The influence of grammar and vocabulary proficiency on speaking competency of the education students in the University of the Immaculate Conception

Abstract

Language proficiency has remained a relative term in linguistic parlance and tended to depend on one’s grammar and vocabulary abilities. In particular, the decline of the oral proficiency among Filipinos is so alarming that it warrants an investigation regarding some factors that can uplift the speaking competency of students. This study aimed to establish the influence of grammar and vocabulary on the speaking competency of the University of the Immaculate Conception Education students. Specifically, it sought to determine the grammar and vocabulary proficiencies, and the level of speaking competency in terms of fluency, pronunciation, sentence structure and word use of student participants. The study employed a descriptive-correlation design using researcher-made questionnaires patterned after standardized English tests to determine the grammar, vocabulary and speaking proficiencies of 80 students selected through purposive sampling. The findings revealed that the students’ grammar, vocabulary, and speaking proficiencies are average. Pearson r test revealed that grammar proficiency is not significantly correlated to any of the indicators of speaking competency (p>0.05), whereas vocabulary proficiency showed a weak significant relationship with word use (r= 0.22; p-value = 0.05). Hence, grammar and vocabulary proficiencies may not be used as predictors of the speaking competency of the Education students.<div> </div><strong>Keywords:</strong>Education, Linguistics, grammar, vocabulary, speaking competency, Pearson r test, descriptive-correlational research design, Davao City, Philippines