English Proficiency and Social Correlates of Freshman Teacher Education Students

Abstract

English proficiency is the students’ ability to use English language in communicating meaning through oral and written contexts. It improves their personality and increases sense of self-worth. This study assessed the English proficiency of freshman teacher education students of four campuses at Cebu Technological University (CTU) anchoring on Canale and Swain’s communicative competence theory. The works of literature dictate that there is no study about English proficiency and social correlates of freshman teacher education students conducted in the Visayas, Philippines where Cebu is one of the provinces. This prompted the researcher to get relevant information on respondents’ demographic profile, proficiency level in listening, speaking, reading, and writing through a validated researcher-made instrument. There were 139 students who participated in the study. Utilizing descriptive-correlation research design, researchers established significant relationship of dependent and independent variables through Pearson’s Product Correlation Coefficient and chi-square test. Results showed that respondents’ ages ranged from 13-19, females dominated the males, Grade 12 English grade was below average proficiency and parents’ combined family income was below poverty level. They attained average proficiency in listening, reading, and writing and above average proficiency in speaking. Significant relationship among scores of four macro-skills was evident. Their performance ratings did not show significant relationship with age, gender and parents’ combined income. Average proficiency in listening, reading, and writing is attributed to less exposure in classroom instructional activities. Although they attained above average proficiency in speaking, to improve four skills simultaneously may be considered since developing one skill may help improve another.