Exposure, Language Learning and Reading Strategies: A Structural Model for Grammatical Competence

Abstract

This study explored how language exposure, language learning, and reading strategies are connected to grammatical competence among 400 Grade 9 students in public schools in Region XI. Using a non-experimental, quantitative approach with Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), the researcher collected data through a validated questionnaire to understand these relationships. The findings showed that students generally had high language exposure (mean = 3.82), with school being the main source (mean = 4.01) and home exposure being slightly lower (mean = 3.65). In terms of language learning, students also performed well (mean = 3.96), with reading emerging as the strongest skill (mean = 4.01) and listening as the weakest (mean = 3.92). For reading strategies, students scored high overall (mean = 4.01), with cognitive strategies slightly ahead of metacognitive strategies, showing that students actively engage with texts to improve their understanding. Grammatical competence was extreme (mean = 4.29), with subject-verb agreement being the most consistently applied skill (mean = 4.52). However, the study also found some weak negative correlations between language exposure, language learning, reading strategies, and grammatical competence, suggesting that these factors don’t always have straightforward effects on each other. The best-fitting model, Structural Model 3, showed that while these factors are all important for developing grammatical competence, the relationships are more complex than initially expected. The study highlights the need for stronger language education, more effective teaching strategies, and supportive learning environments. It also suggests that future research should include other educational levels, explore the impact of digital and social media, and test practical grammar teaching methods. Developing local teaching materials based on these insights could improve students’ grammatical competence.