English language learning: attitudes, motivation, reading comprehension, and academic performance

This research focused on the students' attitudes, motivation, and reading comprehension and how these relate to their academic performance. The first set of respondents composed of forty-four (44) Senior High School students under Humanities, Education and Social Sciences (HESS) strand answered Gardner's (2001) Attitude and Motivation Test Battery (AMTB). The second set of respondents composed of thirty-eight (38) Bachelor of Arts in English Language Studies (ABELS) students answered a reading comprehension test designed by Johan H. F. and Anne Juwita (2009). The study followed the descriptive survey design and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Pearson Product Moment Correlation was also used to determine relationships among the variables. Among Senior High School students, the study revealed that the students are "Somewhat satisfied" when it comes to attitude toward English teaching and learning and majority of them think that they should have a greater say in the content and method of English course. Overall, pertaining to the attitudes of every student toward English language learning, 19 students are "Quite satisfied" and 25 are "Somewhat satisfied". On the students' motivation toward English language learning, the highest mean obtained is 4.86 in item M3 which says that they believe that English is both a real career and a proper means to assist them to get good jobs. The lowest mean is 2.3 in item which says that no one is really educated unless he is fluent in English. The overall mean is 4.00 which implies that the respondents agree that the study of English is important. However, results showed that there is no significant relationship between the respondents' attitudes and motivation and their language learning manifested by their Midterm Grades. This implies that the students' positive attitudes and motivation toward English language learning do not in a way contribute much to their academic performance. One reason could be that they obtained their Midterm Grade because of some other English activities that could set aside whatever their attitudes and motivation they have toward English language learning so long as they have passed the course or have excelled in this particular subject. Meanwhile, the ABELS students have average reading comprehension and at the same time are average students whose grades range from 1.81 to 2.20. A positive correlation between students' academic performance and reading comprehension was strongly observed. Findings suggest that it is important to develop or enhance the students' reading comprehension as this can help them obtain better grades.