UNIVERSITY OF EL SALVADOR

WESTERN MULTIDISCIPLINARY CAMPUS

FOREIGN LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT
SEMINAR I

RESEARCH PROJECT

FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE MAJORITY OF ADVANCED ENGLISH

STUDENTS WHEN ORGANIZING THEIR IDEAS AND USING
GRAMMATICAL STRUCTURES ACCURATELY IN THE SPOKEN AND
WRITTEN FORM AT THE WESTERN MULTIDISCIPLINARY CAMPUS OF
THE UNIVERSITY OF EL SALVADOR, SEMESTER 1, 2014

PRESENTED BY:
VANESSA ELIZABETH AGUILAR ORTEGA
ANA BEATRIZ LEN MARTNEZ
DIMAS ANTONIO MURGA LEIVA
WENDY YAHAIRA MURGA MARROQUN
SIRIA BETHANIA PINEDA
INSTRUCTOR
LICDA. DELURDY GUADALUPE LINARES DE SERMEO

SANTA ANA, MARCH 25, 2014

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS.........................................................................................i
ABSTRACT..........................................................................................................iii
INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................iv
CHAPTER I...........................................................................................................6
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM.......................................................................6
1.1.Description of the problem....................................................................................7
1.2.Scope of the work.................................................................................................8
1.3. Justification.......................................................................................................... 8
1.4.Objective.............................................................................................................. 9
1.4.1 General objective...........................................................................................9
1.4.2. Specific objectives.........................................................................................9

CHAPTER II........................................................................................................11
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK..........................................................................11
2.1. What is language?.............................................................................................11
2.2. English as a Foreign Language (EFL)...............................................................12
2.3.

Macro Skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing).................................13

2.3.1.

Speaking skill.........................................................................................13

2.3.2.

Writing skill.............................................................................................14

2.4. Factors that affect students development in their productive skills..............15

2.4.1. Classroom atmosphere...............................................................................15
2.4.2. Teaching Techniques..................................................................................23
2.4.3. Vocabulary..................................................................................................26
2.4.4. Study Habits................................................................................................30
2.5 Visualization of the Study...................................................................................33

CHAPTER III.......................................................................................................35
METHODOLOGICAL DESIGN...........................................................................35
i

3.1. Paradigm and type of study ..............................................................................35

3.2. Sampling Procedure..........................................................................................36
3.3. Preliminary phase..............................................................................................36
3.3.1 Approaching the field of study......................................................................36
3.3.2. Diagnostic study..........................................................................................37
3.3.3. Definition of the Problem.............................................................................37
3.4. Planning Phase ................................................................................................38
3.4.1. Literature Review........................................................................................39
3.4.2. Operationalization of Variables...................................................................39
3.4.3. Data Collection Instruments .......................................................................40
3.4.4. Validation of Data Collection Instruments ...................................................42
3.4.5. Validity and Reliability.................................................................................43
3.4.6. Ethical Aspects ...........................................................................................44
3.5. Execution Phase................................................................................................44
3.5.1. Data Collection Procedure..........................................................................45
4.5.2. Data Processing..........................................................................................45
3.5.3. Data Interpretation and Analysis................................................................46
3.6. Budget............................................................................................................... 48
3.7. Timeline............................................................................................................. 49

REFERENCES...................................................................................................52
............................................................................................................................56

ii

ABSTRACT
The researchers will conduct the project Factors that Affect the Majority
of Advanced English Students of when Organizing their Ideas and Using
Grammatical Structures Accurately in the Spoken and Written Form at the
Western Multidisciplinary Campus of the University of El Salvador Semester I2014 to identify the main factors that affect Advanced English Students when
developing their language productive skills (speaking and writing). This project
will provide a visualization of the study which contains the main variables that
will test the hypothesis,
In order to test the hypothesis, the researchers will use questionnaires,
interviews, observation guides, and checklists to collect data. After that, the
data collected will be organized in tables and graphs. This organization of the
data will be helpful to analyze and interpret it later to see if the results are the
ones the researchers expected. The study will involve the researchers and the
two Advanced English students groups of Licenciatura en Idioma Ingls Opcin
Enseanza at the Western Multidisciplinary Campus. After collecting and
analyzing the data, the researchers will provide the findings and conclusions
gotten during the study.

iii

INTRODUCTION
The present research document contains valuable information about the
research study Factors that Affect the Majority of Advanced English Students
when organizing their Ideas and U sing Grammatical Structures Accurately in
the Spoken and Written Form at the Western Multidisciplinary Campus of the
University of El Salvador, Semester I, 2014. This investigation is aimed to
collect detailed data to describe the factors that hinder the development of
Advanced English students speaking and writing skills.
The importance of developing this study comes as a consequence of the
low academic performance Advanced English I students at the Western
Multidisciplinary Campus of the University of El Salvador have been presenting
in their written homework assignments and grades. A considerable number of
students have been failing their evaluated activities. Hence, this study seeks to
verify whether the deficiencies in speaking and writing skills are making them
have problems to succeed in their Advanced English courses.
This research project is divided into four chapters. In Chapter I,
Statement of the Problem, the researchers describe deeply the problem that is
affecting Advanced English students speaking and writing skills and present
detailed reasons why this investigation is taking place; it also contains the main
objectives that lead this investigation. Moreover, chapter II, Theoretical
Framework, includes the most reliable topics that give the necessary
parameters in which this study is based on, so it describes the most important
elements necessary to conduct this investigation such as the macro skills.
iv

On the other hand, Chapter III, Methodological Design, provides a stepby-step description of study being carried out. This section presents all the
steps that will be followed to carry out this research study. It also defines the
instruments to be used to gather the necessary data to test the hypothesis and
the process to be followed to analyze the data acquired. Finally, at the end of
the work, the researchers establish all the expenses that the project will need to
be conducted and the timetable, which describes when all the activities will be
carried out.

CHAPTER I
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
It is certainly the case that when we speak or write we are producing
language, and no one would argue with the idea that language activation takes
place when we are doing this (Harmer, 2007, p. 265). When learning English
as a foreign language, students must develop four macro skills with the
teachers help. These skills are often labeled into two types, receptive and
productive. According to Harmer (2007), a receptive skill is a term used for
reading and listening, skills where meaning is extracted from the discourse.
Productive skills is the term for speaking and writing, skills where students
actually have to develop how to produce language themselves
In many countries around the world, students may face many problems
when producing the language. Some students are skillful at speaking, but they
show deficiency when writing; some others excel at listening and reading, but
are not able to express what they listened or read. For example, this
phenomenon is also taking place in the Foreign Language Department (FLD) at
the Western Multidisciplinary Campus of the University of El Salvador (WMC). It
has been observed that the majority of Advanced English students have
difficulties with grammatical structures in the spoken and written form. In order
to discover what hinders students development of their speaking and writing
skill, it is necessary to discover the factors that are making this phenomenon
take place.

1.1. Description of the problem

According to the Head of the Foreign Language Department of the
Western Multidisciplinary Campus of the University of El Salvador, the major
Licenciatura en idioma Idioma Ingls Opcin Enseanza has approximately 150
students in advanced English levels. This overpopulation may be one of the
factors that limit the appropriate development of the students speaking and
writing skills.
Based on some observations carried out on October, 2013, the
researchers noticed that Intensive Advanced English students from the
afternoon groups are having deficiencies when speaking and writing. They also
observed that in one of these groups formed by more than thirty five students,
not all of them have the opportunity to practice during class. Moreover,
according to one of the Advanced English teachers (2013), many students are
reluctant to speak in English; they prefer to use their native language to
communicate with their classmates when developing the activities.
In addition, as one of the teachers in charge of one of the Intensive
Advanced English groups (2013) states only 51.5% of Advanced English
students passed their first written test and just the 30% of the students got a
good grade in the panel forum evaluation.
When observing some homework assignments which were obtained from
an English teacher, (Licenciado Edgar Prez), the researchers noticed that
Advanced English students are having problems when organizing their ideas in
the written form. They are making some grammatical mistakes that they do not

have to commit in the Advanced level. For instance, some students are using
the verb to be incorrectly as well as the plural form of some nouns.
So, the purpose of this research is to find out the answer for the following
question: Which are the factors that affect the majority of Advanced English
students when organizing their ideas and using grammatical structures
accurately in the spoken and written form at the Western Multidisciplinary
Campus of the University of El Salvador semester I-2014?

1.2. Scope of the work

This research work will be carried out just with the Advanced English
students of the English Department of the Western Multidisciplinary Campus of
the University of El Salvador. According to the researchers observation, those
students show deficiency in the productive skills (speaking and writing). The
techniques to be used are surveys, observation, and interviews and the tools to
be used are tape recorder, note-taking, the checklist, and questionnaire.
When learning English as a foreign language, all students must develop
their four macro skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. However, this
research work will be focused just on the two productive skills: speaking and
writing because of the feasibility of time and financial resources.

1.3. Justification
The importance of this research study is to find out which the factors that
affect the development of the productive skills- speaking and writing of the
majority of Advanced English students of semester I-2014 at the Western
Multidisciplinary Campus of the University of El Salvador are.

Moreover, this research study will help to determine the amount of time
students practice in and out of the classroom to improve their productive skills.
In addition, this research work will determine if missing classes regularly affect
students development. This research will also provide very important
information to help determine the main factors that prevent students from
learning English efficiently.
In addition, the researchers have observed that most of the students of
Intensive Advanced English have severe problems in their productive skills
(speaking and writing). Though they convey clear messages, they need to
sharpen their skills even more since they are going to teach the language and
they will be the models for other people. Therefore, it is extremely important and
necessary to determine the main factors affecting advanced English students
productive skills speaking and writing.

1.4. Objective
1.4.1 General objective
To find out the main factors why the majority of Intensive Advanced
English students have deficiencies in their productive skills-speaking and
writing at the Western Multidisciplinary Campus of the University of El
Salvador semester I-2014.
1.4.2. Specific objectives
a) To determine to what extent classroom atmosphere influences Advanced
English students speaking skill.
b) To discover to what degree the teaching techniques used in class help
Advanced English students productive skills.
9

c) To find out to what extent Advanced English students vocabulary

hinders students participation in class.
d) To determine to what extent Advanced English students practice their
English inside and outside the classroom.
e) To determine to what degree students feelings affect students
participation in class.
f) To discover to what extent students` attitudes affect their participation in
class.

10

CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Learning English as a second language is important because it gives
students opportunities to grow in their personal and professional lives. However,
it might be difficult because if they are foreign language learners, they are not
exposed to the language in the country they live. Therefore, it is difficult for
them to develop the language skills accurately, especially speaking and writing
if they do not practice them correctly. Thus, it is important to examine carefully
certain aspects such as: what language is, English as a foreign language (EFL),
English four macro skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing), the factors
that affect students development in their speaking skill, the factors that affect
students in their writing skill, and techniques teachers can use to motivate
students to practice their speaking and writing skills.

2.1. What is language?

Language is the expression or communication of thoughts and feelings
by means of local sounds, and combinations of such sounds, to which meaning
is attributed (Simon & Schuster, 1972, p. 792). It is important to learn a
language as well as to have a better and clearer understanding of the
transmitted and received message and to avoid some inconveniences of
misunderstanding in the future.
Moreover, according to Amberg, J. and Vause, D (2013):

11

Language

is

foremost

means

of

communication,

and

communication almost always takes place within some sort of

social context. This is why effective communication requires an
understanding and recognition of the connections between a
language and the people who use it. These connections are
complex: for example, they tell you when to use slang with a friend
or formal language with a boss, how to judge a candidates
campaign speeches, and whether to abbreviate an email. All of
these acts require knowledge of the language, as well as the
cultural and social forces acting on that language (p. 2).

2.2. English as a Foreign Language (EFL)

As the Cambridge Dictionary states, EFL (English as a Foreign
Language) is the teaching of English to students whose first language is not
English (p.450). Nowadays, the majority of non-English speakers study English
as a foreign language. People want to learn the English language because they
know they would have more opportunities to succeed and to be in touch with
foreigners. Taking into account that English is one of the most prominent
language in the world, many people find learning English as a necessity; for
example, to run businesses and to get to know other cultures.
As Harmer (as cited in Simon & Schuster, 1972) establishes, EFL
describes situations where students were learning English in order to use it with
any other English speakers in the world when the students might be tourists or
business people (p. 19). According to this, most people study English said that
most people study English as a foreign language for communicational
purposes.
12

2.3. Macro Skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing)

As Harmer J. (2008) stated, the evaluation of the students performance
is always based on development of the four integrated skills reading, writing,
speaking, and listening. These are often divided into two categories: receptive
skills, a term used for reading and listening, and productive skills, a term used
for speaking and writing.
Hinkel (as cited in Harmer 2008) states that it makes little sense to talk
about skills in isolation since in meaningful communication people employ
incremental language skills not in isolation but in tandem. So we cannot say that
a skill is studied apart from the others since in order for people to communicate
with others, they need to listen as well as to speak because if not people will not
interact with the persons they are speaking to. That is why, receptive skills and
productive skills feed off each other in a number of ways. What we say or write
is heavily influenced by what we hear and see (p. 266).
2.3.1.

Speaking skill

For most people, the ability to speak a language is synonymous with

knowing that language since speech is the most basic means of human
communication. Nevertheless, Lazaraton, A (as cited in Celce-Murcia 2001)
states that speaking in a second or foreign language has often been viewed as
the most demanding of the four skills (p. 103). What specifically makes
speaking in a second or foreign language difficult? Browns study (as cited in
Celce- Murcia, 2001) mentions a number of aspects that interact to make
speaking as a challenging language skill as it is. The most difficult of those
aspects of spoken language is that it is almost always accomplished via

13

interaction with at least one other speaker. This means that a variety of
demands are implied at once: monitoring and understanding the other
speaker(s), thinking about ones own contribution, producing that contribution,
monitoring its effect, and so on. According to Hammer (2008), if students want
to be able to speak fluently in English, they need to be able to pronounce
phonemes correctly, use appropriately stress and intonation patterns and speak
in connected speech (p. 343).
2.3.2.

Writing skill

As Celce-Murcia (2001) states, writing is the ability to express ones

ideas in the written form and to do so with reasonable coherence and accuracy
is a major achievement (p. 205).
The usual things associated with writing are word choice, use of
appropriate grammar (such as subject-verb agreement, tense, and article use),
syntax (word order), mechanics (e.g., punctuation, spelling, and handwriting),
and organization of ideas into a coherent and cohesive form.
She also says that,
Within the communicative framework of language teaching, the
skill of writing enjoys special status- it is via writing that a person
communicate a variety of messages to a close or distant, known
or unknown reader or readers. Such communication is extremely
important in the mother world, whether the interaction takes the
form

of

traditional

technological

paper-and-pencil

advanced

electronic

writing
mail.

or

the

Writing

most
as

communicative activity needs to be encouraged and nurture

14

during the language learners course of study. Viewing writing as

an act of communication suggests an interactive process which
takes place between the writer and the reader via the text. Such
an approach places value on the goal of writing on the perceived
reader audience.
This means that if teachers are concerned with teaching writing
effectively, they should encourage students to clearly define the message they
want to transmit to their audience. Teachers also have to make emphasis on
the writing process since it demands the writer to write clear, relevant, truthful,
informative, interesting, and memorable texts. That is why, according to
Gebhard (2000), teachers generally agree that beginning-level EFL/ESL writers
need to learn the basic conventions of writing. This includes being able to
identify and write down letters, words, and simple sentences, as well as learning
spelling and punctuation conventions (p. 223).
2.4. Factors that affect students development in their productive skills
There are many factors that affect students while developing their
productive skills speaking and writing. Some of the factors to take into
account are the following: classroom atmosphere, teaching techniques,
vocabulary, study habits, students feelings, and students attitudes.
2.4.1. Classroom atmosphere
Getting students to speak in class can sometimes be
extremely easy. In a good class atmosphere, students who get
along with each other and whose English is at an appropriate
level, will often participate freely and enthusiastically if we give
15

them a suitable topic and task. However, at other times it is not so

easy to get students speaking in class. Maybe the class mix is not
quite right, or we have not chosen the right type of topic.
Sometimes, it is the organization of the task which is a fault, but a
problem that occurs more often than any of these is the natural
reluctance of some students to speak and to take part in the
activities (Harmer, p. 345).
Students perception of teachers appearance plays an important role in
classroom atmosphere.

However, proximity, appropriacy, movement, and

contact are essential parts of the teachers role to create a comfortable

atmosphere.
In proximity, teachers should consider how close they want to be to the
students they are working with. Some students resent it if the distance between
them and the teacher is too small. For others, on the other hand, distance is a
sign of coldness. Teachers should be conscious of their proximity and, in
assessing their students reactions to what is happening in the classroom, they
should take this into account (Harmer, 1998, p. 15).
Deciding how closely you should work with students is a matter of
appropriacy, so it is the general way in which teachers sit or stand in
classrooms. Many teachers create an extremely friendly atmosphere by
crouching down when they work with students in pairs. In this way, they are at
the same level as their seated students. Some teachers are even happy to sit
on the floor, and in certain situations this may be appropriate. But in others, it

16

may well lead to a situation where students are put off from concentrating
(Harmer, p. 15).
Moreover, Harmer explains that teachers movements play an important
role in classroom atmosphere; some teachers tend to spend most of their class
time in one place at the front of the class, for example or to the side, or in the
middle. Others spend a great deal of time walking from side to side, or striding
up and down the aisles between the chairs. Although this, again, is to some
extent a matter a personal preferences, it is worth remembering that motionless
teachers can bore students, and teachers who are constantly in motion can turn
their students into tennis- match spectators, their heads moving from side to
side until they become exhausted. However, most successful teachers move
around the classroom to some extent. That way they can retain their students
interests (if they are leading an activity) or work more closely with smaller
groups (when they go to help a pair or group) (p.16).
In order to manage a class successfully, the teacher has to be aware of
what students are doing and how are they feeling. This means watching and
listening just as carefully as teaching; it means being able to move around the
class, getting the level of proximity right, making eye contact with students,
listening to what they have said, and responding appropriately. It is almost
impossible to help to learn a language in a classroom setting without making
contact with them; the exact nature of this contact from teacher to teacher and
from class to class (Harmer, p.16).
Another

crucial

element

for

creating

an

appropriate

classroom

atmosphere is motivation since this factor may encourage or hinder students

17

desire to learn. Nunans study (as cited in the Journal of Education and
Practice, 2012) stresses that motivation is important to notice that it can affect
students reluctance to speak in English. In this sense, motivation is a key
consideration in determining the preparedness of learners to communicate
(p.103).
Furthermore, Zua (as cited in the Journal of Education and Practice,
2012) adds that:
Motivation is an inner energy, and that no matter what
kinds of motivation the learners possess, it will enhance their
study interest. It has been proven in many studies that students
with a strong motivation to succeed can persist in learning and
gain better scores than those who have weaker motivation of
success showing that building students motivation to learn is
urgent for every teacher (p.103).
2.4.1.1. Students Attitudes
Gardner (1985) (as cited in Motivation and Attitudes towards Learning
English, 2009) considers attitudes as components of motivation in language
learning (p. 33). This means that motivation is one of the factors that directly
affect students attitudes in the classroom. So, students attitudes in the
classroom depend on the type and level of motivation students have; due to
this, students attitudes in the classroom may be positive or negative.
This we know to be true: No student can be academically
successful if he lacks positive attitudes and perceptions about
self, peers, the instructor, and the value of the tasks that make
18

up the lesson. No matter how ambitious and well-articulated a

lesson may be, no genuine and lasting learning will occur if your
students do not perceive themselves to be valuable and valued
members of a learning community that is safe and orderly
(Brown, 2002, para. 1).
Moreover, students attitudes also affect teachers development of the
class and make them feel frustrated because even though they put all their
effort to create excellent activities or games, some students will have a negative
attitude towards the class, so the teachers task is to provide the students with a
classroom that promotes positive attitudes for students learning process.
2.4.1.2. Students feelings
On the other hand, students feelings and attitudes play an important role
in the classroom atmosphere. The way students feel inside the classroom can
build a good atmosphere for learning or can hinder it. As Boekaerts 1993; Oatly
& Nundy, 1996 (as cited in Hammond, Orcutt, Strobel, Kirsch, Lit, Martin, and
Comer, n.d.) state our emotional state has a potential to influence our thinking.
For example, students learn and perform more successfully when they feel
secure, happy, and excited about the subject matter (p. 90).
Although emotions have the potential to energize
students thinking, emotional states also have the potential to
interfere with learning. If students are overly excited or
enthusiastic, they might work carelessly or quickly rather than
working methodically or carefully. In addition, emotions such as
anger, anxiety, and sadness have the potential to distract
19

students learning efforts by interfering with their ability to attend

to the task at hand.
Emotions can interfere with students learning in several
ways, for example, limiting the capacity to balance emotional
issues with schoolwork, creating anxiety specifically about
schoolwork, and triggering emotional responses to classroom
events (Hammond et al., p. 90).
2.4.1.2.1. Anxiety
Shipman & Shipman, 1985 (as cited in Ormrod, 2010) points out that a
small amount of anxiety often improves performance: It is known as facilitating
anxiety. A little anxiety can spur students into action. For instance, it can make
them go to class, read the textbook, do assignments, and study for exams. It
also leads students to approach their classwork carefully and to reflect before
making a response. In contrast, a great deal of anxiety usually interferes with
effective performance; it is known as debilitating anxiety. Excessive anxiety
distracts learners and interferes with their attention to the task at hand (para.
6). That is why, anxiety can make students fail in doing even a very simple task
or make him or her succeed and do a task without making to much mental
effort. A certain level of anxiety can be seen as an excellent driving for
students learning; however, this can make students lose concentration or
make them hesitate at a point of making them make mistakes due to the high
level of anxiety they are experimenting at that moment.
Most students do not know which the cause of their feeling of anxiety is
since it can be caused by so many different factors. Nevertheless, as Ormrod,

20

(2010) explains many students become anxious just before a test that they
know will be difficult, and most get nervous when they have to give a prepared
speech in front of their peers. Such temporary feelings of anxiety are instances
of state anxiety. However, some students are anxious a good part of the time,
even when the situation is not especially dangerous or threatening (para. 4).
Teachers can help reduce their students performance
anxieties by providing multiple opportunities for feedback about
their work, and by emphasizing that mistakes are okay and a part
of learning. For these students, it is important that their entire
grade not be based on a big project and that feedback emphasize
the things they are doing right, while also giving specific, focused
advice on ways to improve. Moreover, they will benefit from
knowing that the teacher really cares about them as a person and
as a learner(Hammond et al., p. 91).
2.4.1.2.2. Fear
It is well know that everyone has fear of something, and it may be seen
as a normal reaction towards something that does not bring something good to
everyones lives. However, students fear can be even more difficult than any
other fear someone can face since it affects students learning and somehow
students desire to learn causing many difficulties when trying to overcome it.
To become a student is actually to embrace change, and change does
involve risk risk to ones sense of self, to ones identity as well as fear of
failure, of looking, sounding and feeling like a fool. While nobody actually
enjoys these feelings, in an educational context if you avoid what you fear as a

21

student, then you definitely will not succeed (Teaching, Learning, and Study
Skills, n.d., p. 52).
Students different fears may limit students academic performance and
restrict their willingness to be active participants in the classroom; that is why,
teachers must ensure them an appropriate classroom atmosphere. As
mentioned in the book Teaching, Learning, and Study Skills, (n.d.),
The learning environment may also play a part in the
fear factor. Human beings do learn by trial and error. If the
learning environment feels over-threatening, students will not
want to make mistakes and open themselves up to criticism:
they may give up rather than reveal their mistakes to hostile
scrutiny. The lesson we can learn as academics is to make the
learning environment a safe one for all our students: a space for
trial and error, for learning from mistakes and we must
reassure students that we have done so. The students have to
realize that they will get things wrong quite often but if they
work to learn from these experiences, they will learn more (p.
53).
2.4.1.2.3. Frustration
Frustration is a common reaction to situations in which we feel (or
perceive) that circumstances and events are beyond our immediate control or
there are roadblocks that prevent us from accomplishing a task or goal
(Johnson, 2012, para.1). Frustration is very common among students since it
affects their performance in the classroom. Sometimes, they may feel a high

22

level of frustration after getting a bad grade due to the result they got or during
getting feedback or error correction about an activity or task they have
developed.
In the words of, Ur (2000) it is possible to correct students in the spot or
at the end of the activity being carried out, but the danger of correcting students
in the middle of a mainly fluency task( on the spot) is that you interrupt their flow
and take the focus of their message off . Students often find it hard to continue
after a correction, while others in class may become more reluctant to speak for
fear of similar interruptions (p. 225). Thus, teachers have to be aware of
students feelings when correcting them during and after an activity because
learners may feel frustrated and may lose attention or interest to the work they
are developing when being corrected by their teachers.
2.4.2. Teaching Techniques
Although teaching a foreign language may be a difficult task, it can
become an easy job by implementing the appropriate and adequate activities
and strategies that will fulfill each students need. This not only will make the
teachers job easier but also will benefit and help students to facilitate their
learning process.
Teachers can do many things in order to increase the students response
to a given class period, for example, the use of games, warm ups, icebreakers,
and time fillers in the classroom in order to create a good experience of
learning.

23

2.4.2.1. Games
Sugar (as cited in The Use of Games, 2010) points out that teaching
today has changed a lot over the past years. Once it was obout learning being
passive and listening the classroom, but today learners are usually much more
active in the classroom, and what better way to be active than by playing
games (p. 7).
Many teachers have a gotten a wrong idea about games inside the
classroom, and they think that these activities are a waste of time; however,
bringing games to the classroom has many benefits that may help students
desire to learn such as bringing fun to the class and foster students participation
by making them be active participants instead of being passive participants in
the classroom, making student interact with each other and creating a friendly
and positive atmosphere, providing many opportunities to expose students to
language in real situation to help students practice their skills, and helping shy
students to gain confidence about their skills (The Use of Games, pp. 78).
2.4.2.2. Warm ups, ice breakers, and time fillers
Moreover, teachers can use two types of activities to create a good
atmosphere in the classroom and bring energy to the students, but each of
them has a different purpose. As stated in the article Why You Should Always
Start with a Warmer, starting with a warmer is important for a number of
reasons since students need a chance to settle down into the class and get
their minds focused on the lesson ahead. Delving straight into difficult subject
matter is not going to help them in the least bit (para. 1).

24

Starting a lesson with a warm up can bring so many different benefits to

the class since warm ups get students attention and focus their mind on the
lesson at hand. Undoubtedly, a warm up lesson will set the tone for what is to
take place during the class. This is a great idea for many reasons. Students will
have some idea of what to expect, and the topic can easily be introduced to
them (Why You Should Always Start With a Warmer, para.3).
Another type of activity is called ice breakers. According to Kelly (as cited
in Tillery, n.d.), Teachers can use ice breakers within the classrooms to create
a connected and comfortable environment for their students. Ice breakers are
necessary for a successful classroom since they allow students to become
motional connected with school and increases motivation (p.1).
2.4.2.3. Strategies
As described in the book Instructional Strategies (n.d.), Instructional
strategies are techniques teachers use to help students become independent,
strategic learners. These strategies become learning strategies when students
independently select the appropriate ones and use them effectively to
accomplish tasks or meet goals. Instructional strategies can:
motivate students and help them focus attention
organize information for understanding and remembering
monitor and assess learning (p. 67).
Many strategies such as, bringing extra materials and practices to the
class, using technology to foster students motivation, promoting group work,
and others can be used by the teachers
25

to encourage students learning;

however; students are the ones that have to choose the appropriate strategies
for their personal needs. No matter which they feel more comfortable with,
these strategies ensure an excellent learning process.
2.4.3. Vocabulary
Most people usually believe that vocabulary is related to the words of a
language, and they are right because vocabulary does deal with words.
Nevertheless, vocabulary goes beyond than just simple words, and as
mentioned in the book Vocabulary and Its Importance in Language Teaching,
(n.d.) Vocabulary can be defined as the words of a language, including simple
items and phrases or chunks of several words which convey a particularly
meaning, the way individual words do (p. 1). According to this, vocabulary
includes not only words with a particular meaning but also phrases and chunks
that enrich learners lexicon.
In order to communicate effectively using a foreign language, students
need a variety of words; one of the major problem students face when speaking
and writing is their choice of words-vocabulary. For example, as English is their
foreign language, they would have difficulty in expressing themselves in writing.
As a result, most of their writings would be dull field with repeating same words
for different expressions which eventually affects the quality of their writings.
(Ganschow, L & Schneider, E, 2006). So, vocabulary plays an important role in
learning a second language. Students cannot communicate with others or
express themselves without having enough vocabulary; thats why, variety of
words is a fundamental point in learning a second language.

26

2.4.3.1. Vocabulary acquisition

As Schmitt (2012) reported, that Many L2 learners of English also know
thousands word families (p.116). To know that language learners can acquire
that quantity of words is striking. How is it possible for students to grasp that
sum of vocabulary? According to Schmitt, this can be possible due to two main
processes of vocabulary acquisition: explicit and incidental learning (p.116).
Explicit and incidental learning are to approaches to
vocabulary acquisition.

Explicit learning focuses attention

directly on the information to be learned, which gives the

greatest chance for its acquisition. But it is also timeconsuming, and for all but most diligent student, it would be too
laborious to learn an adequately sized lexicon. Incidental
learning

can

occur when

one

is

using

language

for

communicative purposes, and so gives a double benefit for

time expended. But it is slower and more gradual, lacking the
focused attention of explicit learning (Schmitt, 2012, p.120).
When being directly exposed to the language by focusing on the use of
language rather than on learning the language itself, language learners are able
to get a great variety of words, but most of them find it pretty difficult since they
have to memorize the exact words with their meanings and try to use them
correctly when speaking and writing. On the other hand, language learners can
grasp vocabulary when using the language in their daily lives, yet to enrich their
vocabulary becomes a very slowly process since learners have to read a great
deal of texts, listen to authentic material, or speak for a long time to grasp new
vocabulary. That is why, to get a variety of vocabulary, learners need to put into
27

practice both approaches, explicit and incidental learning since both

approaches go hand to hand (Schmitt, p.116).
2.4.3.2. Vocabulary Learning Strategies (VLS)
When teaching vocabulary, many teachers make use of vocabulary
learning strategies, but in the words of Schmitt (2012), the results of using and
teaching these VLS can be effective or not depending on a variety of factors
such as students proficiency level, L1 and culture, students motivation and
purposes for learning a second language, the task and text being used and the
nature of the second language itself. So, students willingness to learn is
necessary to get good results. A study carried out by OMalley and Chamot (as
cited in Schmitt, 2012) indicates that students who rejected strategy training
learned worse than the ones who accepted their learning strategy, familiar rote
repetition approach (p. 133).
According to Schmitt, some well-known and effective vocabulary learning
strategies for students to get a great variety of words are the following:
Social strategies: use interaction with other people to improve language
learning.
Memory strategies: involve relating the word to be retained to some
previously learned knowledge, using some form of imagery and
grouping.
Cognitive strategies: exhibit the common function of manipulation or
transformation of the target language by the learner.

28

 Metacognitive strategies: involve a conscious overview of the learning

process and making decisions about planning, monitoring, or evaluating
the best ways to study.
These strategies can be used to help students enrich their vocabulary so
that they can communicate effectively when speaking and writing in English.
As Schmitt (2012), stated, A typical problem is that learners often use
basic vocabulary when a good native-speaking writer would use more precise
lower-frequency words (p. 155), for having a variety of words can help students
avoid this problem.
Another problem students face when speaking is overuse of fillers. When
speaking about a specific topic students are not familiar with, they may stop and
use a filler while thinking about what to say next because they do not know
which the right words to use are. Sometimes, using fillers can help students
speech flow smoothly, but overusing fillers can make students speech become
incoherent (Voxy, 2012).
2.4.3.3. Vocabulary and Fluency
To become a fluent English speaker is not an easy task; it requires
practicing every day the new language as much as it is possible in order to
become more confident, grasp a great amount of vocabulary, and be more able
to clearly transmit information to other people. Most foreign learners face
difficulties to get fluency because they do not apply the theory learned with the
practice. In addition, the grammar and pronunciation knowledge acquired when
learning a new language is important since the combination of both of them
makes people feel comfortable and trustful when speaking the new language.
29

Moreover, knowing about language standards can make students speak

appropriately and fluently.
2.4.4. Study Habits
Some people think that students who do excellent at school have a high
Intelligence quotient (IQ), but as Mayland Community College (2002) states
that success in schools is not so much determined by sheer intelligence as
knowing how to study (p. 2). According to this, having a high IQ is not what
usually makes students success rather, recognizing the different effective ways
to study is what leads students to be successful at schools.
Mayland Community College says that Studying is a skill. Being
successful in school requires a high level of study skills. Students must first
learn these skills, practice them and develop effective study habits in order to
be successful(p.2).

To be outstanding students, learners have to put into

practice adequate study habits.

Good study habits include many different skills: time management, selfdiscipline, concentration, memorization, organization, and effort. Desire to
succeed is important, too (Mayland Community College, 2012 p. 2). Without
yearning to triumph, students will never be able to focus their attention to the
different skills good study habits require. Students may know a great deal of
effective strategies to administer their time appropriately and discipline
themselves but this is worthless if they do not actually want to succeed.
When students are really committed with enhancing their learning
process, they have to take into account the basic principles of time
management , organization, and prioritization (Centura College, 2013, para.1).
30

One of the strategies students can use to administer their time appropriately is
having a set schedule.
The Centura College points out that learners who do not have a
predetermined schedule with set places get more tension when doing
homework and studying since they do not even know if they will be able to
complete their assignments and study the material they need to go over through
in the established time; that is why, setting a schedule and a place to study may
help students not to get overloaded and stressed with all the activities they have
to complete (para. 2). Moreover, having a set schedule helps students not to be
procrastinators.
In his article Learn about Procrastination, Grohol (2005) states that
procrastination is a common issue amongst students and many adults; they
struggle with deadlines every day, with the feeling of impending doom as the
exam or project date looms. It is one of the largest problems seen in college
counseling centers, and it is something nearly everyone has had to deal with at
some point in their lives.
Besides that, attendance plays an important role when developing good
study habits. In his article School attendance, GreatSchools Staff (n.d) states
that the attendance rate is important because students are more likely to
succeed in academics when they attend school consistently. It is difficult for the
teacher and the class to build their skills and progress if a large number of
students are frequently absent (para. 4).
In order or to excel at schools or colleges, what students need is to
develop effective study habits. To have efficient study habits, learners need to

31

put into practice different studying skills such as time management, selfdiscipline, and effort, yet the key to succeed is the yearning to triumph.

32

2.5 Visualization of the Study

33

General Objective

To find out the

main factors why
the majority of
Intensive
Advanced English
students of
semester I- 2014
at the Western
Multidisciplinary
Campus of the
University of El
Salvador have
deficiencies with
their productive
skills- speaking
and writing.

Specific
objectives

Hypothesis

1. To determine
to what extent
classroom
atmosphere
influences
Advanced
English
students`
speaking skill.

The classroom
atmosphere,
teaching
techniques,
and study
habits affect
Advanced
English
students
development
of their
productive
skills at the
Western
Multidisciplinar
y Campus of
the

Units of
observation

Intensive
Advanced
English
students of
the

Variables

Definition of
the variable

Independent
Variable

A good
classroom
atmosphere is
one that
creates a
feeling of
positivism and
it motivates the
students to
become
successful in
everything
they do. It
should be able
to build a
psychological
framework for
every activity
that takes
place in the
classroom.

1.Classroom
atmosphere

University of
El Salvador,
Western
Multidisciplin
ary Campus,
semester I,
2014

University Of
El Salvador
during
semester I2014.

1. To discover
to
what
degree the
teaching
techniques
used in class
help
Advanced
English
students
productive
skills.

Independent
Variable
2. Teaching
techniques
34

A situation in
which students
learn through
their
participation in
the attainment
of knowledge
by gathering
information
and

Indicators

Instruments

1. Teachers questionnaire
role
a) promoting
Unstructured
confidence
and motivation Interview
guide
b)
encouraging
students
to
learn

Time
(number
of
hours)

4 hours

4 hours

c)
building
good rapport

1. activities
a) fillers
b) games

Observation
guide

6 hours

c) warm-ups
d) icebreakers
2. strategies

Checklist

3 hours

CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGICAL DESIGN
This chapter describes in detail all the steps to carry out this research
study. To do so, the researchers are going to make use of a variety of research
techniques and tools in order to prove the certainty of the hypothesis. Thus, this
chapter describes the whole procedure to be conducted in the research study.

3.1. Paradigm and type of study

To carry out the research project Factors that Affect the Majority of
Advanced English Students when Organizing their Ideas and Using
Grammatical Structures Accurately in the Spoken and Written Form in the at the
Western Multidisciplinary Campus of the University of El Salvador Semester I2014, the researchers will make use of the quantitative paradigm to collect the
most suitable data. By using this paradigm, the researchers will be able to find
out the factors that limit the proper development of the productive skills of the
students of Intensive Advanced English II of the WMC of the University of El
Salvador.
The researchers will carry out an explanatory study which consists on
testing and measuring the factors stated in the hypothesis that make Intensive
Advanced English II students hinder their development of their oral
communication and writing skills and the research team will analyze the causes
that such factors provoke on the students development.
To prove the factors, the researchers will make use of different
techniques and tools during three months (starting in March and finishing in

35

May, 2014) at the Western Multidisciplinary Campus of the University of El

Salvador. During these three months, the research team will conduct several
observations while students are in their classes; some questionnaires will be
administered to the same population. With the collected data, the researchers
will deeply analyze both the factors and the causes that are affecting the
students of Intensive Advanced English at the Western Multidisciplinary
Campus of the University of El Salvador, semester I, 2014.

3.2. Sampling Procedure

The target population to be studied in this research is the students of the
two groups of Advanced English II of Licenciatura en Idioma Ingls Opcin
Enseanza at the Western Multidisciplinary Campus. The total population of the
Advanced English II groups is 72 students, 33 students from the morning group
and 39 students from the afternoon group. As it is a small population, all its
members will be taken into account to conduct this research.

3.3. Preliminary phase

The preliminary phase includes complete information describing the main
reasons why the researchers decided to select the topic of the research project.
In addition, this phase includes a complete description of how the researchers
will approach the field of study, the diagnostic study based on the observation
made, and finally, the preliminary phase includes the definition of the problem.
3.3.1 Approaching the field of study
In late October 2013, the research team observed that some students of
Intensive Advanced English I showed some difficulties in their productive skills
(speaking and writing). The researchers could observe that when developing a
36

speaking activity, the majority of students had problems with the grammatical
structures that had been practiced since Intensive Basic English. Based on
some homework assignments provided by an English teacher of the Language
Department, the researchers noticed that Intensive Advanced English I students
made mixed constructions of basic grammar structures.
This observation led the researchers to the decision of administering a
questionnaire (Appendixes A and B) to some members of the population to be
studied and to the four teachers of the Intensive Advanced English I subject in
charge of the two afternoon groups to discover which factors affect students
development in their writing and speaking skills.
3.3.2. Diagnostic study
To define the scope of the problem and to know how long the problem
had

existed

at

the

Foreign

Language

Department

at

the

Western

Multidisciplinary Campus of the University of El Salvador in Intensive Advanced

English I students, a preliminary diagnosis questionnaire (Appendix A) was
designed by the researchers and validated by experts in research. The
researchers administered a questionnaire to 10 students per each group from
the two afternoon groups of Intensive Advanced English I.
3.3.3. Definition of the Problem
The results of the preliminary diagnosis were helpful in order to find the
factors that cause students of Intensive Advanced English I at the Western
Multidisciplinary Campus of the University of El Salvador to have problems in
their development of the writing and speaking skills. It also helped the

37

researchers to create the necessary tools that can be implemented to define

which the main factors that hinder students productive skills are.
The diagnosis showed that students did not practice outside the
classroom; for instance, they preferred to do another activity instead of
practicing their English. Moreover, the diagnosis addressed to the four Advance
English I teachers showed that more than 50 percent of the students had
deficiency when using grammatical structures and that Intensive Advanced
English I students had deficiency in both of their productive skills. So, these
were some of the factors that were taken as the starting point to define the
problem, its scope, and its objectives.

3.4. Planning Phase

After the researchers had already identified, described, and justified the
problem, they started the planning phase by looking for data related to the topic
to be investigated to build the theoretical framework. In this case, the
researchers made use of different sources to get reliable and important data
that already existed about the speaking and writing skill problems that students
faced when learning English as a foreign language. To make sure that the
information found in the sources consulted was reliable to build a truthful
theoretical framework, each researcher examined the theory carefully to check
if the information collected was related to the problem that will be investigated.
This information will be taken into account to build the visualization of the study,
to create the instruments that will help to measure the level of the speaking and
writing skills that students of Intensive Advanced English II at the Western
Multidisciplinary Campus of the University of El Salvador have, and to find out if

38

the hypothesis stated at the beginning of the project will be accepted or

rejected.
3.4.1. Literature Review
To build the theoretical framework, the researchers looked for some
primary sources such as books related to learning English as a Second
Language, teaching and assessing writing and speaking skills, thesis, and
dictionaries. Among the main books researchers consulted was The Practice of
English Language Teaching written by Jeremy Harmer. Besides, they looked
for suitable information on search engines on the Internet, mainly from
organizations, universities, or governmental articles.
First, the theoretical framework contains a brief concept of language.
Since this study is based on English as a Foreign Language, the researchers
included a definition of it. Then, the researchers focused on the main objective
of the study which is the productive skills (speaking and writing). Each
productive skill was described and also the factors that affect students
development in their productive skills.
All the aspects before mentioned were searched in a detailed way so that
the theoretical framework describes data strongly related to the topic that is
being investigated. The different factors that affect students development of
their productive skills and the hypothesis were also included in the visualization
of the study.
3.4.2. Operationalization of Variables
First of all, the variables were meticulously selected and verified so that
they can be measured and observed. To do this, they were deeply selected to
39

be manipulated and make sure they were elemental to carry out this study. To
assure the variables were correctly defined, the researchers compared with
some examples provided in class by the teacher in charge of the Research
Methods class. Moreover, the independent and the dependent variables were
determined based on the theoretical framework. In this work, the variables were
operationalized taking into account the indicators observed by the research
team. Moreover, each variable was defined using reliable concepts that are
meaningful to the development of the investigation.
3.4.3. Data Collection Instruments
To conduct the process of data collection for the variables taken into
account in this project, the researchers followed the procedure below:
The instruments designed for data gathering were made taking into
account four necessary instruments to study the indicators presented in the
visualization of the study. The instruments created to use in this research study
were questionnaires, interviews, observation guides, and checklists.
Questionnaires
First, two questionnaires were used as part of the preliminary study in
order to find the basis of the research and to measure the dimension of the
problem. These two questionnaires were validated first by the teacher in charge
of the research methods subject; then, they were checked and commented by
an expert in the field the researchers are studying (Appendix A and B).
On the other hand, two questionnaires designed to study how deeply the
variable classroom atmosphere (Appendix C) and how the variable students

40

feelings (Appendix K) affects Intensive Advanced English II students of

semester I, 2014 at the Western Multidisciplinary Campus.

Unstructured Interview Guide

The second tool the researchers designed was aimed to study how the
classroom atmosphere affects the development of the productive skill in
Intensive Advanced English II of semester I, 2014 at the Western
Multidisciplinary Campus of the University of El Salvador will be an unstructured
interview guide (Appendix D).
Interviews
The third tool, interview guide (Appendix J), had been designed to study
the variable study habits in Intensive Advanced English II at the Western
Multidisciplinary Campus of the University of El Salvador.
Observation Guides
One observation guide (Appendix E) had been designed to study the
variable teaching techniques that Intensive Advanced English II students WMC
at the University of El Salvador are exposed to during their classes.
A second observation guide addressed to students of Intensive
Advanced English had been design to study the variable students vocabulary
when developing written activities (Appendix G).
Another observation guide the researchers designed to study the variable
students vocabulary when developing speaking activities of Intensive Advanced
English II students (Appendix H).

41

The last observation guide designed to measure the variable regarding

the variable students attitudes of Intensive Advanced English II students
(Appendix L).
Checklist
A checklist was designed in this research project to study the variable
teachers teaching techniques students of Intensive Advanced English II are
exposed to during classes of the semester I-2014 (Appendix F). And finally,
another checklist was designed to study the variable of students` vocabulary
(Appendix I).
3.4.4. Validation of Data Collection Instruments
After designing the research tools based on the indicators expressed in
the visualization of the study, the researchers will pre-test each tool to make
sure that each of them is suitable and understandable for the population to be
studied and in order to assure the tools bring the expected information to the
investigators.
To validate each tool, the researchers will attach an expert validation
sheet (Appendix M). That expert validation sheet will have five sections which
contain different items ranking from Poor to Excellent.

After that, the

investigators will present all the tools to an expert of the Foreign Language
Department at the Western Multidisciplinary Campus of the University of El
Salvador, master in Research Methods and in the educational field. All the
suggestions and commentaries provided by this expert will be of great
importance to improve the deficiencies shown in the research instruments.
Finally, after improving each research tool, the researchers will select a sample

42

of five students who are part of the population to be studied to conduct a pilot
test. Then, after validating the research instruments by the expert and the
sample of students, the tools will be ready to be administered to the whole
population since it means that each research tool is clear and understandable.
3.4.5. Validity and Reliability
To make the instruments valid, the researchers will formulate them based
on three main validity criteria: construct validity, face validity, and content
validity assuring that the instruments are elaborated taking into account the
visualization of the study. Furthermore, the investigators will design the
instruments in a very detailed and careful manner to make sure that they did not
skip any important detail.
In order to get reliable findings, the researchers will build a positive
atmosphere and good rapport with the students so that they are willing and
comfortable at the moment of being addressed; this will help the researchers
gather the necessary data for the study and will also help the interviewee to
provide the researchers with the information they need to collect. The
investigators will also make sure that the conditions are suitable not only for just
one person but for the whole population that is taking part of the study; that is
why, the interviews will be conducted in four weeks; they will last two class-hour
every day, so the researchers will carry them out at the same time and under
the same conditions.
Moreover, the researchers will use the dessign instruments to get reliable
and truthful information. Each tool will be checked by an expert in order to avoid

43

missing data that could generate any inconsistency when analyzing the
collected data.
3.4.6. Ethical Aspects
The researchers goal in carrying out this study is to identify the factors
that affect students development of their productive skills: speaking and writing;
therefore, it is of great importance to respect the basic ethic principles of a
research

project.

The

researchers

have

agreed

on

undertaking

the

responsibility of respecting the confidentiality and integrity of all the members of

the population being studied, so they will keep participants personal information
anonymous and will not reveal information that the participants do not want to
be revealed.
They will also respect the participants free willingness to make choices
at any time of the process even if they do not agree with any of the steps of the
study, which include the chance to quit the study at any time if they consider it
necessary. Moreover, the researchers will respect the non-maleficence norm
so that nobodys identity will be damaged during the process.

3.5. Execution Phase

In order to continue with the research study, the execution phase
contains the data collection procedure and a thorough description of the
research problem. Because this study will be carried out by making use of the
quantitative paradigm, all data will be processed and analyzed after having
collected and put together the two last parts of this phase, which are data
processing and data interpretation and analysis.

44

3.5.1. Data Collection Procedure

After validating the tools, the researchers will administer them to the
whole population of 72 students of Advanced English II of the Licenciatura
Idioma Ingles Opcin Enseanza at the Western Multidisciplinary Campus of
the University of El Salvador, semester I, 2014. Before administering them to
the students, the researchers will write a letter addressed to the teachers in
charge of the Advanced English II groups in order to get permission to go to
observe some of their classes and to allow the researchers some time, at the
end of the class, to administer the tools to the students.
4.5.2. Data Processing
To process, classify and organize the data, the researchers will use the
SPSS Software and Microsoft Excel 2010. By using these program, the
researchers will generate different frequency tables and graphs to analyze and
interpret the results. The tools that will be created to collect data are
observation guides, questionnaires, an unstructured interview guide, checklists,
and interview guides. The observation guide is aimed at collecting data to
measure if the factors that affect students development in the classroom are
classroom atmosphere, teaching techniques, and study habits in the
development of Intensive Advanced English II students. To process the data
obtained through the tools, the researchers will use a nominal scale. This
consists of tabulating the number of answers of each question so that it can be
graphed later. To graph these results, a histogram will be used.

45

3.5.3. Data Interpretation and Analysis

The collected data will be classified, interpreted, and analyzed by the
researchers to make sure the results gathered through the observation guides,
the questionnaires, the checklists, the unstructured interview guide, and the
interview guides are reliable. The place where the data will be collected is at
University of El Salvador at the Western Multidisciplinary Campus during
semester I, 2014. The researchers will interpret and analyze all the data
collected with the help of the tables and graphs created during the data
processing since these tables and graphs show clear and real information of the
problem investigated. The analysis of the information collected will be made by
describing in a detailed way the different results obtained from each of the
questions of the research tools carried out by the researchers.
Then, the researchers will compare and contrast the analysis made from
the questionnaires with the information gathered from the observations made to
compare to what extent the data collected in the observation by the researchers
agrees or disagrees with the data collected in the questionnaires. This
comparison and contrast will help researchers move towards the final
conclusions and recommendations addressed to the readers, teachers, and
students.
Next, the researchers will analyze the information gotten from the
unstructured interview guide and interview guides. In this step, the researchers
will read the comments, listen to the recorded interviews, and transcribe them to
identify the different problems the students of Intensive Advanced English II at
the Western Multidisciplinary Campus of the University of El Salvador, semester
I, 2014, have, especially in their speaking and writing skills. The researchers will
46

analyze how able the population is to transmit a clear message in the speaking
and written form. In addition, in the analysis of the interviews, the researchers
will find out and state the different problems that the population has in the
production of their speaking and writing skills.
Finally, the information gathered through the interview will be analyzed
by a cause and effect relationship of the results that the histogram represents
as it will be the one that will show in which of the two productive skills students
of Intensive Advanced English II at the University of El Salvador, Western
Multidisciplinary Campus have more problems. Later, this information will be
analyzed by making a comparison and contrast between the different factors
that affect students development in class. This will demonstrate which of the
factors affect more students development. Besides, the researchers will
analyze the different information provided from the four different teachers in
charge of the two groups of Intensive Advanced English II so that the
researchers will know the percentage of students that are having problems in
the different productive skills (speaking and writing) and will know which some
Service

Cost

Total

Printed Material

$0.04 / page * 50 pages

$2.00

Copies

$ 0.02 / page * 125 copies

$ 2.50

Internet

$ 15 2 months and a half

$ 37.50

Lollipop for the interviewees $ 2

$2

Other expenses (food,

transportation, and
electricity )

$ 400.00

$ 200.00

Total: $
444.00

47

possible reasons of students poor practice of their production of the speaking

and writing skills are.

3.6. Budget

48

3.7. Timeline

49

Months (2013)
Activity

Responsibles

ResearchTeamFormation

ResearchTeam

ChoosingtheTopic

ResearchTeam

Sept.

PreliminaryPhase
Approaching the Field of Study

ResearchTeam

DiagnosticStudy

ResearchTeam

Definition of theProblem

ResearchTeam

PlanningPhase
LiteratureReview

ResearchTeam

Operationalization of Variables

ResearchTeam

Elaboration of the Research Project

ResearchTeam

Revision of the Research Project

Incorporation of the Suggestion made

Advisor
ResearchTeam

by the Advisor
Presentation of the Research Plan to

ResearchTeam

the Advisor
Elaboration of Data Collection

ResearchTeam

Instruments
Validation of Data Collection
Instruments

ResearchTeam

50

Oct.

Nov.

Months (2014)
Dec.

Feb.

Mar.

Apr.

May

June

51

REFERENCES
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leadership/oct2002/Promoting-Positive-Attitudes-About-Learning.aspx
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Centura College. (2013). 10 Effective Study Habits for College Students.
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19,

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Ganschow,

L and

Schneider, E,

(2006). Assisting Students with Foreign

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(n.d.).

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Tillery,

L.

(n.d.).

Icebreakers.

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Voxy. (2012). Well, Um, are, Like Fillers Okay to Use? Retrieved March 22,
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warmer.html

55

56

APPENDIX A
UNIVERSITY OF EL SALVADOR
MULTIDISCIPLINARY CAMPUS
FOREIGN LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT
ADDRESSED
TEACHERSEMESTER II-2013

N ________
TO

QUESTIONNAIRE:

ADVANCED

ENGLISH

Objective: to know what Advanced English teachers have observed about the
development of their Advanced English students speaking and writing skills

Directions: Please, answer objectively the following questions.

1.
Have you noticed if Advanced English students show difficulty when
organizing their ideas in the written form?
1. Yes

2.

No

If yes, how many students approximately

Less than a half

more than a half

2.
Do Advanced English students show deficiency when using the
grammatical structures appropriately?
1. Yes

2. No

If yes, to what extent would you rank that deficiency?

1. 20 %- 40%
2. 40%- 60%
3. 60%-80%
4. 80%-100%
3. In which of these two skills you consider students have more deficiency?
1. speaking

2. writing

3. Both

57

APPENDIX B
UNIVERSITY OF EL SALVADOR
MULTIDISCIPLINARY CAMPUS
FOREIGN LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT
ADDRESSED
SEMESTER II-2013
QUESTIONNAIRE:

TO

N ________

ADVANCED

ENGLISH

STUDENTS

Objective: to gather information about what Advanced English students do to

develop their writing and speaking skills

Directions: Please, answer objectively the following questions.

1. Do you practice your English outside the classroom?
1. Yes

2.

No

If yes, what do you do to practice it?

1) Listen to podcasts

1. Yes

2. No

2) Listen to music

1. Yes

2. No

3) Watch movies

1. Yes

2. No

4) Practice your English in

1. Yes

2. No

5) Practice your writing

1. Yes

2. No

6) Read texts in English

1. Yes

2. No

and out the classroom

2. Do you study in your free time?

1. Yes

2. No

If yes, how much time do you study per day?

1) 1 hour

2) 2 hours

3) more

58

4) nothing

APPENDIX C

UNIVERSITY OF EL SALVADOR

N______

WESTERN MULTIDISCIPLINARY CAMPUS

FOREIGN LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT

QUESTIONAIRE: ADDRESSED TO ADVANCED ENGLISH STUDENTS SEMESTER

I-2014
Objective: To gather information about how classroom atmosphere affects students
poductive skills.

1. Do feel motivated to speak in English in class?

1. Yes

2. No

2. Do you think the speaking activities are adecuate for you to speak in English?
1. Yes

2. No

3. Do you feel confortable in your English classes?

1. Yes

4.

Does the teacher Encourages you to participate in the activities?

1. Yes

5.

2. No

Does the teacher builds rapport in the class?

1. Yes

6.

2. No

2. No

Does the teacher promote respect among students?

1. Yes

2. No

59

APPENDIX D

UNIVERSITY OF EL SALVADOR

N______

WESTERN MULTIDISCIPLINARY CAMPUS

FOREIGN LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT
Unstructured Interview Guide: ADDRESS TO ADVANCE ENGLISH STUDENTS OF
THE LICENCIATURA EN IDIOMA INGLS OPCIN ENSEANZA AT THE WESTERN
MULTIDISCIPLINARY CAMPUS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF EL SALVADOR, SEMESTER I2014.

Interviewer(s):___________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Place:_______________________________________Date(s): ____________
_______________________________________________________________
Time to of interview: _____________________________________________
Objective: To gather information to determine how classroom atmosphere
influences Advanced English students.
First question:
How are you doing in your English classes?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Questions that arise during the interview
2. _____________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3.______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
4. _____________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
60

_______________________________________________________________
APPENDIX E
UNIVERSITY OF EL SALVADOR

N_____

WESTERN MULTIDISCIPLINARY CAMPUS

FOREIGN LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT
Observation Guide: ADDRESS TO ADVANCE ENGLISH TEACHERS OF THE
LICENCIATURA EN IDIOMA INGLS OPCIN ENSEANZA AT THE WESTERN
MULTIDISCIPLINARY CAMPUS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF EL SALVADOR, SEMESTER I2014.

Observer(s):_____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Place:_______________________________________Date(s)_____________
Time to observe: ________________________________________________
Objective: To gather information regarding to the variable of teaching
techniques.
Instruction: Circle the answer according to what is being observed.
1. Does the teacher follow a lesson plan to teach the class?
1. Yes

2. No

2. Does the teacher develop the four macro skills in the class?
1. Yes
2.No
3. Does the teacher divide the practices in controlled, semi-controlled, and
free practice?
1. Yes
2. No
4. Does the teacher use group work?
1. Yes

2. No

5. Does the teacher CCQ (Check Comprehension Question) in each

activity?
1. Yes
2.No
6. Does the teacher balance student talking time versus teacher talking
time?
1. Yes
2. No

61

APPENDIX F
Checklist

N: _______

Objective: To observe the teachers teaching techniques used in the Intensive

Advanced English classes of the semester I-2014
Direction: Circle the most suitable answer for the different questions according
to your observation.
1. Does the teacher make use of warm-ups, time fillers, and icebreakers in his
or her classes?
1) always

4) almost never

2) seldom

5) never

3) sometimes

2. Does the teacher use extra activities besides the lesson plan to encourage
students learning?
1) always

4)

almost never

2) seldom

5)

never

3) sometimes

3. Do all the activities have a clear objective?

1) always

4)

almost never

2) seldom

5)

never

3) sometimes

4. Does the teacher use technological tools to enhance students learning?

1) always

4) almost never

2) seldom

5) never

3) sometimes
62

5. Does the teacher use pair work and group work in class?
1) always

4)

almost never

2) seldom

5)

never

3) sometimes

6. Are the activities designed to meet students needs?

1) always

4) almost never

2) seldom

5) never

3) sometimes

63

64

APPENDIX G

UNIVERSITY OF EL SALVADOR

N_____

WESTERN MULTIDISCIPLINARY CAMPUS

FOREIGN LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT
Observation Guide: ADDRESS TO ADVANCE ENGLISH STUDENTS OF THE
LICENCIATURA EN IDIOMA INGLS OPCIN ENSEANZA AT THE WESTERN
MULTIDISCIPLINARY CAMPUS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF EL SALVADOR, SEMESTER I2014.

Observer(s):
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Place:_______________________________________Date(s): ____________
_______________________________________________________________
Time to observation: _____________________________________________

Objective: To gather information regarding students vocabulary when

developing written activities.

Aspects to observe:

1. How accurately are they when writing in English?

1. Very accurately

2. Accurately

3. Normally

4. Poorly

2. How accurately are students when conveying messages in English?

1. very accurately

2. Accurate

3. Normal

4. Needs

improvement
3. How extense is the students vocabulary in regards to their level?
1. Very extense

2. Extense

3. Enough

4. Poor

4. How understandable are students writing when trying to apply the

grammatical structures.

1. Very understandable

2. Understandable

3. Normal

4. Not understandable
5. Do the students make use of the standard English when writing?
1. Yes

2. No

APPENDIX H
UNIVERSITY OF EL SALVADOR

N_____

WESTERN MULTIDISCIPLINARY CAMPUS

FOREIGN LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT
Observation Guide: ADDRESS TO ADVANCE ENGLISH STUDENTS OF THE
LICENCIATURA EN IDIOMA INGLS OPCIN ENSEANZA AT THE WESTERN
MULTIDISCIPLINARY CAMPUS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF EL SALVADOR, SEMESTER I2014.

Observer(s):
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Place:_____________________________________Date(s): _____________
_______________________________________________________________
Time to observation: _____________________________________________
Objective: To gather information regarding students vocabulary when
developing speaking activities.

Aspects to observe:
1. How fluent are they when speaking in English?
1. Very fluent

2. fluent

3. normal

4. poor

2. How accurate are students when speaking in English?

1. very accurate

2. accurate

3. normal

4. needs improvement

3. How extensive is the students vocabulary in regards to their level?

1. very extensive

2. extensive

3. enough

4. How understandable is the message they convey?

1. very understandable

2. understandable

3. normal

4. not understandable

4. poor

5. How confident are students when speaking in English?

1. very confident

2. confident

3. neutral

4. unconfident

6. Do students use the English language in the classroom?

1. all the time

2. Not all the time

3. Only when the teacher request

4. Never

7. Do students use their mother tongue to communicate in class?

1. always

2. sometimes

3. Almost never

4. Never

8. When students make a mistake regarding speaking does the teacher correct
them in class?
1. always

2. sometimes

3. Almost never

4. Never

APPENDIX I
UNIVERSITY OF EL SALVADOR

N_______

WESTERN MULTIDISCIPLINARY CAMPUS

FOREIGN LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT
Checklist
Objective: To evaluate students vocabulary in the Intensive Advanced English
classes of the semester I-2014
1. Do students make use of the same grammatical structure?
1. Yes
2. No
2. Do students make use of the target language in the classroom?
1. Yes
2. No

3. Do students use variety of words to express their ideas?

1. Yes

2. No
4. Do students take too much time to provide an answer?
1. Yes
2. No
5. Do students express their thoughts without any difficulty?
1. Yes
2. No

APPENDIX J
UNIVERSITY OF EL SALVADOR

N_______

WESTERN MULTIDISCIPLINARY CAMPUS

FOREIGN LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT
Interview

Guide: ADDRESS TO ADVANCE ENGLISH STUDENTS OF THE

LICENCIATURA EN IDIOMA INGLS OPCIN ENSEANZA AT THE WESTERN
MULTIDISCIPLINARY CAMPUS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF EL SALVADOR, SEMESTER I2014.
Interviewer(s):___________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Place:_______________________________________ Date(s): ___________
Time to of interview: _____________________________________________

Objective: To gather information regarding students study habits.

Questions:
1. Do you go to all your English classes?
1) Yes

2) No

2. Do you have a schedule to study after classes?

1) Yes

2) No

3. Do you study every day at home for your English classes?

1) Yes

2) No

4. Do you deliver all your English homework assignments on time?

1) Yes

2)No

5. Do you have problems with deadlines?

1) Yes

2)No

6. Do you practice your English outside the classroom?

1. Yes

2.

No

If yes, what do you do to practice it?

7) Listen to podcasts

1. Yes

2. No

8) Listen to music

1. Yes

2. No

9) Watch movies

1. Yes

2. No

10)Practice your English in

1. Yes

2. No

11)Practice your writing

1. Yes

2. No

12)Read texts in English

1. Yes

2. No

and out the classroom

7. Do you study in your free time?

1. Yes

2. No

If yes, how much time do you study per day?

1) 1 hour

2) 2 hours

3) more

4) nothing

APPENDIX K
UNIVERSITY OF EL SALVADOR
MULTIDISCIPLINARY CAMPUS
FOREIGN LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT
ADDRESSED
SEMESTER I-2014
QUESTIONNAIRE:

TO

ADVANCED

N _______
ENGLISH

STUDENTS

Objective: to gather information about how students feelings affect their

development of their productive skills.

Directions: Please, answer objectively the following questions.

1. Do you feel comfortable when speaking English in front of your
classmates?
1. Yes

2. No

2. Are you afraid of making mistakes in front of others?

1. Yes

2. No

3. How do you feel when you are having an oral examination?

1. Confident

2. Anxious

3. Calm

4. Threaten

5. Frustrated

6. Other _____________________

4. How do you feel when your teacher corrects your mistakes?

1. Thankful

2. Ashamed

3. Worried

4. Frustrated

5. Optimistic

6. Other ___________________

5. How do you feel when you are doing a written activity in class?
1. Enthusiastic
3. Stressed

2. Bored
3. Other _____________________

7. How do you feel when you are having a written examination?

1. Confident

2. Anxious

3. Calm

4. Threaten

5. Frustrated

6. Other _____________________

8. How do you feel when you receive feedback from you your homework
assignments?
1. Satisfied
3. Encourage

2. Worried
4. Frustrated

5. Other __________________________________

9. Which activity do you feel more comfortable with?

1. Speaking activity
2. Writing activity
3. Both
4. None of them

APPENDIX L
UNIVERSITY OF EL SALVADOR

N_____

WESTERN MULTIDISCIPLINARY CAMPUS

FOREIGN LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT
Observation Guide: ADDRESS TO ADVANCE ENGLISH TEACHERS OF THE
LICENCIATURA EN IDIOMA INGLS OPCIN ENSEANZA AT THE WESTERN
MULTIDISCIPLINARY CAMPUS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF EL SALVADOR, SEMESTER I2014.

Observer(s):_____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Place:_______________________________________Date(s)_____________
Time to observe: ________________________________________________
Objective: To gather information regarding to the variable of students attitudes

Instruction: Circle the answer according to what is being observed.

1. Which attitude do students show when developing a speaking activity?
1. Indifference

2. Commitment

3. Willingness

4. Reluctance

5. Active

5. Passive

2. Are students willing to do writing activities?

1. Yes
2.No
3. Do students engage themselves in the activities?
1. Yes
2. No
4. Do students show interest when developing a writing activity?
1. Yes
2. No
5. Do students show indifference towards their teachers feedback?
1. Yes
2.No
6. To what extend are students reluctant to participate in class?
1. 100%
3. 50%
5. 10%
2. 75%

4. 25%

6. 0%

APPENDIX M
VALIDATION SHEET FOR THE TOOLS TO BE EVALUATED
Name of Validator:
_____________________________________________________________________
Degree:
_____________________________________________________________________
Position:
_____________________________________________________________________
N of years in teaching: _______________________ Date: ____________________
To the evaluator: Please check the appropriate box for your ratings.
Scale: 5-Excellent

4-Very Good

ASPECTS TO VALIDATE

3- Good
SCALE

2- Needs Improvement 1- Poor

5

1. Clarity and directions of items

The vocabulary level, language, structure
and conceptual level of participants. The
test directions and the items are written
in a clear and understandable manner.
2. Presentation and Organization of
items
The items are presented and organized
in logical manner.
3. Suitability of items
The item appropriately presented the
substance of the research. The questions
are designed to determine the skills that
are supposed to be measured.
4. Adequateness of the Content
The number of the questions per area is
a representative enough of all the
questions needed for the research.
5. Attainment of Purpose
The instrument as a whole fulfills the
objectives needed for the research
Remarks:
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Signature: _____________________