INTRODUCTION

In todays global world, the importance of English cannot be denied and

disregarded since English is the most common language spoken everywhere. It serves
as an instrument in finding a high-quality job, communicating with the international
world, and accessing significant information in a students major field. For these
reasons, it can be said that the English language has been playing a major role in many
sectors of the society including business, politics and education.
In business and trade, English is the lingua franca among companies. In order to
improve sales and secure their businesses, owners and stockholders of companies are
prescribed by business analysts to export their products as well as to advertise in the
international arena. Moreover, the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry is
rapidly growing which means that the demand for English proficient individuals is
greater compared to past years.
The role of English is also manifested in the political sector. Governments are
able to maintain good international relations and triumph in international transactions
through the use of English.
Furthermore, in the educational sector, English continues to take center stage as
references and resource materials are mostly written in English. Thus, English is seen
as a key to academic success. In the Philippines, educators are faced with a serious
challenge of levelling up the English proficiency of students so that they could meet the
language demands of the workplace. This is especially so that the country has become
the prime outsourcing destination in Asia. Consequently, here lies the great problem for
educators. Though some Filipinos already have earned a college, masters or doctorate
degrees, there is still deterioration in English proficiency specifically in the written and
oral context which includes pronunciation, grammar, fluency and rhetorical skills
(Gonzales et al, 2003).
The students of Mariano Marcos State University are not exempted from this
scenario. Caliva (2003) pointed out that students hardly express themselves using the
English language. In addition, a research made by Bartolome (2007) confirmed that
MMSU freshmen have only average level of English proficiency.
Some factors believed to have contributed to the decline in the English
proficiency level of Filipinos include the influence of pop culture where the dominant
language is Taglish; the dubbing of Chinese or Korean soap opera prevalent on
television shows into Tagalog and the phenomenon of mobile phone texting (Sales,
2006). Recent studies, however, show that the decline in the language proficiency of
Filipinos greatly depends on factors which are primarily associated with the learning
process, which is considered as one of the most significant components for an
individual to acquire and be proficient in the language. The failure of language
programs, old teaching styles or how lessons are being carried out, teachers not being
able to establish the need for English are among these factors (Adriatico, 2010).
In order to help arrest this decline, educators have tried working out with the
factors associated with the learning process. One of which is that teachers are now
continuously exploring the best teaching strategies that would cater to the different
learning styles of students (Adriatico, 2010). Furthermore, teachers are also finding
ways on increasing the quantity and quality of students engagement in learning

activities as students active participation in class makes learning more efficient and life
more pleasant in the classroom (Guilloteaux, 2007). Moreover, the more engaged a
student is in learning, the greater his/her chance is for success in school and beyond
(Parn, 2006).
It is in this context that this study was conceived: to determine the student
engagement of freshman college students in their English classes. Specifically, this
research tried to answer the following questions: 1) What is the level of physical
engagement manifested by students in their English classes in terms of: a) positive
body language; b) consistent focus; c) verbal participation; and d) student confidence?;
2) What is the level of mental engagement of students in their English classes?; 3) Is
there a significant relationship between the level of physical engagement of students
and their level of mental engagement?; and 4) What are the perceived factors affecting
the level of engagement of students?
The study is basically significant because it explores the role of student
engagement in learning effectively the English language. First, the result is very useful
to language teachers and professors because by being able to determine students level
of engagement, they would be able to reflect and evaluate their teaching techniques
and strategies which is most of the time hard for them to do. Similarly, the results of the
study could serve as a guide for teachers to design their syllabus in such a way that
they consider teaching methods and techniques as well as activities that would enhance
students engagement in class thereby ensuring a meaningful and effective learning
process. Along this line, the study is most beneficial to students as their level of
engagement and engagement characteristics in class will be examined and considered
in the construction and formulation of activities and lessons. In addition, the results
could enlighten students about how their physical engagement can affect their level of
mental engagement. Because of this, they can self reflect on the value of engaging
meaningfully inside the classroom.
In order to determine the level of physical engagement of students, a survey
questionnaire has been distributed to respondents from the four colleges namely
College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, Economics and Accountancy,
College of Engineering and College of Health Sciences. Midterm scores were gathered
after in order to determine the level of mental engagement of the respondents. An
interview was also conducted to know the factors affecting the physical and mental
engagement of students. The relationship between the level of physical and mental
engagement of students was determined using statistical treatment.