Chapter 5

DISCUSSION

This chapter discusses the results of the study. It elucidates the connections

between some of the findings and the literature, revisits the guiding theories of this

research, along their usefulness in understanding the learning difficulties of ESL

students. This section likewise explores the themes, discusses the findings' implications,

and proposes further research implications.

Difficulties of ESL Students as They Learn Their L2

The study results strongly suggest that poor English vocabulary has been the

leading cause of the students' learning difficulties in the L2. This means that these young

people have limited vocabulary to deal with the complexities of learning the English

language. This finding corroborates with the results of the descriptive study of Blas et al.,

who revealed problematic stages on vocabulary and issues of generation and

practice/articulation as factors that led to difficulties in reading, writing, speaking, and

listening (1196).

The findings of the present study are likewise similar to Yunus et al., whose

findings revealed that the common difficulties in the English language learning faced by

the students likewise pointed to the lack of vocabulary (135). Further, these findings

represent the idea that scholars agree that vocabulary is labeled the most problematic

area by language teachers (Ferreira 62; Susanto 186; Viera 98). Logically, it would not

be surprising since vocabulary plays a vital role in language 69

learning and is also considered an essential skill for learning to read, speak, write, and

listen. Without sufficient vocabulary, people cannot communicate and express their

feelings effectively verbally and in written form.

Based on this study's findings, the students were having a difficult time acquiring

new vocabulary; thus, in Stowe’s opinion, these students may have generalized linguistic

deficiencies, memory deficits, poor word-learning strategies, or any combination of the

three (15-16). Thus, these deficiencies were causing frustrations to the students who

were unable to fully develop their vocabulary skills.

Furthermore, the students in this study are at risk of not becoming proficient in

reading. These learners who have limited vocabularies to work on are in a difficult

situation. This crisis represents the claim of Duff et al., who stressed that this type of

circumstance could have dire consequences for a student since this difficulty would be a

hindrance in acquiring learning in other content areas (858). For example, in the current

Philippine curriculum in secondary school, concepts in Science are presented using

English as a medium of instruction. Students who have less vocabulary to work on would

undoubtedly struggle with the subject due to limitations in their vocabularies.

It also appears that the subjects of the study manifested language anxiety which

may have been an offshoot of their lack of vocabulary in English. This manifestation is

akin to Chowdhury's observation, who mentioned that among all difficulties related to

language learning that a language learner may face (29-30), vocabulary is the most

prominent one because lack of vocabulary in the target language leads to anxiety.

Without a doubt, this thought is right simply because 70

when learners cannot use a suitable word in the target language due to the lack of

knowledge or failure to remember the word, they become anxious.

On the other hand, the study's findings likewise identified distractions in the

learning environment to contribute to the students' difficulties in the L2. Since the

physical environment is seen as an important factor in building a good environment for

learning, it would mainly affect learners' quality of performance. Noise learners' quality of

performance affects the students' performance in this study, which also depicts the

findings of Gacheriwho assessed the influence of classroom management practices (63-

64) on the learners’ academic achievements. The findings are similar in that

inappropriate classroom management practices have led to poor academic performance,

which results from ineffective discipline management.

ESL learners in the present study blamed the intolerable noise during instruction

that has been causing their ill performance in the language class. Thus, it could be

assumed that there have been lapses in classroom management committed by the

teacher in charge of the class. There is a deficiency in a positive classroom environment,

appropriate standards of behaviors for students, effective management of daily routines

and instructions, and student engagement in classroom activities throughout the lessons

that ensure quality education (Evertsonand Weinstein 97-98; Macias 160; Moore 87).

This situation is prevalent in public secondary schools in the country due to large class

sizes and the teachers' heavy workloads.

This complaint among the informants of a distracting learning environment could

be merely an after-effect of their negative attitude and low motivation towards L2

learning. Akin to Hovhannisyan’s explanation, that L2 attitudes and motivation together

with language aptitude constitute the most influential individual difference variables

which predict success or failure in L2 learning and acquisition, the learners in the
present study may lack the needed attitude and motivation to deal with the difficulties of

learning the L2 (235-236).

Since learning is a personal thing, one must exert effort to learn something.

Analogous to the opinion of Lennartsson that the level of effort that learners expend at

various stages in their L2 development depends on how motivated (34-37) they are to

learn, it could be suggested that the students should be more motivated for them to learn

a new language effectively.

The unruly classroom environment in the study locale may likewise signify that

other learners, aside from the study subjects, were poorly motivated to learn in their

classes. This situation reflects Guerrero's assumption, who asserted that other students

seem to attend their language class because they are just obliged, and their learning

process might result in a slower or less enjoyable process (97). If one has a passion for

learning, he/she must find ways to overcome any obstacle in learning. As Oroujlou and

Vahedi pointed out, successful learners know their preferences, strengths, and

weaknesses and effectively utilize strengths and compensate for weaknesses(996-997).

Thus, it is the passion of an individual to learn that would prevail in learning endeavors. If

one is passionate about learning, there will be no hindrance significant enough to deter

learning acquisition.

The absence of good classroom management is evident in the present findings.

It has been seen to influence the students' L2 learning, which also reflects the results of

Simelane, who focused on the effect of indiscipline on the academic performance of

learners (148). It was found in the latter’s study that schools that yielded poor academic

performance were faced with learners' disciplinary problems, which manifested in

persistent class disruptions. Similarly, there is also a necessity in the study locale to

maintain discipline for the educational process's success.

 The students’ attitudes and motivations are perceived to get in the way of L2

learning. Considered to be among the strong predictors of successful knowledge,

attitude and motivation play important language acquisition roles. It appears, though,

that the interviewed students possess negative attitudes toward L2 learning and have

meager motivation to learn the target language as indicated by their preferences of the

local languages over the English language in terms of seeking entertainment and

selecting sources of information. It is essential that the learners also engage in informal

learning of the language through active cultural participation (Gardner 221; Guerrero 98;

Saranraj and Zafar 4). Thus, the students should exploit the different opportunities to

master the target language presented, aside from the classroom environment's learning.

One finding of this exploration that deserves attention is that students do not see

the relevance of learning the L2. This observation is similar to the findings of Gaerlan,

who studied the factors that render a learner "less successful" in learning English (5). A

central result above is that the participants were not motivated to use English or know

the target language. They do not see English as part of or necessary to their future, and

even if they do, they do not seem to want to exert too much effort to use the language.

As Kondal explained it, learning the English language may be of lesser

importance in these students' lives because the immediate environment did not require

them to use English, and they preferred to communicate in their mother tongue (72).

This lack of relevance brings about low motivation to learn the language. Moreover, this

view requires immediate attention since the success of learning a language largely

depends on one's basis to understand.

Students’ Coping Mechanisms on Learning L2Difficulties

Self-study has been the most dominant response of the interviewees when asked

how they cope with their difficulties as they learn the L2. Since learning a second

language relies heavily on the learners, it would be necessary for them to put more effort

into achieving this goal. The findings of Blaset al. shed light on the learning difficulties of

Filipino ESL students and coincided with the perspective that learners should read a lot

to improve their English skills (1196). Working with one's self is the best remedy for the

difficulties encountered by these young people. Thus, this is still associated with one's

attitude and motivation to learn. They were taking time to read, and to explore different

materials and genres would surely pay off in the end. Familiarizing with the language

enables one to apply it in varied contexts.

Opting for self-study or self-regulated learning is a reasonable choice for the

students in this study. It is an ideal situation for learning when learners take

responsibility for what and how they learn. This finding is somewhat analogous with

Helseland Greenberg, who stressed that the ideal situation is for the learners to take

personal initiative, apply powerful strategies to attain individually valued learning goals,

and monitor their understanding to detect and eliminate possible learning problems

(757). Hence, it could be expected that the learners in this study would take ownership

of their learning and not solely rely on teachers to provide them with information and

constant guidance.

If the students in this study invest in self-study, they should embark on a lot of

preparation. In other words, they should improve their L2 capabilities in any way they

can to counter the language anxiety that they are experiencing. This reflects the findings

of Tang, who investigated the coping strategies and the most frequently used coping

strategy of L2 learners (9-10). The scholar found that preparation was the most
commonly used coping strategy. Its similarity to the present findings lies in that

preparation would require self-regulation, which is also a criterion of self-study, eminent

in this investigation.

Another coping mechanism that students turned to in coping up with L2

difficulties is peer and teacher interaction. It appears that the students were relieved

whenever they work collaboratively with peers or upon consultation with the teacher.

This affirms Fujii's findings, who found that students gained confidence and felt more

comfortable using English (90-91). The scholar also found that it is crucial to let students

prepare thoroughly in smaller groups before presenting in front of a large audience.

Letting students discuss with their partners beforehand consequently minimized their

anxiety of public speaking as well.

Students learn a great deal by explaining their ideas to others and participating in

activities they can learn from their peers. Since it is beneficial for students when they

know in a social context, teachers must allow them to interact in learning situations. The

students' preference for peer learning in the present study aligns with Karim and

Mohammed's findings. Their results show that the learners have positive perspectives

(18-19) towards implementing peer teaching in EFL classes to enhance students’

learning and language abilities. Likewise, Jimenez’s findings were related to this study’s

discovery since peer-to-peer interaction is a valuable tool to negotiate to mean using a

wide range of form and meaning-related strategies in the study above (26).

Support Beneficial to Students’ L2 Learning

Translating to the local dialect has been favored learning support in the present

investigation. The learners were at ease whenever there were chances to revert to the

mother tongue for reference. This finding is consistent with Xhemaili, who found that all
learners need the support of their mother tongue in English classes. The author

examined the use of mother tongue and translation in various linguistic situations (193).

Thus, it could also be assumed that the present study students were comfortable using

L1 in L2 learning. This is supported by many scholars who believe that using the first

language provides students with a sense of security that enables them to learn with ease

and comfort (Hobbs et al. 54-55; Modupeola 94; Xhemaili 194).

Furthermore, explicit teaching has been the recourse of students in this research.

It appears that they see it as a remedy for their struggles as they learn the L2. Similar to

Van Staden, who found that language skills improved significantly following intervention

strategies that involve explicit teaching (18), the present study's findings demonstrate the

inclination of the study participants on the pedagogic approach of clear teaching due to

its perceived utility in L2 learning.

Explicit teaching in the present study has been viewed by the students as a

helpful ally in learning the L2, especially for those less successful L2 learners, for

lessons have been structured to accommodate slow learners. Consistent with Archer

and Hughes’ perspectives, findings suggest that explicit teaching has been helpful for

students learning new skills and content and is essential for struggling or disadvantaged

learners for it provides opportunities to students to learn more efficiently as their

teachers first structure further information for them and help them relate it to what they

already know, and then monitor their performance and provide corrective feedback

during recitation, drill, practice, or application activities.

The findings of the present study confirm Krashen’s (1982) affective filter

hypothesis. Negative emotions arising from the students' vocabulary knowledge

deficiencies appear to have triggered anxiety in their L2 learning. Further, these negative

emotions may have prevented them from absorbing comprehensible inputs,

consequently reducing the amount of language input the learner can understand.

Furthermore, the distractions in the environment could have been a negative filter. This

means that the students are being affected by disruptions present in the learning

environment. The unbearable noise seems to act as an obstacle to absorbing learning

inputs.

Meanwhile, self-learning, explicit teaching, and translating to the local dialect

seem to point to Krashen’s tenet on the affective filter (97-105). Self-directed learning is

a manifestation of motivation; thus, it is attributable to the learner's attitude. From the

students' perspectives, explicit teaching and translation contribute to the effective

processing of language input. Hence, both could be considered factors that fall under the

affective filter since they reduce L2 anxiety.

Finally, the results of the study identified the significant others to be beneficial to

L2 learning. It could be surmised that Vygotsky’s sociocultural perspective is supported

with such findings (58-62). Interactions with more knowledgeable people have been

appreciated by the students as a practical step towards L2 learning. Social learning,

therefore, is a sensible way to catch up in second language acquisition.

Implications for Practice

The present study's findings elucidated important considerations in teaching

English as a second language in secondary schools. One problematic area highlighted

by the results and treated as an essential theme of the study is the students' poor

English vocabulary, which appears to be a prominent concern. A limited lexicon hinders

the students from learning the English language effectively, and thus, maybe the focus

of remediation that can be conducted to address these learning difficulties of this group

of learners. Therefore, students need to be familiar with as many English words as

relevant to their academic life. Therefore, intensive vocabulary instruction may be

focused on before teaching the target language conventions like grammar and

pragmatics.

On the students' harmful experience of having to endure the distracting learning

environment, teachers and school leaders may consider positive ways to eliminate

unwanted commotions. Behavior management manifests itself as a crucial factor for

learning, and thus greater emphasis can be placed on teacher control and discipline. An

environment wholesome for education needs to be provided to effect maximum gains for

ESL learning. The students participating in this study are classified as less successful

learners and, for some reason, are typically the ones who have behavior problems. It

can be assumed that this group of learners has some unmet needs, and therefore such

demands may be addressed by teachers to improve engagement.

The student participants' poor language abilities have led to language anxiety

and, consequently, deter this group of learners from becoming motivated in their ESL

learning venture. This dilemma is probably a consequence of unsupportive language

background. The family and other influential people in these adolescents' lives have

failed to provide opportunities that nurture second language development.

Compensatory measures may be made available for these learners to let them catch up

with their better-performing peers and boost their confidence to help them persevere in

their quest for L2 learning. 79

Helping this group of learners will necessitate considering individual learning

styles and learning preferences. They may be taught self-regulatory skills in learning the

L2 to facilitate effective independent study skills. It provides them with ample

opportunities to interact and practice acquired skills, maybe a staple course of action.

The students' home language may be used judiciously in learning activities to suit their
learning needs. Finally, explicit teaching will be indispensable in instruction when dealing

with this type of learner. It is necessary to present concepts to allow these students to

receive structured information and enable them to apply them in various learning

contexts.

Implications for Future Research

An analysis of the factors that may have been the source of the participants'

difficulties in ESL points out more or less to the target language's lack of exposure.

Thus, future studies may be directed towards how the mother tongue's excessive use

adversely affects ESL learning. The English language will continue to be the medium of

instruction in Philippine schools; therefore, it is necessary to study the Filipino students'

attitude towards learning in an L2 and their motivations (or lack thereof). ESL learning

problems seem to be an "old issue" in education but are still a fertile ground for study.

Concluding Remarks

The study has genuinely been a gainful learning experience for the researcher. It

has helped her realize that the learning difficulties in the L2 of the 80 learners have

several facets, and problems should address each one sensibly. An unexpected finding

on the source of the students' language drawback is how she manages the learning

environment. The researcher realized that the teacher factor could not be

underestimated, for it has a considerable impact on language learning. It is essential that

language mentors capitalize on providing a good atmosphere for learning to achieve the

desired language teaching goals. Nevertheless, teacher's actions or inactions can either

make or break student learning.