Assessment of Oral Communication Skills of Humanities and Social Sciences Students: Basis for a Proposed Speech Intervention Program

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Effective oral communication skills are an essential ingredient achieving a decent academic performance, increasing employment options, enrichming subsequent professional competence and personal efficiency. The goal line of learning a language is to communicate. Oral communication skills are fundamental to the development of literacy and essential for intellectual and learning. It is the glue that puts all components of a language. Through talk, students are not only communicating information but also exploring and understanding ideas and concepts, identifying and solving problems, organizing experience and knowledge, expressing and clarifying thoughts, feelings and opinions. Even in the business industry, being competent in oral communication skills plays a vital role since listening and conveying information is crucial in presenting annual reports to meetings.

METHODS

The descriptive method of research was used in the study. Its main purpose is to describe certain phenomena. For these reasons, some authorities in the research described it as a fact-finding information gathering with analytical interpretation. It was designed to collect information about the present and existing conditions about the level of oral communication skills of the Humanities and Social Sciences students. A survey questionnaire served as the main data gathering tool. The respondents of the study are 156 students of Lemery Senior High School particularly from the Humanities and Social Science strand.

RESULTS

Findings revealed that the student's level of oral communication skills was manifested to a great extent. On the other hand, other students got afraid that some listeners might laugh at them when they speak English for they are not sure of their grammar or they are anxious that their pronunciation is incorrect. These reasons make them feel embarrassed to volunteer in answering oral discussions inside the classroom. These were some of the barriers that affect oral communication skills as perceived by the students.

DISCUSSIONS

The results revealed that though the students have not experienced a high level of frustration in oral communication skills, still they need to be engaged in different activities that may enhance their skills in speaking in front of an audience. Students should be engaged in reading different materials at their home, and they must practice speaking in public.