92 JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research The Nose-Bleed Syndrome: A Study on the Attitude of the College Students towards English Language Learning and Their Linguistic Self-Confidence in a Multi-Cultural Context ANNIE MAE C. BEROWA http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8968-1970 annieberowa2015@gmail.com Mindanao State University- Main Campus Marawi City, Philippines ABSTRACT The expression “nose-bleed!” has become the most popular expression among Filipinos when asked to speak in English. In the Philippines, English is the most feared language. This fear is seen in classes where students feel so anxious that they may mispronounce a word or that they may commit grammatical inaccuracies. This also happens during job interviews when most of the applicants would sweat out while using English. The study was undertaken to determine the profile of the select students as respondents of the study, their attitude towards English language learning, and the situation/s that they feel linguistically confident in using the target language in a multi-cultural context. The study was conducted at the Mindanao State University (MSU), Main Campus, in the Islamic City of Marawi. The study utilized both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis procedures. Survey questionnaire and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) were employed. The questionnaire was administered to 129 randomly selected Job Enabling English Proficiency (JEEP) Program students, and then the FGD was conducted to probe further certain points that require illumination. It was Vol. 24 · March 2016 Print ISSN 2012-3981 • Online ISSN 2244-0445 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.7719/jpair.v24i1.381 Journal Impact: H Index = 2 from Publish or Perish JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research is produced by PAIR, an ISO 9001:2008 QMS certified by AJA Registrars, Inc. 93 International Peer Reviewed Journal concluded that the respondents have a positive attitude toward learning the English language. It was also disclosed that the linguistic self-confidence of the respondents leaned more on the situation-specific self-confidence. Keywords – Linguistics, attitude, linguistic self-confidence, JEEP Program, descriptive design, Philippines INTRODUCTION In the last few decades, English has emerged as the pre-eminent language for international communication. It is spoken by more people around the world than any other languages and is regularly described as a truly global language. In the study of Kachru (1997), he stated that in China alone, there are over 200 million students enrolled in programs in English as a foreign language. He added that the survey conducted in India (India Today, 1997) shows that contrary to the [Indian] census myth that English is the language of a microscopic minority. The poll indicates that almost one in every group of three Indians claims to understand English although less than 20 percent are confident of speaking it. As the estimated population of India is almost 1 billion, the figures indicate that almost 333 million Indians understand English and almost 200 million have some spoken competence in the language. That means India now has an English-using speech community equal to the population of the Inner Circle (the USA, the UK, and Canada).The users of English in the two Asian giants, China and India, add up to 533 million. That is a huge figure and its implications are immense: linguistically, ideologically, culturally, and indeed ethically. Furthermore, Kachru also showed that English is the main medium in demand for acquisition of bilingualism and in parts of Asia (e.g., in Singapore) English is gradually acquiring the status of the dominant language or the first language. The global superiority of the English language is made more evident in the Article 34 of the Charter of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which was officially adopted in February 2009, stating that, “The working language of ASEAN shall be English” (Kirkpatrick, n.d.). In the study of Hashim and Leitner (2014), it was stated that in ASEAN countries, English is now being introduced as a compulsory subject into the primary curriculum in all the ten countries with the exception of Indonesia. They added that in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam, the number of schools that use English as medium of instruction is fast growing and might well lead to a situation where the function 94 JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research of English in the curriculum is no longer that of a foreign language but of a “near universal basic skill. In spite of such high recognition, English language learning does not come easily. It is a complex skill, involving social as well as psychological factors as illustrated by Schumman’s Acculturation Model and Krashen’s input on Monitor Model. Voluminous researches on ESL or ELT have yielded important findings about factors or variables that have facilitative or inhibitory effect on language learning. A variety of factors need to be investigated or examined as McDough (1986) claimed “individual characteristics of learners may be directly or indirectly related to achievement in foreign language learning.” In the context of the Mindanao State University Main Campus, based on the observations made by the researcher, ordinary conversations inside and outside the English classrooms are characterized by a high prevalence of code switching. When analyzed, few utterances that are commonly heard inside and outside the classroom could be uttered in simple English. There were more of such instances of conscious reverting to the native tongue. Confirmation of what used to be mere observation came from one of the researcher’s Oral Communication classes in which a question was asked, “Why don’t you speak in English?” The majority of the students responded that saying things in English takes much of their time. They even admitted that they were not used to speaking in English because they are more comfortable using Filipino. Besides, they hate being reprimanded or even insulted. These observations could imply only one thing: their peers, their environment, their very own attitudes and the people around hinder them in manifesting their desire to communicate in English orally. If there is one opportunity that language learners should find necessary and desirable, it is the pleasure of engaging in an ordinary conversation with others using the target language. Such opportunity, unfortunately, seems widely spaced. It is in this context that this study was undertaken to evaluate the attitude towards English language and the linguistic self-self confidence of the Job Enabling English Proficiency Program (JEEP) students in the Mindanao State University, Main Campus. The researcher chose these JEEP students as respondents because she hopes to get a very rich data and deep discussion since they were immersed in a special English program. The JEEP was launched in June 2009. JEEP is a new project established by GEM (Growth with Equity in Mindanao), a USAID-funded program which has been active in Mindanao for over 13 years, working in infrastructure development, business development, governance, and workforce preparation. 95 International Peer Reviewed Journal Through the engagement in workforce preparation, GEM has increasingly observed that one of the most significant barriers to acquiring favored employment is the lack of sufficient proficiency in the English language. Accordingly, in November 2008, USAID commissioned a survey of English language development at higher education institutions in Mindanao and a design for a project that would match identified needs and circumstances. The result was an employment-focused English project designated as JEEP: Job Enabling English Proficiency. The aim of JEEP is to help Mindanao graduates secure and retain jobs in highly-favored sectors which require proficiency in English, such as international nursing and allied health, call center and other Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO) employment in these areas. For example, while nursing graduates are very successful in passing the licensure exam, around 50% fail to achieve the required score on the IELTS, the main test of English required by international health-sector employers. In turn, the figure for call center employment is much lower, with just 4% of applicants meeting the employers’ standards for English proficiency. As a response to these compelling real-world needs, JEEP has been designed as a focused, practical, skills-based program. It is a two-year program which is offered as an elective to third year students. The first year of the program, designated as JEEP-Start, is based on Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL), using the highly regarded American software DynEd. JEEP-Start focuses on developing General English skills, while the second year, designated as JEEP-Accelerate, offers a range of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses focused on preparation for employment in the target sectors. The present research is related to the other studies on language learning, attitude and linguistic self-confidence. However, what sets this study apart from other studies in the area of language anxiety and attitude is the fact that the locale of the study and the target group is composed of mixed backgrounds- linguistically, religiously, culturally, and politically- who were enrolled in a special English language program. FRAMEWORK Professionals in the field of language teaching agree that affective factors like attitude and language anxiety have an effectual role in the second language achievement and proficiency. These variables affect authentic communication in L2 and have been considered as excellent predictors of communication. 96 JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research Social psychologists have long been interested in the idea that the attitude of the learner toward a target language, its speakers and the learning context, may all play some parts in explaining the success or lack of it. Researchers on second language attitudes have largely been conducted within the framework of broader research on motivation, of which attitude form one part of (Brown, 1987). Extensive studies conducted by Gardner and Lambert in 1959 were systematic attempts to examine the effect of attitudes on language learning. After studying the interrelationships of different types of attitudes, they defined motivation as a construct made up of certain attitudes. The most important of these is group- specific, the attitude learners have toward the member of the cultural group whose language they are learning. On the other hand, Earl Stevick (1976) emphasized the importance of self-security, an important facet of the attitude toward self. Stereotyping also plays a major role in creating and perpetuating a social distance and social boundaries. Saville-Troike (1982) argued that stereotypes build a social barrier which inhibits communication and learning, and they affect the self-image of those who are typed. Students are considered linguistically deficient or disadvantaged because they have a different first language which is particularly at risk. The second language students’ self-esteem is in jeopardy if the teacher and peers fail to show respect for the first language and the culture of which it is part (Brown, 1987). Another factor which is considered very significant in English language learning is the linguistic self-confidence. According to Clement and Kruidenier (1985), linguistic self-confidence is defined in terms of self- perception of second language competence and a low level of anxiety. Linguistic self- confidence can be divided into two main categories, namely situation-specific self- confidence and second language (L2) self-confidence. Second language self- confidence as described by Clement (1985, cited by Molberg, 2010) includes two key constructs: 1) language use anxiety and 2) perceived L2 competence (self-evaluation of L2 skills). The first construct is affective and corresponds to language anxiety, especially the discomfort experienced when using an L2. The second construct, perceived L2 competence, is cognitive and corresponds to self- evaluation of the target language skills. In other words, perceived L2 competence is basically a judgment made by the students themselves about their perceived proficiency in the target language. This means that if learners evaluate their own language skills as high and has confidence in their own beliefs, they will perceive themselves as more than capable of interacting, thus, their perceived L2 competence is high. Theoretically, levels of anxiety and perceived competence 97 International Peer Reviewed Journal create a state of self-confidence in L2 that, when combined with, for example, the setting in a classroom, may result in willingness to communicate in a given situation (MacIntyre, Clément&Dornyei, 1998). Second language self-confidence as described by Clement includes two key constructs: 1) language use anxiety and 2) perceived L2 competence (self- evaluation of L2 skills). The first construct is affective and corresponds to language anxiety, especially the discomfort experienced when using an L2. The second construct, perceived L2 competence, is cognitive and corresponds to self- evaluation of the target language skills. In other words, perceived L2 competence is a judgment made by the students themselves about their perceived proficiency in the target language. This means that if learners evaluate their own language skills as high and have confidence in their own beliefs, they will perceive themselves as more than capable of interacting, thus, their perceived L2 competence is high. Numerous researchers all-over the world investigated the influences of attitude and linguistic self-confidence in language learning. The study of Cetinkaya (2005) revealed that those students who have a positive attitude towards the English language and international community were found to be more willing to communicate in English. Pongwat Fongkanta and Fisik Sean Buakanok (2012) also found out that Chinese undergraduates have a better attitude towards learning English that their Thai Counterparts. In the study conducted by Pongwat and Fisik (2012) on the learning style and some characteristics affecting English language achievement of Chinese and Thai undergraduates at Rajabhat Lampang University in Thailand, it was found out that Chinese undergraduates have a better attitude towards learning English than their Thai Counterparts. In the study conducted by Hosseini and Pourmandnia (2013) in Tehran, Iran, they attempted to provide an account of the previous studies conducted on attitude and perception, and their impact on learners’ learning abilities. Motivation, as determining factor in learning was also discussed. It became evident that attitude and perception play significant roles in enabling learners to learn effectively. It was also stated that cultural background and previous experiences were all contributive to the way learners behave, perceive learning strategies and their ability in maintaining higher levels of learning. It was concluded that having positive or negative attitude towards a certain language and the way learners perceive that language can exert considerable influence upon their performance on the language itself. 98 JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research Another study conducted by the Ministry of Education in Malaysia authored by Lukman and Nurl in 2015 addressed the issue of language anxiety in a large uninvestigated context of Malaysian university students who were studying in the United Kingdom. The study revealed that the anxiety problems faced by the learners are a result of lack of self-confidence and fear of making mistakes. It was also found that improving learning strategies and calming down are found to be the most prevalent strategies employed by the learners to alleviate language anxiety. In 2016, Berowa conducted a study on the causal factors influencing the linguistics inclination of Meranao Job Enabling English proficiency (JEEP) Program students in the different speech domains. The study aimed to discover the language preference of Meranao students of the Mindanao State University- Main Campus in the different speech domains, and form a picture of the language use pattern or language situation in this complex speech community; and to determine from their responses the different causal factors that can affect their language preferences. Meranao which means “people of the lake”, largely settle in the region surrounding the basin of Lake Lanao who are adherents of Islam. It was found that the language use pattern of the respondents was somewhat reflective of a diglossic and bilingual/multilingual community. Overall, majority of the respondents named Meranao as their preferred language at home; favored mixed languages inside the classroom; preferred mixed languages within the campus; and favored mixed languages in meetings, seminars, and conferences. The study concluded that the leading causal factors underlying language preference are mass media, social relationships, and social network. FRAMEWORK The conceptual framework of the study shows the personal profile of the respondents who were students of the Job Enabling English Proficiency (JEEP) Program of the Mindanao State University, Main Campus in Marawi City and their attitude and linguistic self-confidence towards English language learning. The personal profile of the respondents included sex, age, course, year level, and ethnicity. The attitude and linguistic-self confidence towards English learning are the affective factors identified in this study. The flow of inquiry was outlined in the schematic diagram of the conceptual framework of the study as shown below. 99 International Peer Reviewed Journal Figure 1. Schematic Diagram of the Conceptual Framework of the Study OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY The study determined the profile of the respondents, their attitude towards English language learning, and the situation/s that they feel linguistically confident in using the target language in a multi-cultural context. METHODOLOGY Research Design The study used the qualitative-quantitative study to determine the attitude of the respondents in English language learning and their linguistic self-confidence. The quantitative aspect of the study included the use of questionnaire while the qualitative aspect of the study involved focus-group discussion (FGD) to expound and elaborate the quantitative results. The data gathered from the questionnaires were cross-checked and verified through interviews. Research Setting The study was conducted in the Mindanao State University, at its Main Campus in Marawi City. The MSU System aims to be the Premier Supra-regional University committed to intellectual, moral, social, political, economic and agro- industrial development of the tri-people (Muslims, Christians and Lumads) of Mindanao, Sulu and Palawan (MINSUPALA Region). 100 JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research Established in 1961 through HB 1371, as amended, sponsored by the late Senator Domocao Alonto, MSU was created for a special mission, for special reasons, for special people. The special mission and unique mandate is to help integrate the Muslims and other cultural communities into the mainstream body politic. The special reason is to be an instrument towards forging peace and development in Mindanao. For the special people, MSU caters to the poor but deserving all over Mindanao, Sulu and Palawan (MINSUPALA) region. Since students in MSU are coming from different regions in the country, they also bring with them their different regional dialects, making Tagalog the lingua franca of the campus. As a residential campus in a non-metropolitan setting, MSU is a social laboratory where young and old people, Muslims, Christians, and Lumads or members of indigenous/cultural communities from all over Mindanao converge to learn with and from each other. The MSU students live and learn together. Although they speak different regional languages, they understand one another; live in harmony and peace amidst diversity. Respondents The respondents of the study were the students of the Mindanao State University, Main Campus who were enrolled in the JEEP courses in the first semester of school year 2015-2016. Specifically, the JEEP courses are English 11 (Skills for Interacting with English Speakers in their Community and Beyond), English 12 (Effective Speech and Oral Communication), and English 13 (English for Employment). The JEEP-Start includes the English 11 and 12. The English 11 is a semester course which equips students with skills for interacting with English speakers in their community and beyond. These will be, for the most part, taught using CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning) utilizing the DynEd Software, namely New Dynamic English (NDE), English for Success (EFS), The Lost Secret, and Clear Speechworks. This course will not only foster the development of a functional command of spoken and written English; it will also help prepare the student get ahead in school and in future workplaces. On the other hand, the English 12 is designed to present the essence of effective speech and oral communication. This presents explicit array of effective communication theories paired with practical application suited for pre-conditioned and conditioned environments, which is reinforced by intensive 5-hour JEEP laboratory training. This course is highlighted with lessons magnified on the following: Speech Communication Process, Intrapersonal and Interpersonal (dyadic, small group, 101 International Peer Reviewed Journal and public speaking) communication, and enhancement of the communicative competencies. The JEEP-Accelerate is composed of English 13 and 14. The English 13 is English for employment. This interactive course is designed to improve the level of English used by non-native English speaking students with specialized vocabulary areas, functions and skills related to the use of English in the profession as well as in life skills to help students in their daily lives. The English 14 is not yet offered for this semester. Sampling Procedure The study used the Sloven’s formula in order to identify the correct number of samples for this study. Sloven’s Formula:n (sample)= __N____ 1+Ne2 Where: N – the total population e- error or level of significance (0.05) There were 206 active students of the JEEP Program in the first semester of the School Year 2015-2016. There were 56 students enrolled for the English 11, 41 students for the English 12, and 9 students for the English 13. Using the Sloven’s formula, it was found out that 136 (135.97) was the needed number of sample units. To compute how many students would be drawn from each subject/course, the researcher used stratified random sampling. Stratified random sampling subdivides population into subgroup. Total Population for each Subject/Course Total Number of Enrollees of the JEEP Program X Needed Sample After computing or determining the needed number of respondents for each subject,the simple random sampling was applied in identifying those students who served as respondents for this study. Simple random sampling is a sampling strategy that selects the respondents at random from a list of the population. 102 JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research Research Instruments A questionnaire was designed to know the personal profile of the respondents, their attitude towards English language learning, and their linguistic self- confidence in the different situations. Interview questions were used to verify the results of the questionnaire. The researcher used a voice recorder to remember the answers given by the respondents during the process of interviewing which were used as transcripts. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Majority of the respondents of this study were females. Explanations on the result may stem from issues discussed by Kissau (2006) related to societal perception of the appropriacy of language study for boys or by McIntryre, Baker, Clement and Donovan’s (2002) study which reported that girls had greater levels of WTC inside the classroom whereas boys were more willing to use their L2 outside the school context. MacIntyre, Baker, Clément & Donovan (2002) also examined the role of gender with respect to these variables. Their findings support those of earlier studies (e.g., Gardner, 1985) which uncovered more favorable attitudes and motivation among female language learners. Results also showed an increase in WTC and a decrease in anxiety among girls as they mature whereas boys remained constant throughout their middle school years (i.e., Grades 7-9; ages 11-13). The above-mentioned studies provide evidences that gender influences one’s attitude towards second language learning. This may be influenced by the traditional, societal views of what is appropriate for a male and what is appropriate for a female. In the case of our country or in MSU in particular, there is this notion that language is more of a female concern, and it is not “normal” for a boy to do well in language, particularly in English. In terms of age, the highest frequency counts were ages 16-17 with a number of 68 respondents or 52.8%. Next in rank were ages 18-19 with a number of 50 respondents or 38.8%. Respondents ages 20-21 ranked third with a number of 9 or 7.0%. Those who were ages 22-23 ranked last with a number of 2 respondents or 1.6%. The result suggests that majority of the respondents fell into the typical 16-17 and 18-19 age bracket which could only mean that they are “on schedule,” so to speak. MSU students usually take their English course requirements in the first two years. Only repeaters enroll late in these courses, an “anomalous” or abnormal situation that sound or conscientious advisement should present. 103 International Peer Reviewed Journal Majority of the students who participated in the study came from the College of Health Sciences who numbered seventy-five (75) or 58.1%. This was followed by those representing the College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, majoring either Hotel and Restaurant Management or Tourism who were fifty- two (52) or 40.3%. There were two respondents (1.6%) who did not indicate their course. Respondents came from either CHS or CHARM since the JEEP Program subjects are required in their curricula. These two colleges’ graduates should benefit from JEEP Program which is an employment-focused English project especially designed to help Mindanao graduates secure and retain jobs in highly-favored sectors requiring proficiency in English. Their products hope to be deployed by the international job market in such field as international nursing and allied health, call center and other BPO employment in these areas. In terms of year level, seventy-two (72) or 55.8% respondents were first-year college students. Thirty (30) or 23.3% were second-year students, and twenty- six (26) or 20.2% were in their third-year. There was one (1) or .8% of the respondents who was not able to indicate his/her year level. English 11 is a prerequisite for English 12 and 13 courses. This is a semester course which equips students with skills for interacting with English speakers in their community and beyond. This course does not only foster the development of a functional command of spoken and written English; it also helps prepare the students to get ahead in school and in future workplaces. 104 JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research Table 1. Frequency and Percentage Distribution of the Respondents by Cultural Affiliation ETHNICITY FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE RANK Bicolano Bisaya Butuanon Cebuano Iliganon Ilocano Ilonggo Iranon Kamayo Leytena Maguinadanaon Mandaya Manubo Maranao No answer Surigaonon Tausog TOTAL 1 6 1 8 1 2 1 3 2 1 1 1 1 64 32 3 1 129 .8 4.7 .8 6.2 .8 1.6 .8 2.3 1.6 .8 .8 .8 .8 49.6 24.8 2.3 .8 100.0 7 4 7 3 7 6 7 5 6 7 7 7 7 1 2 5 7 The data revealed that most of the respondents were Meranaos. This is understandable as the locale of the study is in the MSU, situated in the Islamic City of Marawi, which is the home of the Meranaos in the country. However, as shown in antecedents of this study like Sieras’ (2011), the Mindanao State University can lure to the main campus in Marawi a heterogeneous enough mix of students, representing different ethnic groups. The population remains diverse, culturally and linguistically. With regards to the attitude of the respondents towards learning the English language, the results revealed that they strongly agreed that as students, they must learn English with a mean of 4.977. They also strongly agreed with the statements, “Learning English is beneficial,” (mean=4.783); “After I graduate from college, I will continue to study and improve my English,” (mean=4.682); “I use the words I learn in my classes,” (mean=4.426); “Although English is taught in school, I still study on my own,” (mean=4.264); and “I concentrate in what is taught in my English classes,” (mean=4.233). These statements ranked third, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth, respectively. However, respondents also strongly agree that learning English is useless with a mean of 4.798 and that, learning English is a waste of time with a mean of 4.721 which ranked second and fourth, respectively. 105 International Peer Reviewed Journal Respondents agreed on the statements, “During English classes, I am absorbed in what is taught and concentrate on my studies,” (mean=4.047) which ranked ninth; “When I have assignments to do in English, I try to do them immediately after class,” (mean=3.845) which ranked tenth; and “I love English classes compared to other subjects,” (mean=3.845) which ranked eleventh. They also agree to the statements “I think and dream in English,” (mean= 3.713); “I would rather study subjects other than English,” (mean=3.705) which ranked thirteenth and “Compared to my classmates, I find English subject very hard,” (mean=3.411) which ranked fourteenth. It can be argued that attitude which refers to sets of beliefs influences language learning (Ellis, 2008). Lightbown and Spada (1993) also indicated that learning a second language depends on a learner’s attitude. The statement “I spend 5-6 hours in a week studying in English” ranked fifteenth (15th) with a mean of 2.830 that may indicate that even though they must learn English, and would improve their English proficiency after they graduated from the college, they are undecided whether they should spend long hours learning it. According to the quantitative results of the questionnaire, JEEP students desire to learn English and have a positive attitude towards learning English. The qualitative results revealed that the respondents wanted to learn English mostly to get a better job, to earn more money, and to have an above average lifestyle. The results exposed that the respondents believe that being proficient in English would allow them to improve their social status and would make them earn more money. Also, students want to learn English because without proficiency in English, they cannot find a decent job. Therefore, learning English is a must for them, not just an option. It seems that the comparatively higher mean scores in the quantitative results do not necessarily mean that these students choose to learn English and make an effort to do so. They believe they have to learn English, and it is necessary for their life to be successful. Though the qualitative results indicated that they did not make much effort to use English in their lives or make it part of their lives. Moreover, they seem to resist the imposed necessity of learning the English language in their own country. The findings are consistent to study made by Lightbown and Spada (1993) which indicated that learning a second language depends on a learner’s attitude. There have been relatively few studies that have examined motivation and attitudes in relation to oral interaction in the classroom. An exception is Kormos and Dörnyei (2000), who examined motivation in relation to oral performance on an argumentative task. They reported a significant correlation between individual willingness to communicate, the pupils’ overall attitudes to the course 106 JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research and their attitudes to the particular task on the one hand and amount of speech produced on the other. Among the 15 situations presented, the results revealed that the respondents always use English during admission interview that ranked first with the mean of 4.527 which can be considered a foregone conclusion. Interviews for screening purposes are conducted in English. The situation does not offer students much of a choice. They are aware of the importance of impression management. Respondents perceived that they ought to use the English language always during the interview since, according to some who were interviewed, it is the key to being admitted to the University and the preferred department and courses. The ability to use the English language during admission interviews is very crucial since it will determine the degree that they will be taking, which in turn, will be playing a foremost role in their lives. Also, respondents always used English when consulting with English teachers inside the department which ranked second with the mean of 4.333. The respondents always speak in English inside the department since it is being encouraged and has become an academic unit’s policy. However during the interview, some of the respondents told that sometimes, they do not speak English inside the department because some of the English teachers do not use English. Furthermore, respondents revealed that they sometimes used English when talking or speaking to the teacher and classmates in their English class that ranked third with a mean of 4.155. According to some participants, there is less encouragement in using English, and that, some of their English teachers spoke and did lectures using English, Filipino, and Visayan. Some mixed codes, usually English-Filipino or English-Cebuano, are fast supplanting English or Filipino as the medium of instruction in many classrooms. Ironically, this hybrid variety is being modeled by teachers themselves, or at the very least, is being tolerated by them. The methodology used in this research addressed the purpose of the study which is simply to show the respondents’ attitude and linguistic self-confidence towards English language through the use of questionnaire. The researcher would like to emphasize that this is not a correlational study. On the other hand, the qualitative aspect of the study involved semi-structured interview to expound and elaborate the quantitative results. The data gathered from the questionnaires were cross-checked and verified through interview to determine the veracity of the data gathered. The method was successful for the respondents’ to further expound their ideas regarding the topic. 107 International Peer Reviewed Journal CONCLUSIONS The findings of the study present a consistent picture which establishes a positive attitude towards learning the English language. Based on the results, JEEP students desire to learn English and have a positive attitude towards learning English. Also, it revealed that the respondents wanted to learn English mostly to get a better job, to earn more money, and to have an above average lifestyle. The respondents believe that being proficient in English would allow them to improve their social status and would make them earn more money. Also, students wanted to learn English because without proficiency in English, they cannot find a decent job. Therefore, learning English is a must for them, not just an option. It seems that the comparatively higher mean scores do not necessarily mean that these students choose to learn English and make an effort to do so. They believe they have to learn English, and it is necessary for life to be successful. Though the results indicated that they did not make much effort to use English in their lives or make it part of their lives, they seem to resist the imposed necessity of learning the English language in their own country. The result provided sufficient answer to the research question and confirms the findings of Cetinkaya (2005) and Pongwat and Fisik (2012), who claimed that their respondents have positive attitude towards learning the English language. Furthermore, the study concludes that the respondents were sometimes linguistically confident depending on the situation. The confidence varies depending on the situation that they are in. There are situations or occasions that they appear to be confident in using English always, while in other situations, they do not seem to be very linguistically confident. The result confirms the construct developed by MacIntyre, Clément, Dornyei, and Noels (1998) on situation-specific linguistic confidence. Situation-specific self-confidence refers to the feeling that one has the capacity to communicate effectively at a particular moment. It consists of perceived competence and lack of anxiety. It could arise when one is in a situation that has been previously encountered, provided that one has developed language knowledge and skills. This lack of anxiety can be the reason among the students speaking in English during admission interview which ranked first among the fifteen speech situations they were required to comment. Intuitively, respondents can determine or perceive what a particular situation demands of them. They have this sense of propriety which helps them regulate linguistic behavior. 108 JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH The findings of the study may be best translated to information dissemination intended for English language teachers and learners, school administrators, educational policy-makers and future researchers. The results can be circulated through seminars and workshops especially when the discussion is related to classroom management, teaching approaches and strategies. 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