VLOGGING IN ENHANCING THE SPEAKING SKILL OF
GRADE 10 STUDENTS IN THE NEW NORMAL
CHAPTER 1
THE PROBLEM AND LITERATURE REVIEW
Background of the Study
Speaking is recognized worldwide as the most crucial skill to acquire. It is mostly the
basis to assess student’s progress in learning a language. It is an oral productive skill that
requires the speaker to have mastery in grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and fluency.
Improving the speaking skill allow the learners to communicate with others and express their
thoughts and feelings. It gives students opportunity practice real life activities in the classroom
as a way to prepare them in speaking whether in formal or informal setting. Harmer (2007)
enumerated three main reasons for making students speak in class. First, speaking activities
provided training opportunities that can be applied in real life situations. Second, it is a venue
for the students and the teachers to provide feedback on how to improve. Lastly, these
opportunities to speak in class activate the prior knowledge of the students and use it
automatically. Thus, having students to speak confidently and fluently is the ultimate goal of
every teacher of English.
Though considered as the most important among the four-macro skill, speaking is the
most difficult skill to be learned and developed. Even if the learners started learning the
language at the very young age, they still find it challenging to speak confidently if needed.
Speaking English often leads to anxiety among learners. They are reluctant to speak the
language due to fear of embarrassment, shyness and fear of correction due to mistakes. Some
ESL learners are afraid for teacher and other students correcting their mispronounced words,
incorrect subject and verb agreement, and so on. It can be due to unpleasant experiences they
encountered in their English class. Also, the inability to be fluent and consistent in expressing
one’s thoughts often leads to lack of confidence. As a result, students prefer not to participate
that much during class discussion for they feel uncomfortable using the second language. The
pressure created by the presence of the teacher and the students, whether intentional or
unintentional, is viewed as threats in practicing their speaking skill. Hence, teachers of English
should consider having a technique that will make students at ease in speaking.
In the Philippines, students normally speak English in participating in their English
class only. Students find it challenging to elaborate their thoughts using the language resulting
for them to ask permission often to use their first language, Filipino. Another reality that is
happening in the classroom is that most of the time allotted in class is consumed by teacher
speaking, resulting for students to have limited chances to speak. After class, though subjects
such as Mathematics, Science, and MAPEH use English as a medium of instruction, it is still
observed that some teachers allow students to use Filipino in expressing their thoughts. This
practice result to lack of exposure for the students to improve their speaking skill in expressing
and communicating. Considering this, it is suggested that the teachers should have another way
to make students practice their speaking skill even after class.
In teaching and learning English, one of the prominent approaches is by means of vlogs.
Vlog, a portmanteau of video and blog, is a recorded video of someone’s activity about their
feeling, thought or experience over a period of time. It can be regarded as online diary for it is
focusing on narrating one’s life, giving information, or sharing one’s passion and it can be
posted on any social media platforms. For ESL learners who are easily intimidated with the
presence of teacher and other learners while speaking, it can be a venue to practice their
speaking skill since vlogging is mostly oral. It provides the learners opportunity to share their
insights, opinions, passion, and thoughts and at the same time, to practice speaking the target
language. Also, vlogging is extremely popular among students thus it can be advantage in the
teaching and learning process. Hence, vlogs can be used as a learning tool to improve their
speaking skill.
Vlogs can be a useful tool to enhance speaking skill of the students. Several concerns
encountered in the classroom such as limited time to practice that can hinder improving
speaking skill can be addressed through vlogs. According to Watkins (2012), vlogging
increases students talk time. Communication practice helps students improve their vocabulary
and grammar, decrease shyness while boosting confidence, and develop fluency. Since
speaking is often limited in the classroom, the tendency to improve vocabulary, grammar, and
confidence are limited, too. However, if the student has reason to continue speaking English
after class just like by the means of vlogging, then the students gain additional practice as well
as improvement of the speaking skill. Another benefit of vlog is it encourages self-monitored
speaking for students review first their vlog before submission. The review of the vlog offers
opportunity for the students to notice repeated pronunciation and grammar error. Also, it can
be a way to review a section of the vlog in which they could improve. Lastly, a third benefit to
vlogging pertains to how teachers and even fellow students could submit feedback. If a
student’s vlog is critiqued and the grade delivered in similar form, then that particular student
receives listening practice in addition to speaking practice.
Although studies regarding the use of vlogs in improving the speaking skill of ESL
learners have been carried out in different parts of the world and have provided promising
findings about its use in learning and teaching English, the researcher has not come across any
single paper about using it in improving speaking skill in the Philippine context. Also, majority
of the studies conducted about the use of vlogs focus mainly on perceptions of the students and
the lecturers obtained by means of quantitative research. This study, therefore, aims to
determine the effects of vlogs in improving the speaking skill of ESL learners using qualitative
narrative research design to bridge the gap in the existing literature.
Literature Review
Speaking Skill
Learning a language requires students to learn four skills: listening, reading, writing,
and speaking. These four language skills can be categorized as receptive and productive skills.
According to Ralmi (2019), listening and reading are receptive skills where meaning is
extracted from the spoken or written texts while speaking and writing are productive skills that
requires production of language in written or oral form. All these four language skills are
interconnected to achieve effective communication. As explained by Golkova & Hubackova
(2014), language learners start learning the receptive skills then later apply them on their
productive skills. It means that most students of language usually start with skills that would
not require them to produce anything. They gain knowledge and collect language experience
in a passive way such as reading and listening to the text. Upon collecting knowledge, learners
later start applying what they learned by means of producing language in oral or written form.
Though being proficient in the four language skills contribute to becoming a better
communicator, it is regarded that having the ability to speak skillfully has a huge impact among
ESL learners, thus, speaking is the most essential productive skill. It is considered as an
observed evidence in order to determine one’s progress in learning and understanding a
language. According to Lomri (2016), it is a skill mostly used in daily life routines and
circumstances that are based on sending and receiving messages. In addition to that, Thornbury
(2005) states that it is a skill that people used in communicating and sharing their ideas,
thoughts, feelings, and opinions as a way to interact with the listeners.
In addition to the definition of speaking, Orwig (1999) argues that it is oral productive
skill that consists that involves more than just pronouncing words. Orwig (1999) and Brown
(2007) introduce the different micro-skills in speaking. These micro-skills are production of
chunks of language, stress patterns, the use of a correct number of words, pauses, fillers, selfcorrections, backtracking, and use of cohesive devices. The development of the first microskill is when the learners can speak small pieces of language connecting different linguistic
pattern. Stress patterns refer to the ability of the learners to recognize proper intonation and
accurate pronunciation of words. For the third micro-skill, filler of language, learners should
know when to pause in concluding an idea, introducing a new idea, and allowing others to
speak. The enhancement of fourth micro-skill is evidence once the learners can connect
different meaningful words in a sentence and make sense when communicating ideas.
Analyzing how feedback works and how to correct themselves during the process developed
the micro-skill of self-correction. Backtracking is established once the learners can
communicate ideas said while having the knowledge to connect ideas by making use of
language connectors develop the micro skill in using cohesive devices.
Speaking skill requires understanding of the linguistic, non-linguistic, and
paralinguistic features of speech. As simply explained by Vicars (2001), linguistic features
refer to the language per se. It refers to the mastery of speech sounds (phonetics), phonemes
(phonology), words (morphology), phrases and sentences (syntax), literal meaning (semantics)
and meaning in context of discourse (pragmatics). Non-linguistic means sending and receiving
messages without using a communication system that has the characteristic features of the
language. It means that non-linguistic features such as eye contact, facial expressions, gestures,
and the distance between two individuals can be used to communicate even without utterances
of language. On the other hand, paralinguistic features focus on the pitch, tone, vocal speed,
and loudness of the voice of the speaker that can inflect and add meanings to the spoken
language.
On Challenges in Improving Speaking
On Vlogging
As defined by
Christian (2009) describes vlogs as head-on close up shot where the vlogger looks at
the camera to discuss details about their life and recent happenings in life.
Watkins (2012) states that video blogging increases the time for the students to talk.
This help students to enrich their vocabulary and grammar, boost their confidence, and develop
fluency.
CLASSIFICATION
OF
VLOGS
https://medium.com/rizzle/33-vlog-ideas-for-
beginners-8e4f08106821
Vlogging is a combination of different activities aside from speaking, thus, it follows
several stages before posting the final video. Sun (2009) cited by (Maulidah, 2018) explains
several stages in vlogging. The first part of vlogging is conceptualization that involves starting
and making a plan or concept for the vlogs. Upon finalizing the concept for the vlog,
brainstorming is the next stage. In this stage, the vlogger begins to write the script to be
presented in the vlog. The third stage is articulation where the vlogger rehearses before starting
to shoot their video.
Vlogging requires thorough preparation, thus it follows several stages to be
accomplished. Sun (2009) as cited by Maulidah (2018) enumerated the four involved in
vlogging: conceptualizing, brainstorming, articulation, and evaluation. The first stage is
conceptualization where in the vlogger or the creator of the vlog prepares the plan to be
followed in executing the vlog. The second stage is Brainstorming. It is the stage where the
vlogger begins to create the concept of the vlog by writing the script. Next is articulation or the
rehearsals before starting to shoot the speaking activity. The final stage is evaluation where the
students can decide whether to upload or redo the vlog.
On the Use of Vlogs in Improving Speaking Skill
Several studies have been conducted regarding the use of vlogs in improving speaking
skill. In the classroom action research conducted by ThessaLika, Sudarsono, & Arifin (2018),
they found out that the use of vlogs showed improvement in the speaking skill of the students.
Vlogging adds motivation for the students to speak more fluently and accurately by gathering
and listening information from the media.
Anil (2016) enumerates three benefits of using vlogs in teaching English. First, it offers
sufficient time for students to practice speaking. Since speaking in the classroom offers limited
time, the use of vlogs could allow students to practice outside the classroom. With this, it helps
the learners to communicate more to improve their fluency, vocabulary, grammatical aspects,
and reduce anxiety. Second, the use of vlogs allows students to evaluate themselves prior to
the submission. The recorded videos can be reviewed and improved beforehand based on their
self-assessment. Lastly, it is beneficial for feedbacking. The teacher can allot more time in
giving feedback for improvement.
ThessaLika, Sudarsono, & Arifin (2018) investigates the use of video blog in
improving students’ fluency and accuracy. In this classroom action research, they found out
that the use of vlogs showed improvement in the speaking skill of the students. It adds
motivation for the students could speak more fluently and accurately by gathering and
listening information from the media.
Additionally, Rakhmanina and Kusumaningrum (2017) states that vlogs offer
comfortable and personal sites for people to practice the target languages since it is mostly
done orally.
Though videoblogs have many advantages in improving speaking skill, it may be
consider as a threat for some students. Rakhmanina and Kusumaningrum (2017) explains that
students with low motivation would end up having difficulty in elaborating their ideas,
thoughts, and feelings resulting for them to be passive in the learning activity.
Benefits of
Vlogging
Watkins (2012) states that video blogging increases the time for the
students to talk. This help students to enrich their vocabulary and
grammar, boost their confidence, and develop fluency.
Research
In the study conducted by Jones (2016) about the innovative use of
micro video blogging in higher education, he found out using
videoblogs’ considerable potential in diverse locations and attractive
to all students.
Research Problems
This qualitative research aims to determine the effects of the use of vlogs in improving
the speaking skill of the Grade 10 students at Ateneo De Manila University.
1. How do students view vlogging as an aid to improve their speaking skill in terms
of:
a. Vocabulary
b. Grammar
c. Pronunciation
d. Fluency
e. Content
2. What are the challenges met by the students in vlogging?
a. Conceptualization
b. Brainstorming
c. Articulation
d. Evaluation
3. How do students deal with the challenges brought by vlogging?
4. What are the implications of vlogging in improving speaking skill of the ESL
students in the new normal education?
Conceptual Framework
The conceptual framework of the study presents the variables and their relationships.
INDEPENDENT VARIABLES
Speaking
Test/Questionnaire
Basis for students’ needs
assessment



Pronunciation
Definition of terms
Delivery
Development of Modules
INDEPENDENT VARIABLES
Communication skills
of the learners




Vocabulary
Grammar
Pronunciation
Fluency
The conceptual framework presents the independent and dependent variables of the
study. The speaking test conducted among Grade 10 students at Ateneo De Manila University
was validated by the language specialists being the independent variables. The dependent
variables are the communication skills of the learners, which include pronunciation,
vocabulary, accuracy, communication, interaction, and fluency. The independent variables
provide basis for students’ needs assessment in terms of their skills in pronunciation, definition
of terms, grammar, delivery, ability to interact, and fluency of the language.
Pronunciation which refers to the way a word is spoken, contributes to how an
individual is understood by listeners. Dabic (2010) mentions that pronunciation is a kind of sub
skill but it forms an integral part of speech and is closely associated with listening. According
to Murphy, as cited by Dabic (2010), pronunciation is difficult to take out of the context of
other skills because it is integrated and it is called “interdependent oral language process”
(p.21). Accordingly, choice of exercise and facilitation should focus on phonological accuracy,
fluency, intelligibility because they lead to linguistic and/or communicative competence once
the students independently engage in spoken interaction. Meanwhile, vocabulary is central to
English language teaching because without sufficient vocabulary students cannot understand
others or express their own ideas. For Alqahtani (2015), vocabulary knowledge is a critical tool
for second language learners because a limited vocabulary impedes successful communication.
On the other hand, grammar lays the groundwork for effective communication and it is
important because it helps enhance accuracy. Hence, grammar can help learners develop habit
of thinking clearly and logically and will become more accurate when using language (Hans &
Hans, n.d). They added that grammar is a practical and indispensable working tool to avoid
misunderstandings and helps other person to understand the speaker easily.
Another important element of communication aside from the content is the delivery or the
manner on how a person delivers the message. This includes volume, rate, voice quality,
posture, gesture and bodily movement, (Gundersen & Hopper, 2009). Interaction describes the
interactive process that exists amongst communicators. It is vital for it keeps the receiver
engaged and involved with the content and to the speaker. Fluency, on the other hand, is defined
as the ability to use the language quickly and confidently without too much hesitations or too
many unnatural pauses to cause barriers in communication, (Bailey, 2003). Vu Phi Ho (2018)
in her study concluded that a person seen as a fluent language user is also seen as
communicative competent because major elements of fluency are speed, accuracy and
appropriateness of expression. Therefore, all these communicative skills are inextricably tied
to understanding and decoding of message. They do not only reflect students’ decoding skills,
but also build confidence and help them develop a love for speaking and literacy. These
elements or skills in oral communication should not be ignored but should be given emphasis
and mastery in order to improve their communication skills for more effective conversations.
Definition of Terms
Vlog – a personal website or social media account where a person regularly posts short videos.
Vlogging – stands for a video blog or video log, and refers to a type of blog where most or all of
the content is in a video format
ESL Learners – A student whose primary language or languages of the home, is other than
English and would require additional English language support to develop reading, writing,
listening and speaking skills.
Fluency- is defined as the ability to read with speed, accuracy, and proper expression.
Speaking – the action of conveying information or expressing one's thoughts and feelings in
spoken language.
Vocabulary- the body of words used in a particular language.
Grammar – the whole system and structure of a language or of languages in general, usually
taken as consisting of syntax and morphology (including inflections) and sometimes also
phonology and semantics.
Pronunciation- the way in which a word is pronounced.
CHAPTER 2
This chapter presents the research design, the participants of the study, the stages in the
development of the instrument, the procedure in gathering data, the sampling instrument and
the statistical treatment for the analysis of the data.
Research Design
The study used descriptive method to determine the weaknesses of the respondents in
oral communication through vlogging. The weaknesses of the respondents were described
using an assessment tool in oral communication.
Population and Sampling
To be able to identify the language needs of the learners in Oral Communication; the
study involved Grade 10 students.
Research Instrument and Validation
The study used a researcher-made questionnaire in oral examination, which was
validated by language experts and professors of Ateneo De Manila University. After the
validation, it was administered among selected grade 10 high school students.
Statistical Tool
In presenting, interpreting, and analysing the data, statistical tools were used. The study
used arithmetic mean as a measure of control tendency to present the common characteristics
of a group. The formula for computing the mean of language needs among respondents was:
Where:
R1 = rating of 4
n1 = number of respondents who got 4
R2= rating of 3
n2 = number of respondents who got 3
R3 = rating of 2
n3 = number of respondents who got 2
R4= rating of 1
n4 = number of respondents who got 1
N= total number of survey respondents
Data Gathering Procedure
The researcher sought permission to gather the final grades in English from the
respective advisers of the respondents. A list of students who had low grades in English in their
previous classes was part of the selection process. The students, whose grades were failing and
were lower than 75 had been selected to be participants of the study.
In the assessment of the students’ oral communications needs, the researcher sought
permission from the TOEFL (Test of English Foreign Language) under the company name of
Educational Testing Service with office in New York, United States of America to use their
speaking rubrics and they issued a permission agreement (See Appendix A). The researcher
administered the speaking test to 30 respondents from Grade 10 high school students who
needed the most attention in Oral Communication and recorded them. The speaking rubric from
TOEFL was composed of four levels such as: Good, Fair, Limited and Weak. The scores of
respondents were rated according to their responses in each question.
In assessing the language needs, a rubric was used to meet the standards expected to be
achieved by the students in the process. A rubric is a scoring tool that explicitly describes the
instructor's performance expectations for an assignment or piece of work. The rubric was used
to assess the oral communication skills of the respondents (See Appendix B.)
Data Analysis
The data were carefully examined using the statistical tool such as average mean with
respective verbal interpretation in order to attain accuracy of the study. These procedures were
followed by the researcher.
A. Language needs assessment
The researcher analysed the data based on the transcribed interviews conducted to the
respondents as their oral communication test. The level of proficiency of the respondents was
reflected on the scores they obtained and on the frequency of their responses through the use
of speaking rubrics. Language needs were identified via oral test that assessed the seven
elements of communication skills such as: pronunciation, comprehension, vocabulary,
accuracy, interaction, fluency, and communication.
The speaking test included nine oral questions that measured different aspects of
respondents' speaking ability. The test lasted for approximately 20 minutes. For each type of
question, the respondents were given specific direction on every given task. A timer was
required for each one of them for the preparation and actual delivery of their answers. It was
very important that they spoke clearly and answered each question in a manner that could be
understood easily. They must strictly use English as their medium of communication. After the
speaking test, the results were recorded. Below are the procedures employed by the researcher
in identifying or assessing the language needs of the students:
1. A frequency table was listed to show the level of oral communication skills of
the respondents.
2. The scores were rated through speaking scale adopted from TOEFL
3. Respondents were categorized based on their communication skills with the
following levels such as good, fair, limited, and weak.
4. The data gathered led the researcher to identify the language needs that had to
be prioritized to help them improve themselves to their highest potential in
terms of their oral communication skills when it comes to vlogging.
B. Oral communication test
The researcher used interview as the main research instrument in gathering data. The
data were analyzed through the use of speaking rubrics. The respondents’ answers were
classified using Scaled Speaking Score: Good (4.00-3.33); Fair (3.00-2.33); Limited (2.161.33) and Weak (1.00-1.16) which was adopted from TOEFL speaking rubrics.