Attitudes and Language Proficiency of College Students at Catanduanes State University Panganiban Campus

Abstract

The study determined the attitudes toward the English language, the general proficiency level of 60 selected first-year college students, language structure, reading comprehension, and vocabulary. This was conducted to solve current issues of reading comprehension difficulties and poor linguistic competence in English subjects. It utilized descriptive research. Findings revealed 鈥渮ero highly unfavorable鈥� attitudes towards English; 2 鈥渉ighly favorable.鈥� For language structure, half of them were 鈥渟lightly proficient,鈥� 26 (43.33%) 鈥淧roficient,鈥� 2 (3.33%) 鈥淢oderately proficient,鈥� and 2 (3.33%) 鈥淰ery poor.鈥� No one obtained a 鈥渉ighly proficient鈥� rating. The mean score: was 14.02, 4.59 standard deviation. The overall proficiency was 鈥渟lightly proficient.鈥� For vocabulary (context clues, antonym, analogy, denotation, and connotation), 29 (48.33%) rated 鈥淪lightly proficient,鈥� 23 (38.33%) demonstrated 鈥減oor鈥� performance, 6 (10%) were 鈥渕oderately proficient鈥� only 2 (3.33%) obtained 鈥渧ery poor鈥� rating. The mean score is 13.52/ 4.15 standard deviation, a 鈥渟lightly proficient鈥� overall rating. 鈥淐onnotation鈥�- highest with a 3.50 mean score; lowest on 鈥渁nalogy 鈥�1.42 mean. For reading comprehension, 29 (48.33%) had 鈥淪lightly adequate鈥� proficiency, 25 (41.67%) had 鈥淧oor鈥� performance, 4 (6.67%) had a 鈥淰ery poor鈥� rating, 2(3.33%) had 鈥淢oderately proficient鈥�- mean score 12.12, 3.51 standard deviation. 鈥淧oor鈥� overall proficiency. 鈥淔orming opinions鈥�- easiest; 鈥渄rawing conclusion 鈥�- most difficult. The general proficiency level was 鈥渟lightly proficient,鈥� with a 42.23 mean. Respondent鈥檚 language structure and vocabulary are 鈥渟lightly proficient, while 鈥淧oor鈥� in reading comprehension.