The Effects of English-Only Policy in The Workplace of English as a Second Language (Esl) Teachers in The Municipality of Bugallon

Abstract

This study is aimed to determine the effects of English-Only Policy (EOP) in the workplace of ESL teachers in the Municipality of Bugallon. This study sought to answer the following: 1) What is the demographic profile of the ESL teachers in Municipality of Bugallon in terms of a) Age; b) Gender; c) Length of Employment; d) Degree Course; e) Native Language/Mother Tongue; 2) How is English-Only Policy implemented in the ESL company; 3) How does the English-Only Policy affect the ESL teachers in the Municipality of Bugallon in terms of a) Daily Conversation; b) Self Improvement; and c) Career Improvement; 4) Is there a significant relationship between  the ESL teacher’s profile and the effect of English-Only Policy among the teachers in the Municipality of Bugallon. Descriptive method was used in the study. The respondents of the study have a total number of thirty (30), which is 35 percent of the total population of ESL Teachers in the Municipality of Bugallon.Respondents with the age bracket of twenty-three to twenty-four years old, got the highest frequency of 12 with a percentage of 40. In terms of gender, female got the highest frequency of 28 with 93.3 percent. For length of employment, respondents ranging 13 months to 24 months, got the highest frequency of 12 with a percentage of 40. As per the degree course, Bachelor of Secondary Education got the highest percentage of 46.7 and a frequency of 14. Lastly, for the respondent’s native language/mother tongue, Pangasinan got the highest frequency of 15 with a percentage of 50. On the implementation of English-Only Policy in ESL company, out of 30 respondents, mandatory implementation of English-Only Policy got the highest frequency of 27 (90%).

On the effects of English-Only Policy in ESL Teachers, in terms of daily conversation, 100 percent of the respondents agreed that EOP helps them gain ability to communicate effectively. 26 respondents with a percentage of 86.7 disagreed because of EOP, they tend to forget some words from their native tongue while 19 of them with 63.6 agreed that they unintentionally correct the grammar of the person with whom they are conversing, and often referred to as “conyo” because they often used a mixture of English and Filipino while communicating. On one hand, 27 of the respondents with a percentage of 90, agreed that they became more comfortable conversing with others.In terms of self-improvement, 29 of the respondents with a percentage of 96.7 agreed that EOP improves their speaking and communication skills. With a frequency of 27 and a percentage of 90 also agreed that EOP helps to see things from a different perspective and get a deeper understanding of another culture.  Moreover, 100 percent of the respondents agreed that EOP became beneficial in terms of having a better comprehension on how language works and how it is used, helped them became fluent in English because of being immersed in the said language and all of the respondents also agreed that EOP helps them to improve in expressing themselves in English language.

Lastly, in terms of career improvement, 28 of the respondents with a percentage of 93.3 agreed that working in an English-speaking environment provides advancement for better jobs in the future while 28 of them with 93.3 percent also agreed that EOP offers a wide range of employment opportunities in global scale. As per the higher chance of getting fast track promotion, 22 of the respondents with 73.3 percent agreed while 100 percent agreed that EOP allows them to communicate effectively with international clients, helping them to trust them and the company resulting in strong and lasting business relationships. Moreover, 26 of the respondents with a percentage of 86.7 agreed that mastering the English-speaking skill in a workplace enhances skill-set and command a high salary. According to the result of findings, there is a significant relationship between the effect of English-Only Policy among ESL teachers in the municipality of Bugallon according to their native language.