Thesis (BA Communication Arts) -- University of the Philippines Mindanao, May 2016.

Building on the pursuit of understanding the intercultural implications of English as a second language (ESL) programs and how it is taught and acquired in a Filipino context, this study aims to explore the communication strategies of Filipino ESL teachers, employing a case study method of two ESL teachers both handling a multicultural classroom setting at English Drs Academy, Davao City. These multicultural classroom settings are the optional classes "listening and dictation, and situational class" catering Korean and Japanese students, thus making the role of the Filipino ESL teachers in creating an effective learning environment more crucial and challenging. Using a qualitative approach, the researcher revolved around three data gathering procedures: classroom recordings, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, and archival data. Guided by the Communication Accommodation Theory, all the gathered data were used to explore the communication dynamics of each classroom to further identify the communication strategies of the two Filipino ESL teachers. Employing a grounded approach to data analysis, the results indicated the uniqueness of the two cases on three different dimensions: teacher?s personality, teaching content, and teaching approach. Each theme discusses the interplay of the different communicative, cultural, and sociolinguistic factors that shape the communication strategies of the Filipino ESL. By the end of the findings, the researcher concluded that in a sensitive type of classroom environment, ESK, teachers should consider covering not just the communicative skills of the students, but also the cultural knowledge, for a more participative learning environment, and an effective second language acquisition.