ABSTRACT
The action research focused on enhancing the Public Speaking skills of Grade 11 learners of Parada National High School – Senior High School Department. The researcher, as a language teacher had personally witnessed and observed that the learners both in Grade 12 and 11 were struggling when it comes to communication skills, specifically in public speaking skills competency.
The research inquiry aimed to assess the performance level in Public Speaking of the participants before and after the conduct of study in terms of Pronunciation, Fluency, Diction/Enunciation, Confidence, and Voice Quality and if there is significant difference in the performance levels in public speaking of the treatment group and comparison group before and after the study. The researcher utilized the use of the VGIMs’ E – Module as an innovation material to enhance the public speaking skills of the learners.
The quasi-experimental method was used, participants were derived through purposive sampling and involved two sections, categorized as the treatment group and comparison group both comprised of 20 learners. The researcher utilized the pre – post assessment practical test (performance based – public speaking) for data collection to compare the effectiveness of VGIM’s E- Module in contrast with conventional teaching method.
As results showed, it was concluded that the usage of VGIM’s E-Module as an innovation material better helped enhance the participants’ public speaking skills as compared with conventional teaching as based on performance pretest and posttest in public speaking and on the test on significant difference.
It is highly recommended that the utilization of the VGIM’s E-Module be sustained in study locale and be adapted by other learning institutions and teacher-researchers to maximize the potential of the innovation in improving public speaking skills of learners. Lastly, be it included in the LRMDS portal for the benefit of other teaching practitioners within and across divisions.
INTRODUCTION
In today’s social, business and academic world, English is no longer considered a foreign language. It is globally adopted as a common means of communication. It officially now has a special status in numerous countries – specifically here in the Philippines, of the world with a population of over a few billion speakers. It is spoken in well over a hundred and fifteen countries. English language is widely used as a tool of communication in education and other diverse human endeavors.
Hence, ‘Public Speaking Skills’ using the Second Language – English, is one of the core competencies that learners nowadays find it difficult to develop. Also, there are various factors that affect the development of the said skill specifically in Public School Learners. Factors such as learners’ lack of time to practice English, allowing learners to use mother tongue in spite the subject requires English as medium of instruction, minimal exposure to Second language, poor foundation of communication using English as medium, and poor comprehension of public-school learners.
This was indeed supported by the study conducted by Nkome (2015) where his study stated that some of the factors that causes poor communication skills of learners are as follows: non-implementation of English as a medium of instruction; failure to use variety of materials and methods; insufficient time to practice English components as educators teach less than six periods per week while they are expected to teach six periods per week; insufficient skills and techniques used to motivate learners to learn English as a second language; and inadequate interaction between the school and parents.
The researcher as SHS teacher handling Oral Communication Core Subject which is under English, Language and Literature had personally witnessed how the learners struggled as far as public speaking is concerned. Oral Communication focusses on the four forms of communication namely: Verbal, Non-Verbal, Written, and Body Language. Thus, the researcher would like to focus more on the enhancement of ‘Public Speaking Skills’ as one crucial aspect of the communication skill of the learners, since it is the dilemma that the learners are facing.
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