Asian Journal of English Language Studies

1-26

Authors: Vu Thi Ngoc Lan; Rochelle Irene G. Lucas

This paper investigates the role of attitudes (positive and negative attitude), motivation (instrumental and integrative motivation), and language learning strategies (direct and indirect strategies) in learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL) among Vietnamese college students. The study involved 193 male and female freshman and sophomore college students majoring in English, Psychology, and Sociology in a university in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The study employed a mixed-method research design, namely quantitative and qualitative. The former consists of a survey design, which involved administering two different survey questionnaires: Attitude/Motivation Test Battery (AMTB) developed by Gardner (1995) to measure the attitudes and motivations toward EFL, and the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) developed by Oxford (1990) to measure language learning strategies. A semi-structured interview with 45 participants was also conducted to verify the veracity of the responses to the questionnaires. The results of the study revealed that Vietnamese EFL college students tend to have significant positive attitudes toward English, and they appear to be instrumentally and integratively motivated to learn the said language. Interestingly, the findings showed that there is a significant difference between males’ and females’ attitudes toward EFL; however, there is no significant difference found in motivation and language learning strategies between male and female students. Furthermore, the results revealed that at the p¬<.01 alpha level, there is a significant and positive correlation between language learning strategies and attitudes, and language learning strategies and motivation. By and large, the findings suggest that attitudes, motivation, and language learning strategies play an important role for Vietnamese EFL college students. This implies that the more positive attitude and the more positive motivation students have, the better language learning strategies they use in their own language learning.

42-71

Authors: Alejandro S. Bernardo; Marilu R. Madrunio

This paper provides a framework for designing a local-variety-based pedagogic model for teaching English grammar and a specific case in which the framework may be applied—something that is missing in the literature as far as teaching English grammar endonormatively is concerned. Put more succinctly, this paper endeavors to offer a general blueprint for designing a Philippine-English-based pedagogic model for teaching grammar. While World Englishes (WE) and Philippine English (PhE) studies provide sound ideological and philosophical positions and propose the advancement of local varieties to a formal pedagogical agenda, it appears that literature on the actual or physical design of an endonormative pedagogic model remains scant or inadequate. It seems that both in international and local stadia, there is paucity, if not only a small amount of substantial information is available, on the evolution and effective implementation of a homegrown model of teaching English and how the test of “pedagogic acceptability” is applied to a local norm.

90-108

Authors: Christie Elise C. Cruz; Alejandro S. Bernardo

Persuasive privilege speeches are heavily relied upon by Filipino senators in dealing with their constituents and fellow politicians. Through a privilege speech, Filipino senators promote their advocacies, defend their work and reputation, and generally attempt to influence their listeners. However, despite the central and highly public role that privilege speeches play in the Philippine sociopolitical arena, no study has, thus, far attempted to scrutinize the structure, reasoning, and persuasive strategies present until this paper. This study, therefore, used the theories by Wood and Goodnight (1996); Froemling, Grice, and Skinner (2011); and German, Gronbeck, Ehninger, and Monroe (2010) to examine 58 privilege speech transcripts featuring 12 Filipino senators obtained from the official website of the Senate of the Philippines. Through this paper, it was revealed that Filipino senators present their points and claims in such a way that the audience would feel the relatable and personal nature of the issues tackled. It was also shown that the Filipino senators favor structuring their speeches by presenting the issue or necessity, proposing a solution, and then appealing for action. The study was also able to highlight how Filipino senators applied a combination of logical and emotional appeals to establish, maintain, and raise credibility.