Abstract: English is one of the most important languages because this is the only language that connects the whole world together. It may not be the most spoken language in the world, but it is the official language in different countries. In the Philippines, students consider it as the most difficult subject that one needs to develop to become successful in their chosen career, moreover in seeking for employment. A research study on the Assessment of English Oral Communication of Freshman College Students at Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology was conducted during the First Semester of Academic Year 2015-2016. It sought answers on the following questions: How may the English oral communication of the respondents be described in terms of fluency, coherence, grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation? What interventions maybe proposed on the problems in English oral communication of the students? The respondents of the study consisted of 25 freshman college students enrolled in Bachelor of Science in Education (BSE); Bachelor in Elementary Education (BEEd); Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (BSA); Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSIT); and Associate in Hotel and Restaurant Management (AHRM). The descriptive method of research was utilized in the study and the performance rubrics to accurately describe the respondents’ English oral communication. A face to face interview between the author and the respondents served as sources of data in the speaking test using the following criteria: 4.20 – 5.00, Excellent; 3.40 – 4.19, Very satisfactory; 2.60 – 3.39, Good; 1.80 – 2.59, Poor and 1.00 – 1.79, Needs Improvement. Based from the assessment made, the freshman college students have Very Satisfactory performance in terms of their Pronunciation during the interview, it obtained the highest mean equivalent to 3.63 (VS). It was followed by Fluency - 2.95; Coherence, 2.80); Vocabulary, 2.76; and Grammar, 2.68. The obtained data indicate that their English oral communication are Good in terms of Fluency, Coherence, Vocabulary and Grammar. Grammar posed as the major problem that affects the English oral communication of freshman college students as indicated by the lowest mean obtained equivalent to 2.68. They claim that they experienced fear when they are engaged in oral communication thus, they find difficulty in expressing their thoughts and ideas during conversations and other daily classroom activities. Further noted that respondents from the BSIT are assessed to have Very Satisfactory (VS) performance in English oral communication as indicated by the average weighted mean (3.44)in terms of the different variables; The respondents from the BEEd, AHRM, and BSE are noted to be Good with an average weighted mean of 3.32, 2.89 and 2.85 respectively. The BSA was noted to have obtained the lowest average weighted mean equivalent to 2.59 which is verbally described as Poor. The author proposed the following interventions on the English oral communication of the students: conduct a regular assessment of students’ performance in English oral communication by utilizing a suitable diagnostic instrument; provide remedial measures that will fit with students’ needs and that can help boost their confidence; provide more challenging classroom oral activities to enhance students’ speaking skills; motivate students to actively take part in discussions to express their thoughts as well as to understand the views and experiences of others.
Keywords: Oral communication, assessment, fluency, coherence, grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, intervention.
Title: Assessment of English Oral Communication of Freshman College Students at Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology In Terms Of the Different Variables
Author: CELIA H. MANGULABNAN
International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research
ISSN 2348-3156 (Print), ISSN 2348-3164 (online)
Research Publish Journals
