Asian Journal of English Language Studies

1-22

Authors: Giovanna Villarama Fontanilla

Motivation plays a crucial role in the teaching and learning of the English language. This paper aims to determine the types of English language learning motivation and self-identity changes of Filipino English majors from three declared Centers of Excellence for teacher education in Manila, the Philippines. The mixed methods research approach was used for the study. The interview technique was utilized with guide questions on motivation types and self-identity changes, and a questionnaire on the same topics composed of 58 items was likewise distributed to student respondents. To further validate the responses of the English majors, the perceptions of their teachers toward their responses were generated through a questionnaire and answers to guide questions. The mean rating and canonical correlations showed that both teachers and English majors agreed that there is no dichotomy in the types of English language learning motivation, and that such motivation is both instrumental and integrative. The English majors had a slightly higher mean rating than their teachers’ perception as to their positive attitude toward the English language. The findings also showed that the student respondents and their English language teachers agreed on the level of ratings for each of the self-identity changes experienced by the English majors. Self-confidence topped the list under the self-identity changes, followed by productive change. Split change, on the other hand, occupied the lowest in the scale. This study encourages intellectual exchanges on both linguistic and nonlinguistic outcomes in the teaching of the English language. Linguistic outcomes, which seem to be more of the cognitive level, relate to language proficiency such as vocabulary and grammar, while nonlinguistic outcomes, which appear to be on the affective domain, pertain to attitudes and values. The study also initiates further discussion on English language learning motivation and the corresponding self-identity changes among students, with emphasis on the educational context.

34-53

Authors: Wilfred Gabriel A. Gapas

Recent studies on text organization have focused mostly on business documents, academic texts, and certain newspaper articles such as editorials and news stories. However, the organization of opinion articles found in university-level newspapers has not been formally investigated. Therefore, this study attempts to determine whether these articles are written in accordance to journalistic writing principles. A total of 45 opinion articles were taken and served as the study corpus. These articles were analyzed based on Ho’s (2001) framework, as supported by the principles of macrostructure and the features of editorials in journalistic writing. The findings indicate that the discourse structure of Philippine newspaper opinion articles employs the two-move pattern in the orientation, exposition, and summation blocks, where two frequently used specific steps are found in each block. The findings suggest that university students adhere to a prescribed journalistic text organization, although there is also a tendency to deviate from it. Furthermore, it is possible that their judicious choices in using a particular step may have been influenced by the writers’ objective of effectively communicating their opinion to a wide variety of readers.

71-90

Authors: Rodrigo Concepcion Morales

There is burgeoning interest in investigating targeted sub-genres of research articles apart from employing Swales’ (1994) CARS model, considered as a generalized model that apparently captures all research articles across disciplines. This study investigates the discourse features of methodology sections of research articles by employing Peacock’s (2011) framework. It is hoped that the established discourse features in this study may somehow serve as rhetorical guidelines in writing the methodology section attributable to ISI or high-impact journals and be adopted by non-ISI or non-high-impact academic writers in order to meet the standard criteria and writing-convention practices required by high-impact applied linguistics journals. Thirty (30) research articles extracted from high-impact and non-high-impact applied linguistics journals were comprehensively analyzed in terms of physical characteristics, rhetorical moves, and cyclicity of moves. The findings revealed that high-impact academic writers were more prolix with respect to the number of words and paragraphs in writing their methodology than non-high-impact academic writers. Moreover, it was found that there was one obligatory move (Move 1 Subjects/Materials) that both sets of academic writers employed. As the data suggested, Moves 3, Procedure, and 4, Data Analysis, seemed to be obligatory moves in non-high-impact journals. Conversely, the same moves seemed optional for some high-impact academic writers. Rhetorical variability was the probable reason for a number of cyclicity of moves found in the research article methodology sections produced by both sets of academic writers. Based on the results, several pedagogical implications and future research directions were provided.

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.

1-23

Authors: Maria B. Cequeña; Leah E. Gustilo

Previous studies lack findings on how an instructional setting that utilizes CMC may both aid in the development of writing proficiency and reduce anxiety that are associated with the demands of writing. This pilot study attempts to fill this gap by investigating the effects of online portfolio through weblogs (blogging) on students’ writing anxiety and writing skills. Seventeen (17) respondents enrolled in an English Communication course of a private university in the Philippines participated in the study. Data were gathered using Cheng’s (2004) Second Language Writing Anxiety Inventory (SLWAI), Discourse Completion Task (DCT), focus group discussion (FGD), and content analysis of students’ blog comments. Results of the questionnaire revealed that students with low, average, and high writing anxiety reported common causes of their writing anxiety such as limited vocabulary, difficulty in organizing their thoughts when asked to write under time pressure, and fear of students’ and teacher’s evaluations. Based on their DCT and FGD replies, blogging has improved their writing skills and has lessened their writing anxiety.

52-75

Authors: Ma. Ana Therese De Guzman; Carolyn Ma. Cristine Magabilin; Seul Gi Park; Hyun Jung Son; Razzel Velasco; Camilla J. Vizconde

Focusing on a university classroom setting, the study determined the types of teacher talk used by three English language teachers. Data were gathered using classroom observations and structured interviews. Using Flanders Interaction Analysis (FIA), the data yielded the incidence of the following categories: seven (7) for the teacher talk, two (2) for the student talk, and one (1) for silence or confusion. The results revealed that among the seven types of direct and indirect talk, there is a preponderance of lecturing at 41.33%. Significantly, the data revealed that teachers tend to focus on the content and do not seem to practice the indirect talk which is “accepting of feelings.” The need for teachers to be fully aware of these types and facilitate such types of talk in their classrooms is recommended.

103-117

Authors: Virna S. Villanueva

This study examines the types of hedging devices and the similarities/ differences in their uses in Philippine newspaper editorials. Using a mixed paradigm design, the study examined 30 editorials taken from three leading newspapers in the Philippines: the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the Manila Bulletin, and the Philippine Star. Hedges were categorized by adapting and modifying the classification of hedges in different studies and were then analyzed based on the study of Hyland (1997) and Filipinos’ interpersonal communication by Worthington (2010 as cited in Labor & de Guzman, 2011). Findings show that nearly 50 percent of the hedges in the editorials are references to official reports or authorities while a little over than 30 percent of the hedges consist of modals and adverbs. These show how incorporating other sources of information help minimize the editors’ responsibility in facing negative reactions from readers. If ever there are problems in one of the editorial statements, the editors can point to the readers references cited in the text. The modals used also show approximation, distancing, and vagueness. They may be used to avoid questions from the readers, lessen the force of statements, and control the commitment of the editorial in its claim. Furthermore, some adverbs are used in decreasing the certainty of statements, concealing exact figures, and distancing the writer’s presence. These adverbs may be used when specific statements cannot be made because of inadequacy of information or when showing respect or politeness. The study shows that hedges are used for effective discourse, especially in regulating the strength or impact of a statement.

1-19

Authors: Ahmar Mahboob; Priscilla Cruz

In this paper, we will problematize the proposed use of mother-tongue-based instruction in the Philippines. As a country that has, for almost a century, supported the use of English in schools, this proposal marks a drastic shift in Philippine languages in education policies. We argue that a century of language policies, which have privileged English over all the local languages of the Philippines, have led to specific attitudes to language that will impact on the success of mother-tongue-based education. To support our arguments, we will draw on the results of a survey on language attitudes conducted in the Philippines. This survey specifically asked respondents about what they perceived to be the role/s of English and other Philippine languages in education. We argue that although mother-tongue initiatives are admirable, they need to be examined in terms of attitudes to language, which may or may not value mother tongues. In addition, we argue that for mother-tongue-based education to succeed, it is necessary to consider the possibility of changing these attitudes to language via a principles-based approach to language policy.

35-60

Authors: Rachelle B. Lintao

This study aims to describe the effects of stylistic features in extrapolating the meaning and sociocultural realm of Merlinda Bobis’s short story, “The Sadness Collector.” The story’s theme, the breakdown of a family brought about by migration, is effectively and creatively achieved through the author’s stylistic speech and thought presentation techniques. The sociocultural actuality reflected in the story points out the miserable plight of the Philippines, having developed a “culture of migration” as a leading labor exporter, and the turmoil of Filipino families experiencing the downside of migration.

86-116

Authors: Marie Claire Timbreza Duque

This paper examines the discourse organization of argumentative speeches of the debaters of Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU). A total of 20 constructive speeches were used as sources of data for this study. These speeches were taken from the following debate programs: ANC Square Off: The Philippine Debate Championships; ANC Square Off: The AUDC; and ANC Frank-ahan: The Drilon Debates. Frequency and percentage distributions were used to determine the discourse organization found in the argumentative speeches. Findings revealed that the debaters use two-move patterns in the orientation, exposition, and summation blocks of their speeches, namely “orientation” and “focusing,” “inquiry” and “response,” and “rounding-off” and “final stance,” respectively. This study offers a more detailed explanation on how argumentative essays may be structured through studying spoken discourse. Thus, student writers may benefit from a more specific instruction in the discrete elements of an argument, including how to formulate an effective claim, how to support a claim with evidence effectively, and how to reach the requirements of the argumentative genre.

135-166

Authors: Bonifacio T. Cunanan

This paper discusses the coexistence of Filipino, English, some Philippine regional languages, and foreign languages in a multilingual academic setting, the Bulacan State University. To date, more than 35,000 students and 1,000 faculty members and personnel from different ethnolinguistic groups converge on the five campuses of this institution of higher learning. This multilingual environment poses some challenges in determining the status of English and Filipino in the formulation of a university-wide language policy (LP). Given the situation that the University articulates its position in the intellectualization, modernization, and globalization of Filipino along with the inclusion of some foreign languages across the curriculum, this paper locates the places of English and Filipino in a multilingual academic environment by describing the language profile and attitudes of administrators, faculty members, students, and personnel. As this paper presents the diversified perspectives of the subject-respondents on the status of the two languages in the curriculum, it aims to identify some issues that need to be addressed in formulating a university-wide LP.