University Students' Hemispheric Dominance: Correlate of Proficiency in English As a Second Language

The Philippines is the world?s third largest English-speaking nation. Its higher education system depends on English language as the official medium of instruction, and the university students? academic performance primarily reflects their English language proficiency. This study randomly selected 240 Filipino university students and used Pearson r in testing and analyzing the correlation between hemispheric dominance and English proficiency in the four macro skills. This work reveals that most college students are left-brained and that age and area of specialization provide significant correlations between hemispheric dominance and English language proficiency. The results suggest that while the present English language curriculum in Western Mindanao State University and the Philippines, in general, has developed the college students? left brain, it tends to have neglected the development of the right brain ? the global and simultaneous processor of information. For ESL teachers, this book should encourage them: to be oriented on students? hemispheric dominance, to revise their syllabi and to include varied strategies and activities that help develop students? right brain.