Translanguaging and Reading Comprehension of Filipino ESL Intermediate Learners

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INTRODUCTION
Good reading comprehension is a prerequisite for successful learning.Reading skills underlies all forms of academic activity and offer an individual opportunity beyond school (Ocampo, 2018).Studies have shown that competent reading leads to successful academic performance (Clarke et al., 2013;Oakhill et al., 2014;Pourhosein et al., 2016;Kaushik & Lipton, 2018;and Elleman & Oslund, 2019).Learners who are good readers tend to be academically superior in the classroom.However, many Filipino learners have poor reading comprehension and face significant challenges when reading (Gunobgunob, 2019).In the Philippines, students with below-grade-level reading comprehension are twice as likely to drop out as students with above-gradelevel.About 85% of children diagnosed with learning disabilities have major reading and related language skills problems.An estimated 10% of students have difficulty developing reading comprehension and require additional support and professional guidance (Abeberese et al., 2014).Early identification of students at risk of future reading disabilities is the key to proper intervention.Students with reading comprehension problems may have difficulty learning.Reading literacy is a major concern for schools today.If children do not acquire the skills to become skilled readers early, they will suffer severe disadvantages in all academic pursuits (Gove & Cvelich, 2011).The need for remedial work often tends to receive more attention than preventing measures.Such findings are anchored to the learners' poor comprehension skills in their home languages and English (Hoff, 2013).
The use of English in teaching reading comprehension to children in the early years of development has been shown to contribute to learners' poor reading comprehension skills (Geva & Farnia, 2012).Many young second language learners have developed a negative attitude towards reading and writing due to the use of English in teaching these concepts and have avoided these essential academic activities (Abidin, 2012).In the Philippine educational context, the majority of children, particularly in rural areas, only start learning English in school.Such case creates a problem when the children reach 4th grade, where the curriculum moves from learning to read to reading to learn, and from use of their mother tongue to English as the language of instruction (Vasquez, 2016).Learners experience difficulty interpreting texts and answering exam questions.Therefore, innovative pedagogical approaches are needed to aid learners improve their reading of and academic skills.For Bicol learners, Filipino (also known as Tagalog) is not their primary language, so the results can be much worse.For the national education system to improve the performance of Filipino students, it is necessary to introduce curriculum reforms that consider the learner contexts, including language and language practices in teaching and learning (Kibler & Roman, 2013).Studies about multilingual learners (Shum et al., 2011;Mizza, 2014;Piper et al. 2016;Maxmudovna, 2020;Olloqova, 2021) show that reading in the first language is the basis for improving the reading competence of the learners.Therefore, both the first language and English may synergize to enhance the learners' reading ability in the primary years.J. Nat.Lang.Linguist.1(1)[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]2023 An abrupt shifting of language of instruction from mother tongue to English can be detrimental on the reading ability of a child.But with translanguaging, reading teachers can present their lessons and improve student understanding by allowing the learners use the language that they are most comfortable with.In translanguaging, the teachers can integrate activities that use any of the languages that participants can utilize to communicate and make meaning.For instance, students might read a text in English and then summarize it in their first language (L1) or they might study a text in their mother tongue and discuss it in English (Lee & Macaro, 2013).Because of the promising benefits of translanguaging, particularly on children's meaning-making process, this study is conceptualized to explore the relationship between translanguaging and the reading comprehension of Filipino ESL intermediate learners.

Objectives
The study aimed to identify the reading comprehension levels of ESL Intermediate learners along with a. vocabulary, b. drawing inferences, and c. getting the main idea; determine the learners' pedagogical translanguage factors that affect their performance in reading along with personal, teacher, and social factors; and determine the significant relationship between the respondents' performance in reading and the language transition factors that affect their reading comprehension.

METHODOLOGY
This study used the descriptive-correlational method of research.The descriptive method was used to describe the reading performance of the ESL intermediate learners and the learners' translanguaging factors.The correlation method was used to determine the relationship between the two variables.

Research Locale and Respondents
The respondents to this study were the intermediate pupils enrolled in the selected central schools in Bicol, Philippines, for the school year 2020-2021.This group of respondents was chosen because the nature and purpose of the study were specifically designed to assess the reading comprehension of ESL intermediate learners and their translanguaging factors.The respondents' ages range from 8 to 12 years old, and 124 students (27.55%) were males while 326 students (72.44%) were females.A total of 450 respondents participated in the conduct of the study.

Ethical Consideration
Informed consent was prepared to inform the participants about the purpose of the study.Moreover, measures have been taken to keep their identities anonymous, and the data were treated with the utmost confidentiality.

Research Instrument
The main instrument used in this study was a validated teacher-made reading comprehension test and a survey questionnaire.The teacher-made reading comprehension test was composed of 30 items and the questions were framed based on vocabulary, drawing inferences, and getting the main idea.Its content was based on their lesson in (English) in the K-12 curriculum guide.Meanwhile, the content of the teachers' pedagogical translanguage factors survey was divided into three (3) areas, a. personal, b. teacher, and c. environmental.Each area consisted of 10 statements and situations.It used a five (5) point Likert scale each, which was ranked as 5-Always, 4-Often, 3-Sometimes, 2-Rarely, and 1-Never.It underwent a series of validation to ensure the survey questionnaire's validity.The research has aimed to fulfill the internal validity criteria by ensuring that the chosen variables are the only ones affecting the results.Furthermore, the study ensured the comparability and consistency of each procedure and provided a detailed account of the steps taken in each part of the data collection process.

Data Collection and Analysis
Written consent was secured before conducting the study to ensure that the research abided by ethical standards.The researcher gathered the result from a validated teacher-made reading comprehension test and a survey questionnaire administered by the teacher to the respondents.The result of the reading comprehension test and the survey questionnaire were tabulated for analysis and interpretation.For the accurateness and truthfulness of the results, the researchers used various statistical tools to analyze and interpret the data gathered.The frequency-count and percentage techniques were used to quantify respondents' reading comprehension levels.The learners' language transition factors were determined using a weighted mean and a ranking technique.Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used to assess the significance of the relationship between the variables under consideration.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The analysis and interpretation of data gathered about the reading comprehension of the ESL intermediate learners, along with vocabulary, drawing inferences, and getting the main idea and language transition factors that affect the respondents' reading performance, are presented in the following tables below.The frequency count and percentage technique were used in determining the performance of the intermediate pupils along with vocabulary, drawing inferences, and getting the main idea.Table 1 shows the intermediate pupils' performance in reading comprehension along with vocabulary.Out of 450 pupils, 81 or 18% got a score between 90-100; 175 or 39% got a score between 85-89; 140 or 31% got a score between 80-84; 18 or 4% got a score between 75-7, and 36 or 8% got a score of 74 below.Meanwhile, the overall performance of intermediate pupils in reading comprehension in vocabulary is very satisfactory (M = 86, SD = 4.1).J. Nat.Lang.Linguist.1(1)[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]2023 The result implied that the respondents had the necessary knowledge of words and meanings.Moreover, it means that they have enough vocabulary to be able to read increasingly complex texts so that they can be understood.The teaching of vocabulary and oral language comprehension is essential to reading comprehension.The findings affirm with that of Wilson et al. (2013) who said that repetition and multiple exposures to the words are necessary, emphasizing that vocabulary training in reading should allow students to encounter words in different contexts.These results are in parallel with that of Suryaningtyas et al. (2019), who stressed that teachers should consider allocating classroom time to translate words to and from the target language to meet the needs of children at risk of dealing with difficult-to-read problems.Translating words and texts requires additional classroom time, but increased vocabulary learning for children at risk allows them to learn the concept of the reading material.Based on the findings, the more familiar and comfortable students become with the language, the more meaningful the learning becomes.Therefore, teachers should give students periodic opportunities to re-engage in various activities that will allow intermediate ESL students to express their thoughts in their native language.Meanwhile, Table 5 presents the respondents' responses in translanguaging along with the teacher factor.
The data disclosed the top five translanguaging factors that influence the reading performance of ESL intermediate learners.Ranked 1 is My teacher selects and utilizes instructional materials in our Mother tongue and English language in teaching mathematics (WM=4.57,Always); ranked 2, My teacher builds our fluency and confidence by requiring us to speak in our native language and translate it to the English language Based on the findings, it implies that teachers of the ESL pupils select and utilize instructional materials with Mother tongue and English language in teaching.
According to Armea et al. (2022), when the instructional materials used in teaching the English language are contextualized within the needs and background of the learners, achieving the optimum English proficiency can be possible because the students learn best when they use materials with the medium of instruction that easy for them to understand.Moreover, the teacher builds the fluency and confidence of the pupils to speak in their native language and translate it into the English language; thus, the teacher's role is needed during the student's learning process by explaining and translating the material and getting the student to understand it fully.Reading comprehension is achieved by understanding the meaning, learning the content, and enjoying reading.Translanguaging provides direct instructions to build interactions that help students overcome learning barriers.Language practice uses linguistic units in linguistic units that belong to two or more separate languages (García & Wei, 2014).Therefore, teachers must actively manage their classes in multilingual interactions based on the teacher-student agreement at the time of translanguaging.Table 6 shows the respondents' responses in translanguaging along with social factors.

3 Always
5. I am highly influenced by my parents' positive attitude and value toward the transition of the mother tongue to the English Language.

2 Always
The data disclosed the ESL intermediate learners' top five translanguaging social factors.Ranked 1 is My parents and relatives are helpful for my understanding of native languages and English education at home.(WM=4.72,Always); ranked 2, I am highly influenced by parents' positive attitude and value towards the transition of the mother tongue to the English Language (WM=4.44,Always); ranked 3, I am affected when people around me think that learning the transition of mother tongue to English is not essential at all (WM=4.26,Always); ranked 4, I am affected when people around me, think that learning the transition of mother tongue to English is not important at all.(WM=3.56,Often); and Ranked 5, I am affected by the different languages used by the people around me. (WM=3.48,Often).
Based on the findings, it implies that the parents and relatives have a crucial role in learning the first language of their children; likewise, in how they assist their children in transitioning from the first language to learning the second language.The parents' positive attitude and value towards the transition of the mother tongue to the English Language shape how the pupils see the importance of learning the language.Such findings coalesce with Ocampo's (2018) study, which emphasized that the family's immediate circle strongly influences pupils' development, particularly in how they learn the language.

Relationship between the Performance and Language Transition Factors
Multiple correlations using Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) were utilized in determining the significant relationship between the performance of the reading comprehension of the ESL pupils and the language transition factors.
Table 7 shows the relationship between the respondents in translanguaging along with social factors.The statistical test revealed that vocabulary is significantly correlated to all the translaguaging factors (Vocabulary and Personal Factor,r=0.591,p <0.05;Vocabulary and Teacher Factor,r=0.672,p <0.05;and Vocabulary and Social Factor,r=0.627,p <0.05).Moreover, the overall vocabulary was significantly correlated to the Language Transition Factors of the respondents (r=0.631,p <0.05).It implies that translanguaging influences the vocabulary learning of ESL learners.This further means that the first language could be a viable way to solve some English vocabulary problems.
Learners can take up reading and writing activities from a known and comfortable position, using their knowledge of the first language to negotiate meaning in English.This finding is consistent with the results of Makalela (2015), who stated that using a language where learners feel more comfortable eliminates restrictions.the content of the reading materials through the use of the first language as it reinforces the weaker language.
During the translanguaging process, students learn the concept of what is being read by using the first language and translating the concept into English; this promotes a better understanding of the materials read.This finding is consistent with the findings of Boakye and Mbirimi (2015), who argued that translanguaging can serve as an instrument to improve better interpretation of the text by the learners.Consequently, Gilakjani et al. (2011) have shown that through children's mother tongue experience, they can negotiate meaning and understand concepts that they will encounter when reading in L2; therefore, concepts learned in the stronger language can contribute to the development of weaker language in reading.Table 9 presents the relationship between getting the main idea and language transition factor.The statistical test revealed that getting the main idea is significantly correlated to teacher and social factors (getting the main idea and Teacher Factor, r=0.613, p <0.05; getting the main idea and Social Factor, r=0.588, p <0.05).However, getting the main idea and the Personal Factor was not significantly correlated (r=0.015,p <0.05).
In contrast, the overall vocabulary was significantly correlated to the Language Transition Factors of the respondents (r=0.0.518, p <0.05).It implies that teacher and social translanguaging factors are crucial in fostering the reading compression of the pupils, particularly on how they deduce meaning from the text.In teaching reading, the first language can be used as a foothold by the learners to understand the content and essential concepts of the text.The learners, with their teachers and immediate circles, can use both languages as a strategy to achieve better learning, and learners can use the two languages to derive meaning.This finding is in parallel with the study of Canagarajah (2011) who emphasized that, in multilingual environments, reading comprehension can be enhanced when children strategically use their language repertoire to learn with the help of learned adults.Therefore, the immediate circles, such as family and friends, play an important role in how children properly use the two languages to understand the meaning of the texts.Similarly, Hungwe (2019) stated that translanguaging could be used while reading to increase learner fluency in both first and second languages.It allows the learner to use the first language in education to help them build meaning during reading comprehension and to help them better understand its concept.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Reading comprehension is vital for the academic performance of all learners, particularly intermediate learners.The intermediate year is a crucial stage for most Filipino ESL learners.They begin learning their native language from 1st to 3rd grade and move to English in the middle grade (4th to 6th grade).Translanguaging can be a powerful mechanism for building comprehension and mediating comprehension between language groups in the educational setting.Moreover, translanguaging aims to help learners enrich their vocabulary during reading and learning in two languages.It also enables them to use both languages to learn concepts and facilitate cognitive development.The underlying rationale is that using all languages among learners improves the quality and depth of learning and reading.Through translanguaging, learners better understand the concept, participate more fully, and master the content.As a result, it is recommended that teachers promote group discussions and allow open interactions in the classroom.Teachers should allow the use of both the home language and English; employ translanguaging pedagogy in teaching reading; foster an understanding and acceptance of linguistic differences; promote multilingualism, and allow

Table 1 :
Performance of Intermediate Pupils in Reading Comprehension in Vocabulary

Table 2 :
Performance of Intermediate Pupils in Reading Comprehension in Drawing Inferences

Table 3 :
Stoller et al. (2013)ediate Pupils in Reading Comprehension in Getting the Main Idea , and 41 or 9% got a score of 74 below.Meanwhile, the overall performance of intermediate pupils in reading comprehension in noting details is very satisfactory (M = 85, SD = 6.9).The finding corroborates with the study ofStoller et al. (2013), who stated that L2 reading instruction should focus on guiding learners to grasp the text's central idea through class discussions that help learners make connections between the text and their background knowledge.Thus, it is required that teachers explicitly teach reading comprehension skills for students to have the ability to understand the text.Furthermore, Grabe and Stroller (2011) emphasize that it is essential to encourage learners to use all languages they know.Presented in Table4are the respondents' responses in translanguaging along with personal factors.Data disclosed the top five translanguaging factors that influence the reading performance of ESL intermediate learners.Ranked 1 is I feel motivated to answer questions when my teacher uses Mother tongue in a class by explaining something, and she immediately translates it into the English language (WM=4.67,Always); ranked 2, I feel motivated to answer questions when my teacher uses Mother tongue in a class by explaining something, and she immediately translates it into English language (WM=4.31,Always); ranked 3, I actively participate in English drills in reading when my teacher gave first her questions in mother tongue then translates it in English (WM=4.23,Always); ranked 4, I can comprehend the text when my English teacher used English and mother tongue in teaching (WM=3.7,Often); and Ranked 5, I find it hard to understand unfamiliar English words in a text when it is not translated in mother tongue (WM=3.38,Often).

Table 4 :
Personal Factor

Table 5 :
Teacher Factor My teacher actively engages us in learning activities using the Mother tongue and English language.

Table 6 :
Social Factor

Table 7 :
Relationship between Vocabulary and Language Transition Factor

Table 8 :
Relationship between Drawing of Inferences and Language Transition Factor Nat.Lang.Linguist.1(1)[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]2023thinkingandproblem-solvingat a higher level.It enables them to negotiate for meaning in multiple languages, which would make the classroom experience more creative; thus, developing a translanguaging pedagogy and multilingual spaces geared towards developing the learners' vocabulary can enhance their reading ability.Table8presents the relationship between drawing inferences and Language Transition Factor.The statistical test revealed that drawing inferences is significantly correlated to all the translaguaging factors (drawing inferences and Personal Factor, r=0.732, p <0.05; drawing inferences and Teacher Factor, r=0.593, p <0.05; and drawing inferences and Social Factor, r=0.681, p <0.05).Moreover, the overall vocabulary was significantly correlated to the Language Transition Factors of the respondents (r=0.0.668, p <0.05).It implies that the respondents can make inferences from

Table 9 :
Relationship between Getting the Main Idea and Language Transition Factor