to speak and understand English. English is currently the

primary language of communication for about a quarter of the world's population,

a number that may rise sharply in the coming years. The fundamental goal of

teaching English is to increase students' ability to communicate effectively in

everyday situations and other situations (Sioco & De Vera, 2018).

Moreover, the relationship between the curriculum and the student’s level

of proficiency might give the curriculum designers an estimate of how much

English coursework might fit the students' learning growth. The criteria for selecting

the appropriate topic units in the prospectus should take into account the students'

need to develop skills for the workforce of the future. For students enrolled in higher

education programs in general and professional programs in particular, a proper

mastery of the English language is required. In a 2016 survey, there are numerous

barriers preventing kids from mastering English due to unusual distinctions

between the native tongue and the target language, including negative transfer

and cultural distinctions reasons why students had trouble learning English (Hafiz

et al., 2018; Mohammed, 2018).

However, learners’ chances of succeeding or failing are determined based

on their level of motivation to engage in any activity. It is difficult to become highly

motivated because student participation in class discussions requires "a

comprehensive physical, intellectual, and emotional response". Unfortunately, a

lot of students avoid engaging in learning activities because they find it challenging

to master a foreign language. This situation makes learning motivation low, which

may affect how successfully people learn languages (Seven, 2020).

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Students' first language (L1) has an impact on how confident they feel

about their ability to communicate. Due to their unintentional use of English,

teaching English to students who are learning it as a second language (EFL)

have proven it difficult for many years. These students are thought to

participate less actively in class (Zheng & Yu, 2018).

Moreover, the grammatical organization is quite strict and hierarchical. Long

and complicated sentences are created by connecting phrases with words that

represent a certain relationship. The problems were also suggested to be related

to overgeneralization and the transmission of the mother tongue. EFL students

encounter several challenges while learning the language and often have a bad

attitude about it. It shows that there are a variety of challenges that students face,

which can be categorized into three themes: grammatical issues, pronunciation

issues, and academic writing issues (Yu, 2021).

Some of the difficulties that the students experienced are the accent,

arbitrary language, grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. Students must

pronounce the words correctly in order to be understood. However, it might be

challenging for new students to pronounce words in a foreign language

because people tend to speak differently depending on their original language.

English accents vary based on the communities, reason why students may

have trouble in understanding the native speakers. Foreign language learners

often struggle to grasp English terms since the way they are written and said

differ. The numerous grammar rules in English can be confusing to people with

non-English backgrounds. When they are unable to use the appropriate

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structure, students struggle. This is so because each structure has a unique

meaning (Nuraeni, 2020).

As a vital tool for comprehending the language structures, grammar

plays a significant part in learning a new language. Grammar is defined as a

system of rules needed to appropriately interpret a language to produce an

understandable language. In consideration to this, it is essential to master

grammar in order to correctly construct sentences. The traditional approach to

teaching grammar has drawbacks that inhibit the pupils from improving their

communicative skills. On the other hand, the traditional approach to teaching

grammar is teacher-centered, which results in the majority of class time being

spent on the teacher's elaborate explanation of English grammar principles while

every student is either listening or taking notes (Gutierrez, 2018).

Thus, students usually had trouble composing sentences that clearly

expressed their opinions. It was challenging to completely understand the ideas

being presented since the words were badly written. As a result, it became

important to understand and interpret sentences while expressing thoughts both

vocally and in writing. The major findings of the study in constructing a proposed

English language program for 5 key universities in Vietnam generally revealed that

the student’s level of communicative competence is a factor of their parent’s

academic influence. Their opportunity for formal and rigorous learning, speaking

with an English native speaker, extensive exposure to social media networks, and

reading materials written in English all contribute to their linguistic/grammatical and

discourse competency (Tuan, 2017).

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In order to be able to communicate effectively, pupils must possess

syntactic competence. Competence is the ability to use the language effectively in

everyday situations. In other terms, it's frequently referred to as a performance.

Additionally, performance can be used to measure competency. The value of

understanding English sentence structure analysis cannot be overstated. It excels

in all areas of English study, including speaking, reading, writing, translating, and

listening. However, the issue is simply resolved when we analyze the English

sentence structure. When our ability to analyze syntax reaches a certain level of

proficiency, speaking will come naturally and quickly. It may even develop into a

conditioned reflex whereby the ideas we want to express are categorized and

arranged almost synchronously in accordance with the syntactic structure of

English. It will result in the formation of specific English sentences that allow us to

express our ideas, communicate our feelings, and do so effectively (Nuraeni, 2020;

Yu, 2021).

In addition, declarative knowledge has a significant impact on grammar in

spoken performance. It heavily depends on the social environment in which one is

raised and their historical roots. Declarative knowledge is comparable to the

notions of knowledge that we have conventionally, but procedural knowledge

primarily relates to the understanding that is applied to provide instructions on how

to perform a task. For instance, after learning the relevant rules for the "present

perfect" tense, students only learn the declarative knowledge of this tense, which

includes its grammatical rules and concepts. If they do not internalize this
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knowledge, it means they do not use it in daily speech or writing, they will not be

able to produce this tense in their language output (Alnujiadi & Assalahi, 2023).

People are required to go beyond the boundaries of declarative knowledge

in the so-called global village. Since technology has made it easier for people to

learn by reading, traveling, or exploring the worlds they are purely interested in,

there is no longer an ideal level of knowledge. Instead, there is a wide distribution

of knowledge about different worlds. With the introduction and widespread use of

the Internet, an increasing number of new teaching tools are now available that

can be used to assist foreign learners in enhancing their grammatical proficiency

in accordance with their unique grammar learning preferences (Rieger & Christoph,

2018).

Due to the advancements in technology and other industries nowadays,

English is spoken and written all over the world. Social media is continuously

altering how people live in various ways. Currently, social media platforms of all

kinds are having an impact on communication, information delivery, knowledge

exchange, commerce, education, and all other aspects of daily life. Unsurprisingly,

when it comes to learning a new language, students perform considerably better

when it comes to creating grammatical sentences and phrases using terms from

the language they are learning (Muftah, 2022).

Besides, punctuation and word order are just two examples of sentence

components that are governed by sentence structure. When writing correctly and

precisely built sentences, there are various more things to take into account in

addition to adhering to basic word order rules. There are times when a lengthy
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sentence satisfies the grammar rules. Its length, nevertheless, makes it

challenging to read. The use of excessively long sentences must be avoided in

order to write clearer and easier-to-read sentences (Chambers & Yunus, 2017).

Due to the variety of languages and grammatical patterns, grammar is the

most difficult issue that students must deal with. In order to read English more

quickly and accurately, it is helpful to understand how sentences are put together.

Particularly in the reading comprehension section of English level or professional

exams, the analysis of lengthy, challenging phrases with complex structures in

English is particularly common (Yu, 2021).

On the other hand, it is common for kids to start learning words and phrases

in English by memorization. It is the job of the teacher to make sure that the kids

comprehend the words' meanings and contexts. The study which examined the

writing challenges Najran University students faced, found that most students

remembered the answer paragraphs during tests rather than reading and applying

what they had learned to each question. The study's suggested corrective

approaches included employing learner-centered teaching strategies and requiring

students to write more descriptive paragraphs, particularly on the subjects they

found most interesting (Lubin, 2022).

It has been demonstrated that children's writing abilities were below

average if they were unable to recognize the parts of a sentence. Teachers have

a responsibility to draw attention to this issue and assist students in correcting

these common errors. In addition to their struggles with English vocabulary, pupils

also demonstrated a poor transfer of SLA concepts utilizing Arabic sentence form.
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Therefore, it is best to focus on English tenses, vocabulary, punctuation, and

spelling (Lodge et al., 2018).

Additionally, it was discovered that children lacked the skills necessary to

correctly use conjunctions and punctuation. Students were shown to have trouble

employing irregular verbs and nouns in sentence formation as well as being unable

to distinguish between active and passive phrases. The mother-tongue structure,

a lack of vocabulary, and a poor grasp of grammar are all contributing factors to

these issues. The 2022 study thus strongly endorses the use of error correction

strategies to efficiently and effectively raise the level of sentence composition

(Alsalami, 2022).

Moreover, the pupils' syntactic development is a result of their developing

syntactic awareness through interaction during learning and cognitive growth

throughout a phase of concrete operation. The children were able to think logically

and abstractly at this point. Additionally, the pupils' proficiency in practicing focus

transformation embodies the competency. Clarity of communication is

fundamentally affected by focus. It suggests that the students' approach to

communicating a crucial message in communication is focus transformation.

Focus is also a sophisticated interplay between word strings that contain

emphasis/focus markers. The emphasis is placed on the portion of speech that

best serves the purpose of the sentence, such as the Noun Phrase (NP), Verb

Phrase (VP), Adjective Phrase (AP), Numeral Phrase (NumP), and preposition

phrase (PP) (Nuraeni, 2020).

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In addition, words are the smallest syntax units. When two or more words

are put together in a specific order, syntactical construction is the result. According

to one viewpoint, grammarians divide words in the English language into eight

categories of parts of speech: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition,

conjunction, and interjection. The part of speech indicates how the word functions

in meaning as well as grammatically within the sentence. When used in several

contexts, a single word can serve as more than one element of speech. When

using a dictionary, it is essential to understand the different parts of speech in order

to find the right definition (Mariani et al., 2019).

A coherent group of words forms a sentence. A sentence is a relationship

between two words. An understanding is created through these interactions. A

phrase, on the other hand, is a group of words that together convey a complete

notion, according to another expert. When communicating, one must understand

and master the harmony of language components, sentence unity, and sentence

structure (Putrayasa et al., 2018).

Moreover, the portion of grammar known as syntax expresses a

speaker's understanding of sentence construction. Word order and sentence

structure are typically meant when discussing syntax. Every sentence is made

up of a series of words, yet not every series of words constitutes a sentence.

This is because syntactic structures are what give language its well

formedness and grammar, whereas breaking them results in poorly formed and

ungrammatical speech (Misir, 2017).

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Syntax roughly refers to the word order. It is the study of the

arrangement of words and phrases to produce well-formed sentences in a

language. The grammatical structure of words and phrases to produce

coherent sentences is known as sentence structure. Studying syntax enables

human beings to compose complex messages (Mariani et al., 2019).

With this, the adoption of the conventional teaching technique, such as

the Grammar Translation Approach, continues to characterize grammar

instruction in colleges even though college language instruction in the

Philippines has undergone significant changes over the past few decades. The

execution of these linguistic constructs by the teacher, followed by practice

through written tasks are examples of activities that restrict and control

students participation. While using this strategy, kids are better able to

understand and apply grammatical norms, but they are unable to do so in

subservient dialogue (Gutierrez, 2018).

The features of the English language dictate the need for us to understand

the features of English sentence structure. Hypotaxis is "the dependent or

subordinate construction or relationship of clauses with connectives," according to

the American Heritage Dictionary. English sentences pay attention to hypotaxis,

which is the linguistic connection of words or phrases to express grammatical

meaning and logical relationships. Examples of this type of connection are

conjunctions and related terms. For this reason, we introduce the sentence

structure analysis approach. To apply this strategy flexibly, we must first

understand the numerous sentence components, which primarily include the

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subject, predicate, object, attributive adverbial, complement, and appositive.

English sentences can be categorized into three categories based on their

sentence structures: simple sentences, compound sentences, and complex

sentences. Simple sentences can be joined together using linking devices like

parallel conjunctions or subordinate conjunctions to create compound sentences

and complicated sentences (Yu, 2021).

While still following basic word order rules, short sentence structuring

determines how the important parts are put together, from punctuation to word

order. Individuals should bridge the gaps between these issues, such as content

quality, organization, intent, audience, and vocabulary. This is according to studies

on the challenges Arab students encounter while writing a well-developed

paragraph in English. Simple, compound, and complicated sentences provide

another difficulty for ESL students, the study claims. It's essential that young ESL

learners understand sentence structure and word order (Bryson et al., 2022).

Structure is an essential aspect of learning a language. A student can

create sentences by employing structure. Next, a language structure serves to

provide a language meaning by enabling the creation of any form of thoughts

that can be communicated to anybody. As a result, structure cannot be

overlooked when studying languages, because it helps the listener understand

the speaker (Demir, 2017).

Hence, correcting syntax errors becomes more challenging as children age

and gain proficiency in the language. Older students frequently convert their

original tongue into English without taking into account how words are arranged
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differently in different languages. The learner's usage of native language structures

results in numerous mistakes. The most effective technique to teach a pupil the

correct form after they have failed is to let them discover it rather than simply

delivering it to them (Yemez & Dikilitas, 2022).

On the other hand, the misuse of coordinating clauses by second-language

learners is evident. They typically have problems with tense, verb tenses, articles,

concord, prepositions, language usage (grammar), punctuation, vocabulary

register, concept structure, spelling, and referencing lexical and semantic mistakes.

Investigating these areas seem to be crucial in bringing a wider scope in learning

English as a second language because these unique obstacles were identified to

face the learners starting at their college education (Abdallah, 2017).

Correct subject-verb agreement and the usage of singular vs plural verbs

are more complex ideas that call for in-depth explanations. The writer's ability to

correctly identify the sentence's subject and decide whether it is singular or plural

also has a role on how well singular and plural verbs are used. Young children can

follow the concepts in a phrase and comprehend its meaning when they are aware

of how grammatical elements like pronouns, lexical references, and connectives

function in sentences. While it is not necessary for kids to know the names of these

grammatical words, they do need to gain an awareness of how sentences are put

together in both written and spoken language. Working with sentences can be an

element of reading challenging texts with a class. Teachers might lead a

discussion of brief passages of complex literature to assist students in

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understanding and parsing complex sentences (Massachusetts Department of

Elementary and Secondary Education, 2022).

With this, the need to prioritize the most efficient ways to improve language

competency is made more urgent by the rising number of EFL learners; one such

option is teaching language abilities through games. When learning included

games, students demonstrated significant gains in their motivation to study and in

their vocabulary acquisition, and their anxiety levels related to peer pressure were

decreased. Other research shows that the use of games and students'

performance in English, particularly with regard to competence levels, have a

substantial link or difference (Kim, et al., 2019).

To create various learning environments, teachers must use a variety of

activities. Engaging students in classroom activities, using physical activities,

teaching specific subjects, giving students access to materials they are already

familiar with. Encouraging classroom habits in English, using L1 when necessary,

finding community helpers, working in teams with other teachers, and consulting

with experts are just a few of the challenging games, songs, videos, realia, and

movement that can be used (Zain, 2017).

Teachers can use different drills in teaching English. Drilling reduces the

likelihood of fossilization, or making the same mistakes repeatedly, which can

happen when learning a language. Both the teacher and the pupils are given

instructions to come up with language output by provoking one or more of the five

senses of hearing, vision, smell, taste, and touch, particularly the two former ones.

With this technique, arbitrary groupings of images are utilized to spark students'
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imaginations, tap into their global knowledge, and ultimately translate it into

desirable linguistic behavior. Additionally, this method helps kids build their

vocabulary. However, due to its repetitive nature, this kind of exercise should be

carefully planned as pupils may find it uninteresting (Sasi, 2017).

Besides, interesting activities are one of the finest methods to establish

such a natural, anxiety-free environment. Songs unquestionably fall within the

category of enjoyable activities that operate as effective language-learning tools

and do not put pressure on children to use the language before they are ready.

Using songs are also appropriate for diverse learning types, they promote good

learning experiences, and they increase knowledge when used in teaching and

developing every part of a language. Songs encourage learning and foster a

passion for language acquisition (Maissa, 2020).

In addition to teaching listening comprehension, pronunciation, and rhythm,

they also contain language patterns and foster a positive environment. Such

motivation encourages students to be inventive, creative, and eager to study and

succeed. When employing songs, it is crucial to allow kids to learn and explore the

language on their own rather than teaching them in language structures. They

must experience success during this process. In addition to connecting previously

taught words and language structures to those that will be learned in the near

future, the language needs to be introduced at a pace that is manageable for the

learner (Bsharat et al., 2021).

In addition, unscrambling sentence is an excellent method that may be

utilized with kids learning a language at any level. This activity can be tailored to
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the ability or level of the pupils, and for those that take part, it can be both very

emotional and useful. The entire information that the students require is given to

them; their only task is to arrange the words or sentences so that they create

complete sentences or paragraphs. In this method, the students are given a

passage that they have already read or seen, but with disorganized words or

sentences. They are then asked to put the sentences back in the proper order or

form, which helps them understand how sentences are constructed and the

placement of each word within a sentence. This method is essential because it

enables students to collaborate or work alone while also using their brains to recall

what is right or wrong. In this method, vocabulary and grammar are presented.

With varying degrees of complexity, scrambled sentences can be utilized as a

timing game for both adults and children (Perez, 2019).

Besides, students can employ and manipulate an increasing number of

words in sentences with the aid of sentence elaboration exercises. They are

particularly beneficial for increasing syntactic awareness of adverbial phrases,

prepositional phrases, and subordinate clauses. Six question words are used in a

fundamental sentence elaboration exercise: who, what, where, why, which, and

how. The activity begins with a straightforward topic. (e.g., the turtle). Then, a

series of inquiries are made to encourage pupils to elaborate and add more

information. The teacher can create the sentences while the class works as a

whole, with the pupils offering comments. This assignment can be completed in

pairs or small groups by older pupils. Give pupils just two or three of the question

words to start as a scaffold, and then progressively add more (Sedita, 2020).
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In addition, scholarly research on peer tutoring in the area of education has

received a lot of attention. As one of the foundations of cooperative learning, it is

regarded as a crucial instructional method for inclusive education. Peer tutoring is

a systematic kind of peer learning, sometimes known as tutoring. It requires two

students to collaborate in a systematic way, with one acting as the tutor and the

other as the tutee. Research has been conducted both historically and recently on

the peer tutoring practice of paired reading. Peer tutoring should be viewed as an

addition to teacher-led activities rather than a substitute for them, and can

therefore serve to give the students feedback and direction on ideas that their

teachers have already described and shown (Thurston et al., 2021).

Besides, numerous academics have suggested that peer tutoring programs

benefit English language learners in both EFL and ESL. Peer-tutored read-aloud

was more successful than individual teacher-guided read-aloud in helping Iranian

EFL students learn new vocabulary. Peer tutoring is excellent at assisting students

in overcoming task hurdles such as lack of ideas, a lack of material knowledge,

pronunciation issues, and presentation skills by encouraging peer scaffolding.

Involving family members in supporting students' academic pursuits have been

linked to higher academic accomplishment, according to a number of earlier

research. Families have a critical role in enhancing children’s academic

performance because they provide them with a strong emotional foundation that

prevents social awkwardness while learning (Maguet et al.,2021).

Moreover, the concept of "editing" is frequently challenged at writing centers

since it brings up a picture of the tutor fixing all the writer's grammatical errors while
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the writer does nothing but watch. This method runs contrary to the writing center's

mission, which is to develop better writers rather than better writing. Because ESL

writers are "not engaged merely in "editing" but in learning a new language," the

"No-Editing" policy should be re-examined when it comes to ESL tutoring sessions.

Additionally, since these writers' errors are consistent indicators of typical second

language learning and processing rather than student failure, this policy should be

reviewed. ESL students need assistance with their language learning process

since they "actually need the linguistic component (vocabulary and syntax) as

much or more than what is termed the writing (rhetorical) component," according

to a study (Mazen, 2018).

Synthesis:

Learning a new language is challenging especially if we dig deeper into how

certain languages are constructed to produce well-formed sentences since every

language has its own way in constructing a sentence. Syntactic construction is the

result when we put the words together. In the English language, we can identify

the function of the word in eight parts which are under the parts of speech. These

words can also be classified based on their phrasal category and phrase structure

rules. Different activities can be used by the teachers in teaching syntax so that

students will be more active in learning the language. The students, most

especially the adults, tend to commit mistakes in making a sentence using English

because of overgeneralization. They translate the sentence using their first

language. Knowing the syntax of the language will help us easily understand the

sentences and to construct complex sentences.

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Theoretical Framework

This study was anchored on the Universal Grammar Theory (1960) and

Linguistic Theory (1966) by Noam Chomsky. Universal Grammar Theory claims

that regardless of the various linguistic groups to which an individual belongs,

he/she is born with a core set of grammatical concepts. Without the fundamental

set of subconscious principles in mind, he believes that children would not quickly

pick up the language spoken to them. Children are born with a mental

predisposition that makes it possible for them to learn the languages fluently.

Chomsky therefore believes that language is a biological and innate trait

(Umarlebbe & Said, 2021).

Furthermore, his theory believes that all usually growing individuals are

subject to the same underlying, universal grammatical laws that regulate language

acquisition. Chomsky contends that the LAD is a unique language processor that

houses fundamental, universal linguistic principles that give the kids the natural

ability to speak and learn languages. Only the environment can stimulate the LAD's

maturation. Moreover, the notion of syntactic bootstrapping put out by Barbara

Landau and Lila Gleitman (1985) suggests that understanding can be obtained

from studying a linguistic structure. According to this idea, verbs should generalize

quickly and early in language learning, without the need for an accumulation of

exemplars to create abstractions (Wise & Sevcik, 2017).

Additionally, a usage-based approach to grammar known as cognitive

grammar that was developed by Ronald Langacker (1980) places an emphasis on

the symbolic and semantic definitions of theoretical ideas that have typically only
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been examined from a syntactic perspective. When compared to conventional

instructional techniques that emphasize separate components, cognitive grammar

emphasizes the meaning of grammar, and the use of pictorial representations has

been helpful in assisting learners in developing their grammatical knowledge.

According to Langacker’s Grounding Theory, NPs and VPs are examined as

providing a conceptual meaning of “grounding” (Nordquist, 2018).

Significance of the Study

The result of the study provides information and insights about the level of

syntactic competence of the freshman BSED students major in English in Ramon

Magsaysay Memorial Colleges, S. Y. 2022-2023. Thus, the outcome of the study

will be beneficial to the following entities:

Students. This study can help them determine their level of syntactic

competence as English major students and the possible intervention that they may

undergo so they can improve their competence in syntax.

Parents. It can help them know what they can do as parents to help their

children to be better and enhance their syntactic competence even at home.

Teachers. This kind of research can help them determine the level of

syntactic competence of their learners. It can also assist them on what teaching

strategies are best so that they can help improve the competence of their learners.

BSED-English Officers. This research can help them in proposing and

making activities that can help their co-English major students develop and

improve their syntactic competence.

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Future researchers. It can be their reference or source in making their

research that is related to this study.

Definition of Terms

The following terms are operationally defined for a better understanding of

this study:

Level of Syntactic Competence. It refers to the rank or achievement of

the respondents in constructing and identifying sentences of different structures.

This also refers to how the respondents arrange the words and phrases to produce

well-formed sentences.

Intervention Program. It refers to the activities and lessons that the

respondents may undergo in case the result of their syntactic competence is poor.
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Chapter 2

METHOD

This chapter presents and describes the methodology of the study which

includes the research design, research locale, population and sample, research

instrument, data collection, statistical tools, and ethical considerations.

Research Design

The study used a descriptive-survey research design. It considers the

information needed, and the data analysis procedures that ensure that the data

are collected. A research technique known as descriptive research summarizes

the features of the population or issue under study. With this methodology, the

"what" of the study topic is given more attention than the "why". Although

descriptive research can examine many variables, it is the only design that can

also examine a single variable (Siedlecki, 2020).

Research Locale

The study was conducted at Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Colleges located

along Pioneer Avenue, General Santos City. Ramon Magsaysay Memorial

Colleges is a privately owned non-sectarian college in General Santos City. The

college offers a range of two-year Associate's and four-year bachelor's degrees in

Accountancy, Liberal Arts, Business, Engineering, Information Technology,

Education, Social Work, and Criminology, as well as a Graduate Program in

Education. Aside from these courses, RMMC likewise offers TESDA Accredited

Programs.
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It is an institution with Levels 1, 2, and 3 Accreditation from the Federation

of Accrediting Agencies of the Philippines (FAAP) after meeting the required

standards set forth by the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities

Commission on Accreditation (PACUCOA). Ramon Magsaysay Memorial

Colleges is ISO 9001-2015 certified.

Majority of the teachers teaching in this institution are Master’s Degree

holders and many are Doctorate Degree Holders. In addition, this institution strives

to continue its mission, vision, and goals. This is to uphold and enhance student’s

interest in the course they choose. This is also to be globally competitive in the

domain of preparedness on practicum from past experiences through the

continued offering of quality education with the combat of the school administrators,

teachers/instructors, and stakeholders.

 25

Figure 1. Locale Map

 26

Population and Sample

The researcher used the Slovin Formula. It offers the researcher an

estimate of the size of the sample she needs to use to guarantee findings with a

respectable level of accuracy. The respondents of the study are the 92 first-year

BSED students major in English enrolled in the subject Structure of English at

Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Colleges in the Academic Year 2022-2023. The

researcher used Simple Random Sampling, particularly the Fishbowl Method, in

identifying the respondents of the study. This sample gives each student in the

population an equal probability of being chosen and utilizes instruments like

random number generators or other methods (Rono, 2018; McCombes, 2019).

Table 1 Distribution of Respondents

CN
Sex Total
5687 5697 5707

M 5 11 8 24

F 28 20 20 68

Total 33 31 28 92

Research Instrument

The questionnaire in determining the level of syntactic competence of the

freshman BSED students major in English was adopted from Jeffrey B. Jarantilla,

LPT, a college instructor of the subject Structure of English at Ramon Magsaysay

Memorial Colleges, a graduate of Bachelor of Secondary Education Major in

 27

English and Masters of Arts in Education Major in English (graduating). The

instrument underwent the process of validation done by the experts.

Data Collections

The researcher drafted a letter asking permission from the office of the

College President to conduct the study at Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Colleges.

Upon its approval, the researcher coordinated with the subject teacher of the

respondents and immediately administered the prepared instrument to the first-

year BSED students major in English. The researcher retrieved all the data. The

data gathered were tallied, tabulated, analyzed, and interpreted based on the

purpose of the study.

Statistical Tools

In this study, the frequency count and percentage distribution were used to

determine the level of syntactic competence of the freshman BSED students of

Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Colleges.

Ethical Considerations

For the duration of the study, the following ethical standards were

implemented. The researcher ensured the confidentiality of the respondents.

Respondents were fully informed of what will be expected of them, and how the

data will be used. The respondents' identities were kept private or anonymous, and

in addition to the protection of their names, the respondents' privacy was also

protected by not using any information or statements that could be used to identify

them personally in accordance with the Republic Act 10173 or the Data Privacy

Act of 2012 (Fleming & Zegwaard, 2018).

 28

Informed consent process. The research respondents were informed of

the project's objectives, methods, and benefits. It is evident that the respondents

were asked to engage voluntarily because their consent was obtained.

Before any information was disclosed, a thorough informed consent process would

be followed, and any data the researcher acquired was saved.

Privacy and confidentiality. The Data Privacy Act of 2012, which protects

this fundamental human right states that the respondents' right to privacy may not

be abused without their informed consent. Their responses to the survey

questionnaire were also kept confidential and handled accordingly. Therefore, out

of concern for their safety, their identity was kept secret.

Risks. In this research, it is essential to keep the respondents from suffering

extreme shame. Since the information they provided was sufficiently private,

judgment is irrelevant.

Benefits. The findings of this study will be beneficial to the respondents in

that they will show to the teachers and students how to enhance their work in the

classroom and how to enhance teaching effectiveness, both of these will help raise

the students' levels of competence.

Deceit. The rights of the respondents were carefully guarded. Nothing in

the study's findings suggested that the respondents had been misinformed about

any possible concerns.

Plagiarism. The study was checked for plagiarism. There was no evidence

in the study that someone else's work had been misconstrued. For the researcher,

telling the truth came naturally and the application of respecting another person's
 29

ideas and perspectives. Being honest is also necessary to being trustworthy and

just.

Honesty. The researcher must always conduct himself/herself ethically,

use a methodology that allows him/her to conduct reliable, high-quality research,

and take all necessary precautions to ensure that impartial considerations take

precedence over preconceived, preconceptions and judgments.

 30

Chapter 3

RESULTS

This chapter deals with the presentation, analysis, and interpretation of the

data gathered in the study.

Table 2 presents the frequency and percentage distribution of the level of

syntactic competence among the respondents. As shown, the majority of them are

not competent, specifically, there are 89 or 97% of them out of 92 total respondents.

Further, students in this level acquired a grade of 76% or below from the test

administered.

Meanwhile, 3 or 3% is moderately competent with a grade of 77%-82%. On

the other hand, none of them got a grade higher than 82%. On average, the mean

grade of 52 indicates that the respondents are not competent syntactically.

Table 2 Frequency and Percentage Distribution of the Level of Syntactic

Competence among the Respondents
Level Frequency Percentage (%)

Very Highly Competent (95-100) 0 0

Highly Competent (89-94) 0 0

Competent (83-88) 0 0

Moderately Competent (77-82) 3 3

Not Competent (76 and below) 89 97

Total 92 100%

Mean Grade 52 − Not Competent

 31

INTERVENTION PROGRAM

A Syntactic Competence

Based on the findings of the study, the researcher proposes this program

to improve/develop the syntactic competence of the students/respondents.

I. Title

Seminar and Workshop Program on Syntactic Competence

II. Proponent

This program is proposed by Kaye M. Jaudian, a 3 rd Year BSED-English

student and a researcher.

III. Program Description

This program intends to improve/develop the syntactic skills of the

students/respondents.

IV. Rationale

This program would address the problem of the students about their

incompetence in syntax.

V. Objective

To improve students’ syntactic competence.

VI. Intervention Program

This program includes a three-day seminar and workshop.

Day 1 – Lecture (Tutorial)

• The speakers will give a lecture to the

Activity
students about syntax such as its definition, rules,

and importance.
 32

• The speakers will give tutorials to the

students on how words are properly arranged or

organized to form a sentence.

Day 2 – Syntactic Workshop

• The students will be given different

activities.

• Each student will be guided by the

speakers.

Activity 1

• Identifying Constituents

- The students will identify

the constituents in the

given sentence.

Activity 2

• Sentence Anagrams

- The students will arrange

the given jumbled words in

order to form a sentence.

Day 3 - Syntactic Workshop

• The speakers will have a short recap of the

discussions that they have before proceeding to

the continuation of activities.

 33

• Before proceeding to each activity, the

speakers will present first samples on each activity.

Activity 1

• Phrase/Sentence Making

- The students will create

phrases based on the

given structure rules.

- The students will create

different types of

sentences such as simple

and compound sentences.

- After creating their own

sentences, students will

identify the phrasal

category in each sentence.

Activity 2

• Tree Structure

- The speakers will give

sentences and will let the

students make a tree

structure that will illustrate

its constituents.
 34

- The tree structure of each

sentence will be discussed

so that students will gain

an idea of how sentences

are structured.

Language Teachers

Persons Involved English Society Officers

Participants – Students/Respondents

Jeffrey Jarantilla, LPT (Instructor-English)

Speakers
Ludwig Gamad, MAEd (Instructor-English)

Students will actively participate in the workshop

Expected Outcomes
that will improve their syntactic competence.

It will start on the 2nd Saturday, 3rd Saturday, and

Target Date and Venue 4th Saturday of May 2023 at the SR of CTE of

RMMC.

Speaker’s Honorarium ------------------------ ₱1,500

Snacks ------------------------- ₱1,000

Budget Requirement
Certificates for the attendees --------------- ₱1,000

Total ---------- ₱3,500

 35

Chapter 4

DISCUSSIONS

This chapter presents the conclusions and recommendations of the study.

Syntactic Competence of Freshman BSED Students

Based on the findings of the study, the respondents were found to be not

competent syntactically. This result parallels in the study of Samer and Zoubi

(2018) who stated that due to the insufficient exposure to the target language,

language learners are the origin of the issues. There are few opportunities to utilize

English both productively and receptively, which could lead to grammatical, lexical,

spelling, and punctuation problems. English language learners face a number of

unique difficulties beginning with their college education (Muslim et al., 2019).

Conclusions

The following conclusions were made based on the results of the study.

Almost all of the respondents were not competent syntactically. None of them was

highly competent nor even competent enough syntactically. It explains that the

respondents are struggling with making sentences and identifying constituents.

Therefore, they need to undergo an intervention program to help them improve

their syntactic competence.

Recommendations

Based on the findings and conclusions, the following recommendations are

provided:
 36

1. Students need to focus more about the basic rules of syntax. The

respondents of the study need to undergo an intensive intervention program

to help improve/develop their syntactic skills.

2. Language teachers may create varied activities such as workshops that will

help their students develop their skills in syntax. Furthermore, the program

coordinator and director must be updated about the performance of the

students and they may focus on giving support especially when it comes to

social and moral aspects in activities that will be created by the teachers

and officers.

3. Parents may help their children in developing their syntactic competence by

motivating them to engage and participate in extracurricular activities. Also,

by supporting and helping their children in terms of school activities. The

likelihood that a learner will succeed or fail depends on their ability to

participate in any activity (Seven, 2020).

4. BSED-English Officers can use this study as a guide and inspiration in

creating future activities that can help their co-students improve their

syntactic competence. As officers, it is good that they will also be updated

so that they can create programs to make immediate action on this problem

as early as possible.

5. Future Researchers may use this study to explore more about the syntax.

The study opens the door for future researchers to do additional research

about the factors that affect the competency of the students syntactically,

and the best teaching and learning techniques and styles.

 37

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 41

APPENDIX A
RAMON MAGSAYSAY MEMORIAL COLLEGES
COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION
Pioneer Avenue, 9500, General Santos City
Tel No. [085] 552-3348 Fax No: (083)301-1927
www.rmmc.edu.com
Letter to the Validators
February 13, 2023

Sir/Ma’am:

Greetings!

The undersigned is a Bachelor of Secondary Education Major in English student

of Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Colleges, currently conducting a research entitled:
“LEVEL OF SYNTACTIC COMPETENCE OF FRESHMAN BSED STUDENTS:
BASIS FOR AN INTERVENTION PROGRAM” as an academic requirement for
the degree of Bachelor of Secondary Education Major in English, for the school
year 2022-2023.

In line with this, the researcher is humbly asking for your expertise to validate the
survey questionnaire considering the appropriateness of the content. Your positive
response will be of great help in making this study successful. Thank you and God
bless!

Respectfully yours,

KAYE M. JAUDIAN
Researcher

Noted By:

ANAFE A. SALABAO, MA
Thesis Adviser
 42

APPENDIX B
RAMON MAGSAYSAY MEMORIAL COLLEGES
COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION
Pioneer Avenue, 9500, General Santos City
Tel No. [085] 552-3348 Fax No: (083)301-1927
www.rmmc.edu.com
Validation Sheet for Research Questionnaire
Name of Validator: _________________________________________________
Degree: _________________________________________________________
Position: _________________________________________________________
No. of years in teaching: ____________________________________________

To the Evaluator: Please check the appropriate box for your ratings Scale:
5- Excellent 4-Very Good 3- Good 2-Fair 1- Poor

5 4 3 2 1
1. Clarity and directions of Items.
The vocabulary level, language, structure and conceptual
level of participants. The test directions and the items are
written in a clear and understandable manner.
2. Presentation and Organization of Items.
The items are presented and organized in logical manner.
3. Suitability of Items.
The item appropriately presented the substance of the
research. The questions are designed to determine the
Skills that are supposed to be measured.
4. Adequateness of the Content.
The number of the questions per area is a
representative enough of all the questions
Needed for the research.
5. Attainment of Purpose.
The instruction as a whole fulfils the objective
needed for the research.
6. Objective.
Each item question requires only one specific
answer or measures only one behavior and no
aspect of the questionnaires suggests in the
past of the researcher
7. Scale and Evaluation Rating.
The scale adapted is appropriate for the item
Remarks:

________________________
Signature Over Printed Name
 43

APPENDIX C
RAMON MAGSAYSAY MEMORIAL COLLEGES
COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION
Pioneer Avenue, 9500, General Santos City
Tel No. [085] 552-3348 Fax No: (083)301-1927
www.rmmc.edu.com
Research Questionnaire
Name : ________________________________________________________

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS: Follow the directions to each test category to

provide your answers correctly.

TEST I. Arrange the mixed words to construct a grammatical sentence and

underline the word/s corresponding to the indicated phrasal category. Write your
answer in the space provided. (2 points for each item)

Phrasal Category Words to Arrange

a fit is throwing me is The lady behind.

NP

wearing khaki shorts The guy is making a scene.

AP

The woman of my chair wearing glasses kicked the side.

VP

event the with excited feeling is left my to man old The.

PP

The curly-haired next to me song the with along humming

is.
AP

is carrying a freshly baked banana song A stranger walking

down the stairs.
AdvP
 44

A beautiful woman standing in the aisle along the people is

dancing in the movies.
NP

A guy irritating keeps sounds during the lecture.

AP

is not very Actually, the concept good.

AdvP

Watching the child playing happily than watching a concert

is more entertaining.
AP

Test II. Identify whether or not the word or group of words is a constituent. In the
space, write C for Constituent and NC for not a constituent.

1. _________The girl saves the old lady from being hit by a car.
2. _________ Solenn tried to jump on the cliff.
3. _________ She loves drinking coffee every morning.
4. _________ Pierre hides between the bookshelves.
5. _________ The baker who made this cake is my best friend.
6. _________ The Jollibee mascot entertains the children well.
7. _________ Espejo’s skills in volleyball make him an import in Japan.
8. _________ Sen Cal Kapimi series from Turkey is trending in Tiktok.
9. _________ Royce smiles genuinely at people even after hearing hurtful
words from them.
10. _________ Mika regretted sharing her personal life in their class.
 45

Test III. Construct a sentence for each of the given set of phrase structure rules.

Phrase Structure Sentences

Rules
3 points

5 points

7 points

Test IV. Draw a tree structure for each sentence to illustrate its constituents.

The dog barks.

4 points
 46

Anne went to the park.

5 points

I lost the letter.

4 points

My cat hides in the kitchen.

6 points

An apple fell off the tree.

6 points
 47

The representatives from The Philippines won the debate in Spain.

6 points

The new-yorker in Tondo wrote the novel that I bought.

6 points

I borrowed the book that the professor recommended.

6 points
 48

The professor teaches the subject that the students in that school consider
difficult.
6 points

The panel of experts with doctorate degrees scrutinized the qualitative

study of the researcher, whose subjects involved seasoned language
professors across the City of General Santos.
6 points
 49

APPENDIX D
RAMON MAGSAYSAY MEMORIAL COLLEGES
COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION
Pioneer Avenue, 9500, General Santos City
Tel No. [085] 552-3348 Fax No: (083)301-1927
www.rmmc.edu.com
Summary of Validator’s Rating on Questionnaire
Name of Validators: Aileen Grace T. Montejo, Ma, Marlon C. Ranises, MAEd, LPT,
and Ludwig T. Gamad, MA
Degree: _________________________________________________________
Position: _________________________________________________________
No. of years in teaching: ____________________________________________

To the Evaluator: Please check the appropriate box for your ratings Scale:
5- Excellent 4-Very Good 3- Good 2-Fair 1- Poor

5 4 3 2 1
1. Clarity and directions of Items. ///
The vocabulary level, language, structure and conceptual
level of participants. The test directions and the items are
written in a clear and understandable manner.
2. Presentation and Organization of Items. ///
The items are presented and organized in logical manner.
3. Suitability of Items. // /
The item appropriately presented the substance of the
research. The questions are designed to determine the
Skills that are supposed to be measured.
4. Adequateness of the Content. / //
The number of the questions per area is a
representative enough of all the questions
Needed for the research.
5. Attainment of Purpose. / //
The instruction as a whole fulfils the objective
needed for the research.
6. Objective. / //
Each item question requires only one specific
answer or measures only one behavior and no
aspect of the questionnaires suggests in the
past of the researcher
7. Scale and Evaluation Rating. / //
The scale adapted is appropriate for the item
Remarks:

________________________
Signature Over Printed Name
 50

APPENDIX E
RAMON MAGSAYSAY MEMORIAL COLLEGES
COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION
Pioneer Avenue, 9500, General Santos City
Tel No. [085] 552-3348 Fax No: (083)301-1927
www.rmmc.edu.com
Compliance Certificate for Study Ethics Protocol Review

CE R T I F I C A T I O N
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

This is to certify that KAYE M. JAUDIAN, BSED 3rd year student, enrolled
in RES 2 THESIS WRITING with the research entitled “LEVEL OF SYNTACTIC
COMPETENCE OF FRESHMAN BSED STUDENTS: BASIS FOR AN
INTERVENTION PROGRAM” presented before the panels last December 19,
2022, has complied with all the revisions as suggested by the panel members
during the title defense.

This is to certify further, that the instrument initially validated by the panels
were religiously validated by another three (3) experts.

Done this 22nd day of February 2023 at Ramon Magsaysay Memorial

Colleges, General Santos City, Philippines.

ANAFE A. SALABAO, MA
Thesis Adviser
______________________________________________________________________________
NOTICE TO PROCEED

Based on the above CERTIFICATION, KAYE M. JAUDIAN is hereby

permitted to proceed with the conduct of the study.

Given this 21st day of February at Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Colleges,

General Santos City, Philippines.

GERALDINE D. RODRIGUEZ, LPT, EdD, PhD

Thesis Instructor
Noted by:

MARY FHEB O. RULETE, LPT

Program Director

ANALISA T. AMADA, EdD

College Dean
 51

APPENDIX F
RAMON MAGSAYSAY MEMORIAL COLLEGES
COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION
Pioneer Avenue, 9500, General Santos City
Tel No. [085] 552-3348 Fax No: (083)301-1927
www.rmmc.edu.com
Letter of Permission to Conduct the Study
February 17, 2023

KRISTOFFER FRANZ MARI R. MILLADO, EdD

College President
Thru: Geraldine D. Rodriguez, EdD, PhD
Executive Director for Academic Affairs

Dear Dr. Millado:

Greetings of Peace!
I am Kaye M. Jaudian, a 3rd Year College Student taking up Bachelor of Secondary
Education Major in English at Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Colleges. I am
currently conducting a thesis entitled “LEVEL OF SYNTACTIC COMPETENCE
OF FRESHMAN BSED STUDENTS: BASIS FOR AN INTERVENTION
PROGRAM”.

In connection with this, I am humbly asking your permission to allow me to conduct

the study among the chosen respondents in your school. Your positive response
will be of great help in making this study successful. Rest assured that the result
of the gathered information will be kept confidential. Thank you and God Bless!

Respectfully yours,

KAYE M. JAUDIAN
Researcher

Noted by:

ANAFE A. SALABAO, MA
Thesis Adviser

Approved by:

ANALISA T. AMADA, EdD

Program Director
 52

APPENDIX G
RAMON MAGSAYSAY MEMORIAL COLLEGES
COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION
Pioneer Avenue, 9500, General Santos City
Tel No. [085] 552-3348 Fax No: (083)301-1927
www.rmmc.edu.com
Letter of Permission to Adopt the Questionnaire

February 28, 2023

JEFFREY B. JARANTILLA, LPT

English Instructor

Greetings!

The undersigned is a 3rd Year student taking up Bachelor of Secondary Education

Major in English at Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Colleges, currently conducting a
research entitled: “LEVEL OF SYNTACTIC COMPETENCE OF FRESHMAN
BSED STUDENTS: BASIS FOR AN INTERVENTION PROGRAM” as an
academic requirement for the degree of Bachelor of Secondary Education Major
in English, for the school year 2022-2023.

In line with this, I am humbly asking for your permission to allow me to adopt your
midterm examination questionnaire in the subject Structure of English as my
research questionnaire. Your positive response will be of great help in making this
study successful. Thank you and God bless!

Respectfully yours,

KAYE M. JAUDIAN
Researcher

Noted By:

ANAFE A. SALABAO, MA
Thesis Adviser
 53

APPENDIX H
RAMON MAGSAYSAY MEMORIAL COLLEGES
COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION
Pioneer Avenue, 9500, General Santos City
Tel No. [085] 552-3348 Fax No: (083)301-1927
www.rmmc.edu.com
Editor’s Certification

CE R T I F I C A T I O N

This is to certify that the undersigned had edited the manuscript of Ms.
KAYE M. JAUDIAN entitled “LEVEL OF SYNTACTIC COMPETENCE OF
FRESHMAN BSED STUDENTS: BASIS FOR AN INTERVENTION PROGRAM”
as to its content and grammar.

This certification is issued upon the request of the above mentioned name
as to whatever purpose it may serve her best.

Done this 7th day of July 2023.

ANAFE A. SALABAO, MAEd

English Critic
 54

CURRICULUM VITAE

KAYE M. JAUDIAN
Habitat Phase A, Barangay Mabuhay
General Santos City
Mobile: 09950909963
Email address: kayejaudian@gmail.com
________________________________________________________________

PERSONAL DATA

Age: 21

Gender: Female

Date of Birth: December 08, 2001

Place of Birth: General Santos City

Religion: Roman Catholic

Civil Status: Single

Nationality: Filipino

________________________________________________________________

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

Senior High School: Notre Dame of St. Therese of the Child Jesus

Sitio Nopol, Barangay Conel, General Santos City

Junior High School: Canonico Antonio Institute

Sitio Nopol, Barangay Conel, General Santos City

Primary: Canonico Antonio Institute

Sitio Nopol, Barangay Conel, General Santos City