REMINDERS AND GUIDELINES FOR RESEARCH PAPER:General Guidelines:1. Paper Size – 8.5” x 11” (short bond paper)

2. Margin- Left side: 1.25”, right side: 1”, top: 1”, bottom: 1”

3. Page Number – lower right side; No page number on Title Page, Table of Contents

4. Font and Font Size – Time New Roman 11

5. Spacing- Double space or 2.0

Chapter 1- The Problem and Its Background- THE CHAPTER AND ITS TITLE MUST BE CENTER ALIGNED like the following:

Chapter 1The Problem and Its Background

- The Chapter should contain a discussion of the following: Introduction Background of the Study Theoretical Framework Conceptual Framework Statement of the Problem Hypothesis Significance of the Study Scope and Limitation of the Study Definition of Terms

- Chapter 1 should be in the present tense.- Chapter 1 should be the voice of the researcher/s and not of the sources from books and studies. There

should be no or less contents coming from primary and secondary sources.

Guidelines for Writing IntroductionThe introduction of thesis should contain a discussion of any or all of the following:

1. Presentation of the Problem. The start of the introduction is the presentation of the problem, that is, what the problem is all about. This will indicate what will be covered by the study.

Example: Suppose that the investigation is about the teaching of science in the high schools of Province A. The discussion may start with this topic sentence: There is no other period in world history when science has been making its greatest impact upon humankind than it is today. (Prolong the discussion citing the multifarious and wonderful benefits that science is giving to humanity today. Later, in connection with science, the topic for inquiry may be presented as the teaching of science in the high schools of Province A during the school year 1989- 1990 as perceived by the science teachers and students.) 2. The existence of an unsatisfactory condition, a felt problem that needs a solution.

Example: The teaching of science in the high schools of Province A has been observed to be weak as shown by the results of the survey tests given to the students recently. The causes must be found so that remedial measures may be instituted. (The discussion may be prolonged further)

3. Rationale of the study. The reason or reasons why it is necessary to conduct the study must be discussed. Example: One of the Thrust of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports and of the government

for that matter is to strengthen the teaching of science. It is necessary to conduct this inquiry to find out how to strengthen the instruction of science in the province. (This may be prolonged)

4. Historical background of the problem. For a historical background of the research problem of the teaching of science, the first satellite to orbited the earth, educational systems all over the world including that the Philippines have been trying hard to improve their science curricula and instruction, (This can be explained further)

5. A desire to have deeper and clearer understanding of a situation, circumstance, or phenomenon. If the teaching of science in the high schools of Province A is the topic, the researcher must explain his earnest desire to have a deeper and clearer understanding of the situation so that he will be in a better position to initiate remedial measures.

6. A desire to find a better way of doing something or of improving a product. The researcher must also explain his desire to find a better way in teaching science in the high schools of Province A to improve the outcome of instruction.

7. A desire to discover something. In connection with the teaching of science in the high schools of Province A, the researcher may have the desire to discover what is wrong with the instruction and a desire to discover better ways of teaching the subject. He may discuss his desire to discover such thing.

8. Geographical conditions of the study locale. This is necessary in anthropological and economic studies. If the subject of investigation is rice production, then the terrain, soil, climate, rainfall, etc. of the study locale have to be described. 9. A link between the introduction and the statement of the problem. A sentence or two should how the link between the introduction and the conducting of the researcher. Example: The researcher got very much interested in determining the status of teaching science in the high schools of Province A and so he conducted this research.

Example:

Introduction

Over the years, there had been a growing concern in the development of oral communication among second-language learners with regards to the deterioration of their oral English skills. Many have voiced their sentiments on the needs to strengthen every student’s grasp of the English language. According to Rama (2000), the main reason why the Filipinos are employed abroad is their ability to speak and understand English and so when all countries in the world struggle to learn English, we Filipinos should not unlearn it. English is a global language and in ad in the worlds of former Education Secretary Richardo Gloria (Castro, 1994), “mastering it will be beneficial to all our students for they can then compete internationally.” Moreover, Roces (1999) emphasized that the Department of Education should prepare its pupils for the Information Revolution and that “…isolating them linguistically from the world’s chief language of information is to doom them from the very start.”

Students’ poor command of the English language has challenged many secondary-language teacher to continue redefining or “…elaborating methods systematically trying them out and judging the results” (Sevignon, 1983) to come up with novel ways of developing students’ competence in the spoken language. Sadly, some methods scare if not bore students or fail to spark their enthusiasm that they end up sitting in the classroom simply staring at teachers who do all the talking. The quality of education according to Dela Rosa (2000) has “to

start going up or we can call the whole deal off. Government owes us the services of good teachers, especially language and science mentors.”

New Era University, in its 27 years of educating the youth, recognizes and encourages novel and effective ways of teaching specially the English language. In its desire to give students exposure in the use of English language in oral communication, the administration has on several instances directed the faculty and staff to use the English language in their dealings with students. In an August 2002 memorandum to all the New Era University workers, Dr. Corazon C. Osorio, President, reiterated the need to strengthen skills in English as a second language. She enjoined all employees to transact business in English and all department heads to apply effective measures to encourage all their colleagues to cooperate in this endeavor.

The researcher, in her eight years of teaching the English language in the university, is saddened by the students’ lack of confidence in communicating in English. Many students prefer to keep quiet in class for fear that when they speak, they might commit errors in grammar pronunciation, and that their classmates might laugh at them. This is alarming most especially when a student is in an Oral Communication class and the whole semester slips away without a word from a very shy student.

English 3 which is Oral Communication at the New Era University aims at making every student gain confidence in oral communication through practice. To achieve this end, the researcher developed a drama production-based module as a means to improve their oral communication skills in English. Drama production could prove to be a very good vehicle to expose students to oral communication practice.

No one perhaps can question the universal appeal and impact drama can make. Drama sparks wonder that creates a multitude of human reactions such as imagination, self-expression, social awareness, independent and analytical thinking, and communication. This is why drama is a tool widely used in education for better understanding of various subjects in all levels.

In the words of Evans (1982), “Drama provides opportunities for pupils to use a variety of purposes.” She adds that drama also provides a realistic context for talk which gives students opportunity to debate, deduce, plan, and persuade. Furthermore, dram techniques according to her can:

1. Make the easily forgotten memorable;2. Demonstrate communication in its fullest and truest sense;3. Encourage active and discriminating observation and listening;4. Allow the less academically-able potential scope for success, which may inspire greater

confidence generally;5. Encourage a more sensitive awareness of the human relationships at the heart of

literature, and thus hopefully of life.

Drama production activities utilized well may prove to be of significant help to the acquisition of effective oral communication – the goal of every oral communication class.

Guidelines for Writing Background of the Study

This segment consists of statements on what led the investigator to launch the study. A historical background may be given. Situations that may have spurred the researcher to undertake the study are included. The background of the study may have been generated by some empirical observations, the need to explore the problem and some other relevant conditions.

Begin this section with a clear description of the background of the study and the social, institutional context which will frame the project. Be careful to describe as clearly as possible the problem intended to be addressed and refer to the relevant literature in the field. This section describes the history of the problem. That is, it is an overview of factors which have led to the problem, comprise the problem and historical significance relative to the problem. This should take between one (1) to one and a half (½) pages. (Salvador et al.)

- This should introduce the locale and how the problem arise from the locale.

Guidelines for Writing Theoretical Framework

This is the foundation of the research study. These are highly related theories and principles that were established and proven by authorities which are very useful to the present study. Almost all research studies that were conducted in the past were based on universally accepted theories and principles.

Theoretical Framework means relating to or having the characteristic of the theory. Theoretical Framework, therefore, refers to the set of interrelated construct, definitions, and prepositions that presents a systematic view of phenomena by specifying relations among variables. The theoretical framework becomes the basic of the research problem. It explains the phenomena upon which the thesis investigation hopes to fill the vacuum in the stream of knowledge.

Pursuing the linkage between the theory and the problem at hand, the researcher views theoretical framework as an organized body that explains what has been done and what has been said on the topic or problem being investigated. Moreover, the body of knowledge establishes relationships among the variables concerned. The present study is the missing link to the body of knowledge. Accordingly, if and when the research study is consummated, the gap of missing link disappears since the study will have closed the gap. The theoretical framework is now more complete until another researcher discovers another gap, inconsistency, or weakness which will be the object of another investigation.

WHAT DATA MUST BE OBTAINED FROM A THEORY? 1. The name/s of author/s of the theory must be taken including the place and the time / year when he or she postulated such a principle or generalization.

2. Next, copy exactly the part or parts of the theory that are relevant to your study. Make sure you will use a parenthetical reference to recognize the parts copied.

3. Finally, you will have to make a synthesis by relating to your findings what the theory has to say about the phenomenon being studied. (Salvador et al.)

Example:

Theoretical Framework

This section discusses the theories and concepts which emphasize to present oral communication activities.

The study adapted David Nunan’s proposition of learner-centered learning. This learning technique is one of five techniques that encompass the communicative approach to language teaching.

The CLT umbrella of approaches covers various communicative teaching techniques based on integrated philosophies of teaching. The kind of teaching techniques associated with the communicative approach are too many to mention, but the following are the five main learning techniques mostly used:

a. Learner-centered Learning: Here the students have a say in what they want to learn. It allows them to learn by themselves, and actively create learning situations in order to practice their English skills.

b. Interactive Learning: The concept is basically the use of group and pair work in fostering communication and language learning. This concept goes right to the heart of communication itself, stressing the dual roles of ‘receiver’ and ‘sender’ in any communicative situation.

c. Cooperative Learning: This concept stresses the ‘team’ like nature of the classroom and emphasizes cooperation as opposed to competition. Students learn as a group by sharing information with one another to help develop their language skills.

d. Content-based Learning: Here, language learning and content/subject matter are joined. An important factor in this kind of learning is that the content itself determines what language items need to be mastered.e. Task-based Learning: This is a learner-centered approach, in which (in its strong form) students

discover the target language through self-directed, task-based and project-based group investigations. According to this perspective, language learning is “a process that requires opportunities for learners to participate in communication, where making meaning is primary. Moreover, Ellis (2003), cited in an article that a ‘Task’ is a tool for engaging learning in meaning-

making and thereby for creating the conditions for language acquisition”.

These five modes of learning make up the Communicative Approach to teaching any form of subject matter. In teaching language, any teaching technique helps make the learners be competent in their use of the language rather than just knowing the language, as they call for the students’ active role in the classroom and provides them a venue to practice the language in different situations within a facilitated environment.

Nunan, (1998) views on learner-centered learning is one that calls for less of an emphasis on learner’s acquiring the totality of the language, but more on “assisting them gain the communicative and linguistic skills they need to carry out real-world tasks”.

He notes that this teaching method goes beyond the more traditional type of teaching where educators literally spoon feed the students with information predetermined by another set of teachers, as “the curriculum is a collaborative effort between teachers and learners, since learners are closely involved in the decision-making process regarding the content of the curriculum and how it is taught.

Further, he stresses that the learner-centered technique accepts that no one person can ever master every aspect or every skill of the language they are learning since it would be impossible to do so. However, they may be able to maximize its competent implementation in any given context that calls for its use in communicating with others-which is the main goal of the communicative approach and learner-centered learning.

From then on, the use of authentic language and classroom exchanges where real communication took place has become so popular. The approach was used at all levels and types of foreign language classrooms, as it became preferred over the older, more traditional teaching methods.

Below is a summary of the differences between traditional teaching approaches and communicative teaching approaches as presented by Nunan (1998).

Table 1 Differences between traditional and communicative teaching approaches

Traditional Approaches Communicative Approaches

Focus in learning: Focus is on the language as a structures system of grammatical patterns

Focus is on communication.

How language items are selected:This is done on linguistic criteria alone.

This is done on the basis of what language items the learner needs to know in order to get things done.

How language items are sequenced:This is determined on linguistic grounds.

This is determined on other grounds, with the emphasis on content, meaning, and interest.

Degree of coverage:

The aim is to cover the ‘whole picture’ of language structure by systematic liner progression.

The aim is to cover, in any particular phase, only what the learner needs and seen as important.

View of Language:A language is seen as a unified entity with fix grammatical patterns and a core of basic words.

The variety of language is accepted, and seen as determined by the character of particular communicative contexts.

Type of Language used:Tends to be formal and bookish.

Genuine everyday language is emphasized.

What is regarded as a criterion of success: Aim is to have students produce formally correct sentences.

Aims to have students communicate effectively in a manner appropriate to the context they are working in.

Which language skills are emphasizedReading and writing.

Spoken interactions are regarded as at least important as reading and writing.

Teacher/ Student roles:Tends to be teacher-centered

Is student-centered

Therefore, as gleamed from the table above, traditional approaches are different from communicative approaches in their methods of how teachers expound language to the learners, and how the learners take in and apply the language in the classroom. The goals are also different as traditional approaches aim for the learners’ capability in formulating grammatically accurate sentences, while communicative approaches aim for the learners’ capability in using the language they learn at school within the real-life context of the outside world.

Cunnington (2003) enumerates a few objectives as he suggests that all learner-centered classrooms must have in order for the learners to have a successful learning experience. According to him, “the learner is the beginning and end of the learning process; the learner’s needs are the focus of the course/program/organization,” and “the learner is in control of the learning experience.” Hence, at the end of the period of learning, learner-centered teachers should give the students a chance to voice their opinions about their learning experience in the learner-centered classroom.

Cross (2002), as cited in Grimes (2011) establishes the same notion as Cunnington in that, “the learner-centered curriculum establishes the learner as the most significant and essential person in the teaching-learning process” as “learner-centered means: making student goals the focus of instructional design.” These objectives are definitely centralized on the needs of the learners and look for the best way to maximize their classroom experience by making the classroom as catered to them as possible. Moreover, Cross (2002) provides an analogy of a basketball player for emphasizing her beliefs in the strengths of a learner-centered approach. She believes that one cannot transfer his or her talents in lecturing; therefore one cannot lecture another in how to score baskets. The learner must be allowed to experience scenarios with different variables being thrown his or her way. Only then will learners be able to make their knowledge their own and relevant to themselves.

Marzano (1992) claims that in learner-centered classrooms, “assessment should focus on students’ use of knowledge and complex reasoning rather than their recall of low-level information”. This therefore encourages the students to use more of their critical thinking and understanding abilities rather than just memorizing and repeating what they learned without truly knowing the essence of what is it that they are learning.

The practice of learner-centered learning goes hand-in-hand with the communicative approach, and therefore cannot be separated from one another, due to the fact that practicing that communicative approach to teaching means that one is also practicing the learner-centered technique as well.

Nunan (1999) lists five basic characteristics of Communicative Language Teaching, which can also attribute to the learner-centered view:1. An emphasis on learning to communicate through interaction in the target language.2. The introduction of authentic texts into the learning situation. 3. The provision of opportunities for learners to focus, not only on the language but also on the learning process itself.4. An enhancement of the learner’s own personal experiences as important contributing elements to classroom learning.5. An attempt to link classroom language learning with language activation outside the classroom.

Some of the basic principles that may be inferred from the communicative language teaching include (a) activities that involve real communication promote learning; (b) activities in which language is used for carrying out meaningful tasks promote learning; and (c) language that is meaningful to the learner promotes learning

Guidelines in Writing the Conceptual Framework

Attitude to errors:Incorrect utterances are seen as deviations from the norms of standard of grammar.

From the review of related literature and studies, the researcher may formulate a theoretical scheme for his research problem. This scheme is a tentative explanation or theoretical explanation of the phenomenon or problem and serves as the basis for the formulation research hypotheses. Thus, the conceptual framework consists of the investigator’s own position on a problem after his exposure to various theories that have bearing on the problem. It is the researcher’s new model which has its roots on the previous models which the researcher had studied. (Sanchez, pp. 14-15)

The conceptual framework becomes the central theme, the focus, the main thrust of the study. It serves as a guide in conducting investigation. Briefly stated, the conceptual framework for the teaching of science can be: The effectiveness of a science instructional program depends upon the qualifications of the teachers, the effectiveness of their methods and strategies of teaching, the adequacy of facilities, the adequacy of supervisory assistance, and the elimination of the problems hampering the progress.

Currently, however, most theses do not have a discussion of their conceptual frameworks. Very few thesis writers endeavor to include an explanation of their conceptual framework in their theses.

Paradigm. A paradigm is a diagrammatic representation of a conceptual framework. It depicts in a more vivid way what the conceptual framework wants to convey. Following are examples of a paradigm for the conceptual framework for the teaching of science as mentioned above. A paradigm may take different diagrammatic forms.

Example 1

Inputs Process Outputs

Figure 8. Paradigm for Science Teaching in High School

Example:

Conceptual Framework

In the design and development of the instructional materials, the researcher is guided by, first, the concept of Communicative Language Teaching Approach. The researcher believes that language teaching, if it is meant to be effective, should gain focus from a specific approach that the instructor rationally adheres to. No matter what language teaching approach a teacher supports, there comes an assurance that his or her methodology is not blindly selected but rather a learned decision based on expert information. In the teaching of speaking to Filipino students, the researcher believes that CLT allows the most provisions to encourage learner’s practice of the speaking skills. Below are the main principles behind CLT that the researcher used as a

Qualified teachers

Effective methods

Adequate facilities

Adequate Supervisory assistance

Science

Instructional

Program

Superior science knowledge and

skills of students

guideline in designing the instructional materials (Dr. Bill Flick, Director of ESL at Auburn, http://www.auburn.edu/~nunnath/engl6240/principl.html):

Language is a medium of communication. All communication has a social purpose – the learner has something to say or find out. The goal is Communication in social context, and Functional competence.

Communication embraces a whole spectrum of functions and notions

Classroom activities maximize opportunities for learners to use the target language in a communicative way for meaningful activities. Emphasis is placed on meaning rather than form.

Communicative approach is much more pupil oriented; activities should be dictated by pupil’s needs and interests.

Accent is on functional/ usable language.

Classroom should provide opportunities for rehearsal of real-life situations and provide opportunity for real communication.

Primacy of oral work. Emphasis is on oral and listening skills in the classroom. Contact time with language is all important and paves way for a more fluid command of the language and facilities and ease in expression

Errors are a natural part of learning language. Learners trying their best to use the language creatively and spontaneously are bound to make errors. Constant correction is unnecessary and counter-productive. Corrections should be discreet but noted by the teacher. The teacher let the students talk and express themselves and the form of language becomes secondary.

Grammar can still be taught, but less systematically, in traditional ways alone must be more innovative approaches.

Use of idiomatic/everyday language (even slang words) – this is a language used in communication between people – not a ‘medium’/grammatical/exam- oriented /formal language.

Communicative approach seeks to use authentic resources. These are more interesting and motivating. Newspaper and magazine articles, poems, manuals, recipes, telephone directories, videos, news bulletins, discussion programmers – all can be exploited in a variety of ways.

Secondly, the researcher also takes into consideration the characteristics of the notional-functional syllabus. This type of syllabus takes into major consideration the student’s ‘social and vocational communicative needs’. In this type of syllabus, grammar points are taught as a way toward the accomplishment of communicative functions such as expressing feelings, persuading, and questioning, among others. More than sentence building, this instructional material is focused on teaching the learners to do something with the use of the language.

Lastly, the researcher also believes in Hymes’s (1970) communicative competence and Brown’s (1987) assertion that the ultimate learning is competence both in linguistic forms and language functions. Since the CLT approach supports focus on the learner’s needs and interests, as well as espouses the functional use of language, the instructional materials designed for this paper were based on the forms and functions anticipated to be of common use to sophomore BSE- English students based on the forms and functions anticipated to be of common use to them who are likely immersed in more crucial situations in the actual field.

Academic language acquisition is not just the understanding of content area vocabulary. It includes skills such as comparing, clarifying, synthesizing, evaluating and informing. Academic language task are context-reduced. Information is read from a textbook or presented by the teacher. As students grow older, their context of academic tasks becomes more and more reduced. This level of language use is the focus of this study.

Figure 1A Conceptual Diagram of Instructional Material Implementation

Learning Techniques

Learning/Teaching Style

Figure 1 shows the learning techniques which were incorporated in the development of speech communication instructional materials. Moreover, the communicative approach is the teaching style associated with the learning technique. It calls for a more active role for the students in a learning environment mirroring that of the outside world.

The goal of learning techniques and teaching style is communicative competence. Hence, communicative competence looks for the learner to be able to correctly use the language learned in different kinds of real situations, and not just learn the different aspects of language.

Guidelines for Writing Statement of the ProblemThere should be a general statement of the whole problem followed by the specific questions or sub problems into which the general problem is broken up. These are already formulated at the beginning of the study and so they should only be copied in this section.

Example:

Statement of the Problem

The study primarily aimed at preparing and validating communicatively oriented and socially relevant instructional materials for the Sophomore BSE-English students of Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Santa Rosa Campus. These materials for Speaking are to be used during the generalization or interaction part of a teacher’s lesson, to complement the exercises on the prescribed textbook and/or to integrate lessons with related conversational skills.

Specifically, the study sought to address the following:

1. Identify the learners’ English language competencies through needs analysis;2. Develop speaking instructional materials with socially relevant contexts;3. Validate the materials’ design in terms of the following:

Language Learning

Speaking Class

Communicative Approach

a. Format (Structure)b. Contentc. Target tasks

Guidelines for Writing HypothesisHistorical and descriptive investigations do not need explicit hypotheses and assumptions. Only experimental studies need expressly written assumptions and hypotheses. Since these are already formulated at the start of the experiment, they are just copied in this section.

- If there is no apparent hypothesis to be tested then you do not have to place Hypothesis.

Guidelines for Writing Significance of the StudyGuidance in explaining the importance of the study. The rationale, timeliness, and/or relevance of the study to existing conditions must contain explanations or discussions of any or all of the following:

1. The rationale, timeliness and/or relevance of the study. The rationale, timeliness and/or relevance of the study to existing conditions must be explained or discussed. For instance, a survey test in science reveals that the performance of the students in the high schools of Province A is poor. It must be pointed out that it is a strong reason why an investigation of the teaching in science in the said high schools is necessary. Also, the study is timely and relevant because today, it is science and technology that are making some nations very highly industrialized and progressive. So, if science is properly studied and taught and then applied, it can also make the country highly industrialized and progressive.

2. Possible solutions to existing problems or improvement to unsatisfactory conditions. The poor performance of the students in the high schools of Province A in a survey test in science should be explained as a problem and an unsatisfactory condition. So if the inquiry is made the possible causes of the poor performance of the students in the science survey test may be discovered so that remedial measures may be instituted to solve the problem or the unsatisfactory situation.

3. Who are to be benefited and how they are going to be benefited. It must be shown who are the individuals, groups, or communities who may be placed in a more advantageous position on account of the study. In the inquiry conducted about the teaching of science, for instance, some weaknesses of the instructional program may be discovered. This will benefit the administrators of the high schools in Province A because they can make the findings of the study as a basis of formulating their supervisory plans for the ensuing year. They may include in their plans some measures to correct the weaknesses so as to strengthen the instruction. In turn, the students will also benefit for learning more science. In the long run, the whole country will enjoy the good results of the study.

4. Possible contribution to the fund of knowledge. If in the study it is found out that the inductive method is very effective in the teaching of science, it should be pointed out that this can be a contribution of the study to the fund of knowledge.

5. Possible implications. It should be discussed here that the implications include the possible causes of the problems discovered, the possible effects of the problems, and the remedial measures to solve the problems. Implications also include the good points of a system which ought to be continued or to be improved if possible.

Example:

Significance of the Study

This paper is an attempt to fill the need for the communicatively-oriented and socially relevant instructional materials for sophomore BSE-English students of PUP Santa Rosa Campus.

Despite efforts to revitalize English instruction in the college made through teacher training seminar workshops and conference for the English instructors of PUP Santa Rosa Campus, still there appears to be a need for additional reinforcement through the development of instructional materials. It is also hoped that these materials will provide the students with more opportunities for exposure to English language, and more importantly with occasions for language use.

The increasing number of sophomore BSE English students who have difficulty in their oral communication skills in English is very alarming. The use of instructional materials will give them the opportunity to supplement the knowledge and skill that they have learned in the course of teaching and learning encounter. This paper is very important because it will provide a clearer view on how instructional materials will help them to enhance their speaking skills. Hence the researcher intends to point out the relevance of this study to the following:

Firstly, are the students, who will primarily benefit from this study will be able to further enrich their speaking skills, through the instructional materials developed. Since learning is a process by means of knowledge, skills, habits, facts and principles acquired, retained and utilized, then the one means of achieving this effectively is through the use and assistance of instructional materials designed especially for them. Furthermore, the students who aspire to be successful English teachers someday could benefit from the learning experience they will go through when observing seasoned English teachers.

Secondly, are the teachers who are responsible in educating students, can use and make these instructional materials as their motivation to improve the communication skills of the students. This paper will serve as a guide for them in preparing communicatively-oriented and socially-relevant instructional materials to make the students more deeply involved in the learning of English. Upon doing so, it will be of benefit to these teachers because there will be increase in productivity of effective teaching as learning takes place. Likewise, the materials will also be beneficial for the teachers to supplement his/her teaching, to enhance creative thinking and to sharpen students’ imagination resulting to the learners’ spontaneous and enthusiastic delivery of a message in the class.

Thirdly, are the curriculum planners, who are responsible for designing curriculums, they will be able to make use of this paper as a springboard to evaluate and update existing curriculums in English. They can also conduct quality assurance reviews from end of course surveys of teachers, and student evaluation as well with regard to the instructional material used every semester. In addition, they can also review speech communication textbooks and discuss matters with publishers to ensure that textbook edition changes and learning resources are appropriately reflected in course updates.

Lastly, the educational system and society at large will also benefit from the study because when the teachers solidify their teaching with instructional materials, when the learners learn effectively, the knowledge acquired will reflect in the society. Thus, the standard of education will also improve. In effect, the erroneous usage of English language will also be minimized.

Guidelines for Writing Scope and Limitation The scope and delimitations should include the following: 1. A brief statement of the general purpose of the study. 2. The subject matter and topics studied and discussed. 3. The locale of the study, where the data were gathered or the entity to which the data belong. 4. The population or universe from which the respondents were selected. This must be large enough to make generalizations significant. 5. The period of the study. This is the time, either months or years, during which the data were gathered.

Example:

This investigation will be conducted to determine the status of the teaching of science in the high schools of Province A as perceived by the teachers and students in science classes during the school year 1989-1990. The aspects looked into were the qualifications of teachers, their methods and strategies, facilities forms of supervisory assistance, problems and proposed solutions to problems.

General purpose: To determine the status of the teaching of science. Subject matter: The teaching of science. Topics (aspects) studied: Qualifications of teachers. Their methods and strategies, facilities, form of supervisory assistance, problems and proposed solutions to the problems. Population or universe: teachers and students Locale of the study: High schools of province A. Period of the study: School year 1989-1990.

Limitations of the Study Limitations of the study include the weaknesses of the study beyond the control of the researcher. This is especially true in descriptive research where the variables involved are uncountable or continuous variables such as adequacy, effectiveness, efficiency, extent, etc. The weaknesses spring out of the inaccuracies of the perceptions of the respondents. For instance, library facilities may be rated as very adequate by 50 students, fairly adequate by 30 students, inadequate by 20 students, and very inadequate by 15 students. Certainly, with these ratings, not all of them could be correct

Example:

Scope and Limitation of the Study

This paper aims to develop and validate Speech Communication based Instructional Materials for Bachelor of Secondary Education Students major in English.

This paper is concerned with the speaking skills of the Bachelor of Secondary Education students of Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Santa Rosa Campus in the City of Santa Rosa, Laguna for the school year 2013-2014. This study is limited to those students who are only taking Speech Communication class this semester.

The materials in this study are intended for use in Speech Communication Class of Sophomore BSE English students at PUP Santa Rosa Campus.

The emphasis of this paper is on the development of communicative materials to teach speaking.

The paper covered the preparation of the instructional materials based on the result of needs analysis conducted in the sophomore college student taking up BSE major in English for the school year 2013-2014. The student needs analysis was administered to 40 students through random sampling.

The subject matter of the instructional materials was lifted from English related topics and social studies articles.

It also dealt with the common errors and activities observed, used, and committed by the students in a Speech Communication class.

The major factor which may be considered a limitation to this study is the insincerity of the respondents in supplying appropriate information required of them in relation to their personal data, socio-economic and educational background. Time constraint also posed a limitation to the study.

This study included the testing and evaluation of the materials done by the language teacher and some evaluators.

Guidelines for Writing Definition of TermsGuidelines in defining terms: 1. Only terms, words, or phrases which have special or unique meanings in the study are defined. For instance, the term non-teaching facilities may be used in the study of the teaching of science. Non-teaching facilities may be defined as facilities needed by the students and teachers but are not used to explain the lesson or to make instructions clearer. Examples are toilets or comfort rooms, electric fans, rest rooms or lounges, and the like. They may also be called non- instructional facilities.

2. Terms should be defined operationally, that is how they are used in the study. For instance, a study is made about early marriage. What is meant by early marriage? To make the meaning clear, early marriage may be defined as one in which the contracting parties are both below eighteen years of age. 3. The researcher may develop his own definition from the characteristics of the term defined. Thus, a house of light materials may be defined as one with bamboo or small wooden posts, nipa, buri, or nipa walls; split bamboo floor and cogon or nipa roof. This is also an operational definition. 4. Definitions may be taken from encyclopedias, books, magazines and newspaper articles, dictionaries, and other publications but the researcher must acknowledge his sources. Definitions taken from published materials are called conceptual or theoretical definitions. 5. Definitions should a\be brief, clear, and unequivocal as possible. 6. Acronyms should always be spelled out fully especially if it is not commonly known or if it is used for the first time.

Example:

Definition of Terms

The following terms were used in the study. Some terms were defined operationally.

1. Authentic materials- are also called learner contextualized materials. These are print or media materials that are used outside the classroom for other real-world functions that are incorporated in the lesson. They are materials and activities that reflect the interest, experiences and background of the students. Authentic materials are not only used to teach skills and subject matter but also teach survival and awareness with the real word of each student. (Jacobson, et.al 2003)

2. The Communicative Approach- the teaching style that allows the student to experience the language first-hand within the walls of the classroom, in order to help the student find meaning of structured language use in a social context. It does not aim for a student to only master the rules and structures of a language, but looks for the student to be competent in implementing those rules and structures in a given language-use situation (Nunan, 1988).

3. Communicative Language Teaching or CLT- is simply a different way of referring to the communicative approach to language teaching.

4. Instructional materials- are classroom tools which are used to teach a language.

5. Learner-Centered Teaching- is one main feature under the umbrella of the communicative approach. It is an attitude towards teaching, based on students’ individual needs, that provides the generation of new meaning through a reflective and involved role where students can share responsibility for learning and building knowledge with their teachers .This type of teaching looks for the teacher to encourage the learner to acquire language skills rather than know the body of language in order to communicate with others (Nunan, 1998)

6. Speaking Classes- refers to the classes where the communication of English is thought the spoken medium. In these classes, the aim is to develop the proficiency of the learner’s ability to speak in the language with others in the different situations.

Chapter 2- Review of Related Literature and Studies- THE CHAPTER AND ITS TITLE MUST BE CENTER ALIGNED like the following:

Chapter 2The Review of Related Literature and Studies

- The Chapter must contain the following:Review of Related LiteratureReview of Related StudiesSynthesis

- Chapter 2 must be a discussion of the sources that will support the study.- It must NOT EVER be copied.- The researcher must cite the authors and their works properly using the APA 6th edition citation style. To

see how to do the APA style see: Purdue OWL (https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/)

Review of Related Literature- This is composed of all the sources that the researcher/s has gathered coming from books,

articles etc.

Review of Related Studies- This is composed of all the sources that the researcher/s has gathered coming from studies,

thesis, dissertation and journals.- A. Characteristics of the Materials Cited - The following are the characteristics of related literature and studies that should be

cited: (Repeated for emphasis) - 1. The materials must be as recent as possible. This is important because of the rapid

social, political, scientific, and technological changes. Discoveries in historical and archeological research have also changed some historical facts. Researchers in education and psychology are also making great strides. So, finding fifteen years ago may have little value today unless the study is a comparative inquiry about the past and the present. Mathematical and statistical procedures, however, are a little more stable.

- 2. Materials must be as objective and unbiased as possible. Some materials are extremely one sided, either politically or religiously biased. These should be avoided.

- 3. Materials must be relevant to the study. Only materials that have some military to or bearing on the problem researched on should be cited.

- 4. Materials must not too few but not too many. They must be sufficient enough to give the researcher insight into his problem or to indicate the nature of the present investigation. The number may also depend upon the availability of related materials. This is especially a problem with pioneering studies. Naturally, there are few related materials or even none at all. Ordinarily, from fifteen to twenty-five may do for a master’s thesis and from twenty and above for a doctoral dissertation, depending upon their availability and depth and length of discussions. The numbers, however, are only suggestive but not imperative. These are only the usual numbers observed in theses and dissertations surveyed. For an undergraduate thesis about ten may do.

- B. Ways of Citing Related Literature and Studies - The following are the ways of citing related literature and studies:

- 1. By author or writer. In this method the ideas, facts, or principles, although they have the same meaning, are explained or discussed separately and cited in the footnote with their respective authors or writers.

- Examples: According to Enriquez, praise helps much in learning, etc., Enriquez, (2013)

- Maglaque found out that praise is an important factor in learning, etc., Maglaque, (2010)2. By topic. In this case, if different authors or writers have the same opinion about the same topic, the topic is discussed and cited under the names of the authors or writers. This is a summary of their opinions. This is to avoid separate and long discussions of the same topic. Example: It has been found out that praise is an important aid in learning of children. (Enriquez, 2013)

3. Chronological. Related materials may also be cited chronologically, that is, according to the year they were written. Materials which were written earlier should be cited first before those which were written later. This can be done especially when citation is by author or writer. If citation is by topic, chronological citation can be done in the footnote.

C. What to Cite It should be emphasized that only the major findings, ideas, generalizations, principles, or conclusions in related materials relevant to the problem under investigation should be discussed in this chapter. Generally, such findings, ideas, generalizations, principles, or conclusions are summarized, paraphrased, or synthesized.

D. Quoting a Material A material may be quoted if the idea conveyed is so perfectly stated or it is controversial and it is not too long. It is written single spaced with wider margins at the left and right sides of the paper but without any quotation marks.

Example: Suppose the following is a quotation: Said Enriquez, Praise is an important factor in children’s learning. It encourages them to study their lessons harder. Praise, however, should be given appropriately.

Synthesis It should be emphasized in this area that the major findings, ideas, generalizations, principles or conclusions in related materials relevant to the problem under investigation. Generally, such findings, ideas, generalizations, principles or conclusions are summarized, paraphrased, or synthesized.

SAMPLE TITLE PAGE:

Development and Validation of Speech Communication-Based Materials for BSED English Students of Polytechnic University of the Philippines Santa Rosa

Campus, Laguna

A RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Presented to

the

Faculty of Asia Technological School of Science and Arts

City of Santa Rosa, Laguna

In Partial Fulfillmentof the Requirements for the subject

Writing in the Discipline

by:

(Name: First Name M.I., Surname)-arranged alphabetically

October 2013(submission date)

Sample Table of Contents (Approval Sheet, Acknowledgement and Abstract will not be included)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE

TITLE PAGE………...……………………………………………………. i

APPROVAL SHEET…………………………………………………….. ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ………………………………………………… iii

ABSTRACT……….………………………………………………………. iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS………………………………………………….. vii

Chapter I THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING……………………. 1

Introduction…………………………………………………. 1Background of the Study………………………………….. 3Theoretical Bases…….…………………………………… 5 Conceptual Framework…………………………………… 12Statement of the Problem………………………………… 15Objectives………………………………………………… 17Significance of the Study………………………………… 18Scope and Delimitations of the study……………………. 20Definitions of Terms……………………………………… 22

Chapter II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE………………. 23

Related Literature………………………………………… 23Related Studies…………………………………………… 46