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International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and
Development
Vol. 10, No. 2, 2021, E-ISSN: 2226-6348 © 2021 HRMARS
150
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The Relationship between English Language Fluency and
Learning Engagement: A Case Study among First-Year
Undergraduates
Nur Rasyidah Othman and Kee-Man Chuah
To Link this Article: http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARPED/v10-i2/9670 DOI:10.6007/IJARPED/v10-i2/9670
Received: 11 February 2021, Revised: 14 March 2021, Accepted: 17 April 2021
Published Online: 29 April 2021
In-Text Citation: (Othman & Chuah, 2021)
To Cite this Article: Othman, N. R., & Chuah, K.-M. (2021). The Relationship between English Language Fluency
and Learning Engagement: A Case Study among First-Year Undergraduates. International Journal of
Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 10(2), 150–162.
Copyright: © 2021 The Author(s)
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Vol. 10(2) 2021, Pg. 150 - 162
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JOURNAL HOMEPAGE
International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and
Development
Vol. 10, No. 2, 2021, E-ISSN: 2226-6348 © 2021 HRMARS
151
The Relationship between English Language
Fluency and Learning Engagement: A Case Study
among First-Year Undergraduates
Nur Rasyidah Othman1 and Kee-Man Chuah2
1Faculty of Cognitive Science and Human Development, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 2Faculty of
Language and Communication, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
Abstract
The notion that learners with lower English language fluency tend to be less engaged in university
classes still lacks further investigation. Evidence from previous studies was not conclusive and
seems to suggest students with lower proficiency in the language are at risk of dropping out. This
study aimed to explore the relationship between English fluency and learning engagement
among first-year undergraduate students in a Malaysian university. A total of 144 students from
10 faculties participated in the study. Data were collected through a self-reported questionnaire
about their English fluency, Malaysian University English Test (MUET) band and their level of
engagement in the classroom. Statistical analyses revealed significant correlations in language
fluency and learning engagement in which students with higher fluency were more engaged in
the classroom. This study also showed students who reported higher level of perceived English
language fluency and learning engagement obtained higher grades. In addition, regression
analysis revealed that listening and writing skills significantly contributed to the model, which
implies fluency in these two skills are more important in university settings.
Keywords: English Language Fluency, Learning Engagement, Proficieny, Muet, Classroom
Instructions
Introduction
The English language is no longer limited to a linguistic and cultural phenomenon but a socio-
political reality. English is also known as the language of information and international affairs
(Andrew, 2017). In education, factors such as globalization and internalization of education and
the desire to compete internationally have given rise to the growth of the English language in
higher education worldwide (Gill & Kirkpatrick, 2013). This phenomenon has led many non-
English speaking countries to adopt the English language in their education systems (Andrew,
2017; Gill & Kirkpatrick, 2013). Galloway, Numajiri and Rees (2020) also reported how English has
become an important criterion in the hiring of academic staff in Asian universities even in
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countries like China and Japan which are dominantly using their first language in their education
system.
Malaysia is among Asian countries to implement a bilingual education system to ensure that
national and international needs and challenges are balanced through language education policy
(Darmi & Albion; 2013; Gill & Kirkpatrick, 2013). By offering both undergraduate and
postgraduate programs through the medium of English, students and faculty members have the
opportunity to participate in an international research community where a substantial amount
of scientific work is published in English (Macaro et al., 2017). Therefore, it is essential for
students to be fluent in English in order to understand complex academic materials, generate
critical views, and exchange ideas with instructors and peers.
Learning Engagement
Over the last decades, research in learning engagement has been perceived as crucial in
understanding student learning and development (Radloff & Coates, 2010). The most commonly
accepted view of engagement in the higher education literature emphasizes student behaviour
and the practice of teaching (Kahu, 2013). The term "engagement" was understood as
involvement, time and quality of effort students put into their learning (Astin, 1999; Kahu, 2013)
in order to attain desired gains and academic outcomes (Barkley & Major, 2020). It has been
proven that an engaging learning environment especially in the classroom has strong associations
with positive learning results (Carini, Kuh & Klien, 2006; Kahu, 2013). Consequently, universities
are now expected to provide students with a more engaging learning environment in the
classroom as learning engagement is generally considered one of the best predictors of learning
and personal development (Carini, Kuh & Klein, 2006). This study was conducted to investigate
the relationship between self-perceived English language fluency and learning engagement in the
classroom among first-year-undergraduate students in a university in Malaysia to provide
insights for administrators or faculty members who wish to promote active learning engagement
among students.
Existing research on factors that lead to learning engagement classroom in higher education
reveals several factors. Those factors generally fall into the following four
categories: behavioural, psychological, socio-cultural, and holistic (Kahu, 2013). All these factors
have been explored and examined extensively in previous research. For example, teaching
practices and conation were explored as variables that can influence student learning
engagement in classroom. With regards to psychological dimension, social integration,
motivation, anxiety, social and emotional support within the university system were explored
(Kahu, 2013). The socio-cultural dimension , which includes social and academic culture (Christie,
2008) were also examined in many empirical studies. Lastly, the holistic dimension views
engagement as a dynamic continuum with different locations, for example, task, classroom,
course and institution, and thus best understood by thorough qualitative research.
English Fluency in Higher Education
The four factors that were identified in the literature are applicable to all students in higher
education. However, there is another factor involved when it comes to students' learning
engagement in English-speaking academic environment. In this context, English is considered an
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instrument rather than a topic. Many empirical studies indicate that English fluency plays a
significant role for students to complete their studies in English medium institutions, particularly
students whose first language is not English (Li et al., 2010; Kahu, 2013; Martirosyan, Hwang
& Wanjohi, 2015). Mastery of English language is seen as a by-product of academic knowledge
acquired in content subjects (Taguchi, 2014). Therefore, learning engagement might be affected
by their English fluency, which might impact their academic performance. For example, Yang
and Saumure (2006) highlighted the importance of English fluency in the socio-cultural
adaptation to an English-medium academic environment. Another study conducted in foreign
institutions reported that weak English fluency level was perceived as one of the reasons why
students were not actively involved in class and isolated from faculty members (Wongtirat,
2010). These findings indicate that English fluency can directly affect learning
engagement through its impact on other factors such as socio-cultural factor and psychological
factors.
Previous studies on the English fluency among undergraduates were largely on their overall
performance. Many researchers examined the relationship between language fluency and
overall academic performance by using standardized tests such as IELTS (International English
Language Testing System) and TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) among various
groups of students in English-medium institution. The results were indirectly associated with
students' learning engagement level in classroom. A study conducted at a university in Louisiana,
USA (Martirosyan, Hwang & Wanjohi, 2015) showed a statistically positive correlation
between self-perceived English language fluency and grade point averages (GPAs) among 59 out
of 300 students (p=<.05). Similar results were reported in a study conducted at University of
Wisconsin with a moderate correlation between English fluency level measured by TOEFL scores
and academic performance measured by GPAs. Students with lower TOEFL scores had
significantly lower grades compared to students who scored higher grades. Other studies also
produce similar results on the relationship between English fluency measured by self-perceived
questionnaire and overall GPA. Taguchi (2014) examined how English fluency level affects
students' academic achievement by utilizing both self-reported questionnaire and standardized
test such as IELTS and GPAs among 77 students in an English-medium institution. Based on the
results, a statistically significant correlation (r=.26, p=.01) was reported between IELTS score and
GPAs, and those with low IELTS scores were more likely to score lower GPAs. In the context of
Malaysia, all students are required to take the Malaysian University English Test (MUET) as part
of the entry requirement. The students were graded for their proficiency in six bands, with Band
1 being the lowest while Band 6 being the highest.
Studies have also shown the need for students to have sufficient English fluency in order to be
able to understand the feedback given by the instructors. Zheng, Yu and Liu (2020) investigated
the individual differences among lower-proficiency students when engaging with teachers'
written feedback. Dao and McDonough (2018) in their study involving Vietnamese English as a
Foreign Language found that learners' proficiency levels affected peer interaction and their
ability to attain feedback. While these studies indicated the effects of English fluency on students'
interactions with instructors and peers, there is still a need to analyse whether their self-
perceived fluency in the English language affects their overall learning engagement. In university
settings where lectures, activities and assignments are all predominantly given in English,
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investigating the relationship between English language fluency and engagement would be
beneficial.
Research Objectives
1. To identify the relationship between students perceived English fluency level and their MUET
band.
2. To examine the relationship between students perceived English fluency and their
engagement in classroom.
3. To examine the relationship between learning engagement and academic performance.
Research Hypotheses
Ho1. There is no significant relationship between students perceived English proficiency
level and their MUET band.
Ho2. There is no significant relationship between students' English fluency level and their
learning engagement in the classroom.
Ho3. There is no significant relationship between learning engagement in the classroom and
academic performance.
Method
The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between self-perceived English
language fluency and learning engagement in classroom among first year undergraduate
students of a university in Malaysia, which is Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS). The
university uses English as the main medium of instructions. Although lecturers are allowed to
code-switch to the Malay language (national language), more than 80% of the course content or
delivery is still in English. 5-Likert scale questionnaires were used in this study focusing on
students' engagement and 4 categories of language skills; speaking, listening, reading and
writing. Likert scales are designed to measure perceptions, opinions and attitudes (Burns &
Grove, 1997). The ordinal scales used in the questionnaires allowed students to express how
much they agree or disagree with a particular statement. There were 5 choices of responses;
strongly disagree, disagree, neutral, agree and strongly agree. Neutral indicates that the
respondent either agrees or disagrees with a particular statement. The questionnaire consists of
20 items on language fluency, nine items on learning engagement, and 11 items on demographic
information. The items for the questionnaires were adapted from Wanphet and Tantawy (2017)
and Carini, Kuh and Klein (2006) with some items generated through the discussion with subject
matter experts. A pilot study was done to check the reliability of the items. The questionnaire
was then formatted in an online survey platform for data collection.
The online survey was distributed among first-year undergraduate students in UNIMAS. Random
sampling method was used to obtain a more generalized set of examples. By the end of data
collection period, responses from a total of 144 participants were collected. Participants were
not compensated for their participation and were informed that participation was voluntary.
Informed consent forms which provided information regarding the study, including the contact
information of the investigator were provided at the beginning of the survey.
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Results
Students' learning engagement measured by self-reported questionnaire was the dependent
variable while English language fluency was the independent variable. Descriptive statistics was
used to describe the demographic characteristic of the respondents, such as gender, age, faculty,
ethnicity, languages spoken and MUET Score. There were 91 (63.2%) female and 53 (36.8%) male
students. All of the participants were first-year undergraduate students. Faculties represented in
the sample were Applied and Creative Arts faculty (16.7%), Cognitive Sciences and Human
Development (13.2%), Social Sciences and Humanities (13.2%), Language and Communication
(11.1%), Resource Science and Technology (11.1%), Economics and Business (9.7%), Engineering
(9%), Computer Science and Information Technology (8.3%), Medicine and Health Sciences
(4.2%) and Built Environment (3.5%).
Participants were asked to indicate their MUET band. 34% (49) of the participants scored band 3,
28.5% (41) scored band 2, 20.8% (30) scored band 4, 12.5% (18) scored band 1, 4.2% (6) scored
band 5 and no one scored band 6. The distribution of MUET bands is reflective of the nationwide
distribution with the majority of the test takers fall into Bands 2 and 3 (Rethinasamy & Chuah,
2011; Zaini, 2018). The overall mean score is 2.76.
Table 1. Language most spoken at home
Languages
Frequency
Percent
Bidayuh
4
2.8
Dusun
6
4.2
English
2
1.4
Foochow
3
2.1
Hokkien
6
4.2
Iban
13
9.0
Kadazandusun
1
0.7
Kayan
1
0.7
Kenyah
2
1.4
Malay
75
52.1
Mandarin
17
11.8
Melanau
4
2.8
Rungus
1
0.7
Tamil
8
5.6
Teochew
1
0.7
Total
144
100.0
As shown in Table 1, participants were also asked to indicate their most commonly spoken
language at home. For 52.1% of them (75 participants), Malay was the most spoken language at
home, followed by Mandarin (11.8%), Iban (9%), Tamil (5.6%), Hokkien (4.2%), Dusun (4.8%),
Melanau (2.8%), Foochow (2.1%), English (1.4%), Kenyah (1.4%), Kayan (0.7%), Rungus (0.7%) and
Teochew (0.7%). Only two respondents used English language at home, and their perceived
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English language fluency, MUET band and academic performance (CGPA) are higher compared
to other respondents.
Table 2. Frequency of English used by lecturers in classroom and English use in classroom
N
Mean
Std. Deviation
English used by lecturers
144
4.24
.709
English use in classroom
144
4.06
.768
The mean scores for both variables in Table 2 were high with the value of 4.24 and 4.06
respectively. It shows that English language is often used as a medium of instruction in the
classroom across fields, not just in sciences.
Results from Hypothesis Testing
The collected data on items concerning English fluency learning engagement were then further
analyzed through correlation statistics.
Ho1: There is no significant relationship between students perceived English fluency level and
their MUET band.
Table 3. MUET Band and Perceived English Language Fluency
MUET Band
Perceived
English Fluency
Spearman's rho
MUET Band
Correlation
Coefficient
1.000
.799**
Sig. (1-tailed)
.
.000
N
144
144
Perceived English
Fluency
Correlation
Coefficient
.799**
1.000
Sig. (1-tailed)
.000
.
N
144
144
**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (1-tailed).
The correlation between MUET Band and perceived English language fluency was significant with
strong positive correlation (r = 0799, n = 144, p < .001). This means that their perceived English
language fluency is in accordance with their MUET bands, and therefore, the null hypothesis is
rejected.
Ho2: There is no significant relationship between students' English fluency level and their learning
engagement in classroom.
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Table 4. The relationship between perceived English language fluency and learning engagement
in classroom.
Perceived
English
Fluency
Learning
Engagement in
Classroom
Spearman's rho
Perceived English
Fluency
Correlation
Coefficient
1.000
.669**
Sig. (1-tailed)
.
.000
N
144
144
Learning Engagement
in Classroom
Correlation
Coefficient
.669**
1.000
Sig. (1-tailed)
.000
.
N
144
144
**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (1-tailed).
The significant correlation coefficient value confirmed that there was a strong positive
correlation between perceived English fluency level and learning engagement in classroom
among students (r = .67, n = 144, p < .001). This means that English fluency level did affect
students' engagement in classroom. Therefore, the null hypothesis showing no significant
relationship between students' English fluency level and their engagement in classroom was
rejected.
Ho3: There is no significant relationship between learning engagement in classroom and
academic performance.
Table 5. The relationship between learning engagement in classroom and academic
performance.
Learning
Engagement in
the Classroom
CGPA
Spearman's rho
Learning
Engagement in
Classroom
Correlation
Coefficient
1.000
.540**
Sig. (1-tailed)
.
.000
N
144
144
CGPA
Correlation
Coefficient
.540**
1.000
Sig. (1-tailed)
.000
.
N
144
144
**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (1-tailed).
Table 5 revealed a significant but moderate positive correlation between learning engagement
in classroom and academic performance among students (r = .54, n = 144, p < .001). The result
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showed that learning engagement does contribute to students' academic achievement.
Therefore, null hypothesis was rejected.
A standard multiple regression was utilized to further examine the relationship between English
language fluency and learning engagement in the classroom among students. Self-perceived
learning engagement in the classroom was the dependent variable, while self-perceived English
language fluency consists of speaking, listening, reading, and writing were the independent
variables. The independent variable explains 48.6% of the variance in learning engagement,
which is significant, as indicated by F-value, F(2,12) = 34.081, p < 0.0005. A summary of regression
coefficients presented in Table 6 indicated that two out of four variables, which are listening (p =
.002) and writing (p = .04) significantly contribute to the model.
Table 6. Multiple regression analysis
Model
Unstandardized
Coefficients
Standardized
Coefficients
t
Sig.
B
Std. Error
Beta
1
(Constant)
1.384
.219
6.320
.000
Speaking
-.079
.113
-.107
-.697
.487
Listening
.370
.118
.368
3.135
.002
Reading
.050
.114
.076
.441
.660
Writing
.257
.124
.389
2.073
.040
a. Dependent Variable: Learning Engagement
Discussion
The results from the survey of 144 first-year undergraduate students at UNIMAS supported the
general conception on the importance of English language fluency in higher education settings.
The statistical outputs showed a significant correlation between perceived English language
fluency and learning engagement in the classroom. There was also a significant correlation
between learning engagement in the classroom with academic performance. In order to ensure
that students perceived English language fluency is in accordance with their MUET bands, a
correlation analysis was conducted, and the result was positively
significant. Multiple regression analysis revealed that listening and writing skills significantly
contribute to learning engagement in the classroom.
The expected hypothesis was that English fluency does impact learning engagement in the
classroom. In a recent study done by Ghenghesh (2014), it was found that student's proficiency
in English was significantly correlated with their overall academic achievement. Specifically, the
higher the English proficiency of students on entry to the university, the better they performed
in both degree courses and language skills. The same study also found that academic
achievement was shown to have a direct relationship with learning engagement.
Since English is a medium of instruction at UNIMAS, students must be able to speak, listen, read
and write at a level appropriate to their studies in order to be able to engage actively. Previous
studies (Maleki & Zangani, 2007; Roche & Harrington, 2013) also found a significant relationship
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between English fluency and learning engagement. Although a number of studies emphasize the
English fluency level as measured by standardized tests such as TOEFL, IELTS and GPAs, there are
also studies that suggest that standardized tests might not be a good predictor of academic
success for students. For example, in a study conducted by Krausz et al. (2005), the researchers
found that TOEFL scores were not associated with students' actual academic difficulties. In a
meta-analysis of 22 studies on the relationship between English fluency and learning engagement
in classroom of students in English-medium institutions, the result showed that TOEFL score had
a small predictive ability on students' learning engagement and overall academic achievement
(Wongtrirat, 2010). The findings were contradictory, implying that English fluency measured
solely by these standardized tests cannot be a reliable predictor of students' learning
engagement. In addition, Fox (2014) noted that language tests fail to measure other contributing
factors such as the social network of support, financial security, time availability and academic
adjustment that might affect students' engagement. Other researchers also indicated other
contributing factors such as inadequate background knowledge, poor study skills, difficulty in
coursework, motivation, and experiences (Krausz et al., 2005; Kahu, 2013; Martirosyan, Hwang
& Wanjohi, 2015; Taguchi, 2014). Therefore, additional investigations are needed to
explore other constructs in measuring English fluency and how it affects students' engagement
level. On the other hand, studies that depended on self-perceived questionnaire only may be
exposed to invalid answers or the respondents may not answer truthfully. The current study
utilized a standardized English test (MUET) to further ensure the validity of collected data.
The result from multiple regression analysis revealed an interesting finding. Contrary to widely
accepted perception where speaking and reading skills are considered important to actively
engage in learning (Martirosyan et al., 2015; Wanphet & Tantawy, 2017), the result revealed that
listening and writing skills significantly contribute to learning engagement in classroom.
Martirosyan et al. (2015) found that international students with good speaking and reading skills
performed better in academics. However, the study was conducted in Louisiana, United States,
where international students were considered to have mastered at least a basic level of English
fluency. While in UNIMAS, some of the respondents scored Band 1 in the MUET test, which
means they have a very limited understanding of the language and context and hardly able to
use or work with the language.
Conclusion and Implications
All in all, it can be concluded that English fluency is a determinant of learning engagement in the
classroom for students studying in an institution that adopts the English language as a medium
of instruction. The findings of the current study revealed that the higher the English language
fluency of students, the higher their learning engagement in the classroom. Specifically, students'
ability in listening and writing are deemed to be more important in classroom engagement since
most of the class hours are filled with lectures and written tasks. Therefore, it is recommended
that higher institutions help students to improve their English fluency skills by providing
appropriate programmes to assist students with low fluency. As shown by the results of this
study, such decision will have important implications for instruction and learning engagement. It
is also important to note some of the limitations of this study. Firstly, it was limited to one
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institution. It is recommended for further studies to include more than one institution in order
to have a larger sample size. Secondly, this study was limited to a quantitative survey. Future
research could employ a mixed-methods approach in order to obtain more comprehensive
information on self-perceived English fluency level and learning engagement in classroom among
students.
The study has provided valuable insights on the linkage between students’ fluency in English and
their engagement in classroom activities. It has contributed in terms of understanding the impact
of students fluency level beyond the performance variable that has been investigated in previous
studies. By knowing that English fluency has an effect on students level of engagement,
instructors could be more alert and ensure that students who are weak in the language would
obtain necessary help. It is also worthy to note that English has become an important medium of
instruction in higher education across Asia and students have to improve their proficiency and
fluency in the language so as to ensure they are able to be more involved and participative in the
classroom activities.
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