Authors: Morelyn Sarmiento, Christian Senarillos, Rowena Seguerra, Laiza Kamille Sister, Cherry Lou Labor, Grace Marie Lagat, Sweet Nova Shane Royo and John Mark N. Saldivar
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Abstract: This quantitative study utilized a descriptive research design that examined the suprasegmental skills,
specifically pitch and stress, of the 41 Grade 12 students at a public school in Misamis Occidental. A
researcher-made survey questionnaire was utilized, and the researchers adopted two reading materials
from two different studies to measure the proficiency level in terms of pitch and stress of the
respondents. The statistical tools used to treat the data were frequency and percentage distribution,
mean, and independent t-test. The results revealed that the respondents were aged 17 to 20, almost
evenly distributed between middle and late adolescence, comprising 51.22% males and 48.78%
females, all belonging to the poor cluster, with 82.93% earning less than ?9,520. Also, they are not
competent when it comes to their proficiency level in terms of pitch and less competent in terms of
stress. Lastly, there was no significant difference in the proficiency level in terms of pitch and stress
when respondents are grouped according to age, gender, and SES (income). The researchers
recommended incorporating targeted interventions, such as interactive pronunciation exercises and
tailored instructional materials, to enhance suprasegmental proficiency in ESL/EFL classrooms. These
interventions can contribute to more effective language learning experiences for Grade 12 HUMSS
students, addressing the identified low proficiency levels in pitch and word stress. |