TEACHING ENGLISH LANGUAGE TO IP LEARNERS: FROM THE NARRATIVES OF JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS

EDUCATION

This study intended to explore the lived experiences, problems, coping mechanisms, and insights of English language teachers educating IP learners at the Department of Education Montevista in Davao de Oro which answered the four fundamental research questions on what the experiences and problems of English language teachers encountered in teaching IP learners, how do English language teachers cope with their challenges, and their insights. The study utilized qualitative phenomenological design with the technique, an in-depth interview. 6 participants in this study were English language teachers from secondary schools in Compostela, Monkayo, and Montevista districts. Findings revealed that the positive experiences of English language teachers in teaching IP learners are enthusiasm to learn the English language, learners gained confidence, and willingness to learn. Also, learning without the right foundation, teaching grammar and pronunciation, learning about their culture, teaching culturally relevant lessons, learners’ interpretation, and learners’ accents. Moreover, their challenges include learners needing help to read, language barriers, problems in implementing curriculum, words not uttered properly, poor vocabulary, proper pronunciation, varying levels of proficiency, and learners' absenteeism. Teachers’ coping mechanisms highlighted the importance of doing their best for the learners, being resilient and having perseverance, encouraging learners, being resourceful, varying strategies, and being patient. Additionally, great emphasis on the use of more indigenized and localized examples, pairing learners with different learning levels, incorporating games, bilingual instruction, proper choice of words in teaching, and contextualizing the lesson. Furthermore, as to their insights formed in teaching the English language to IP learners, they profoundly expressed the following: teaching English is not easy, teaching made simpler and clearer, requiring patience and distinct strategies, rewarding experience, and flexibility of teacher to cater to students' needs. Also, the research suggested localizing the curriculum, using a read-aloud strategy, simplifying the learning materials, being more patient, and training and seminars.

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