Analysis of Correct Language Use: A Study on the Campus Journalists of Aplaya National High School

Abstract

Background: Correct language use is essential in campus journalism for clear and effective communication, yet many student journalists still struggle with grammatical, sociolinguistic, and discourse-related skills, which may affect their writing quality and journalistic performance. Aims: This study aimed to determine the level of knowledge and skills in correct language use and their relationship to the journalistic competence of campus journalists at Aplaya National High School. Study Design: Quantitative, descriptive-correlational research design. Place and Duration of Study: Aplaya National High School, during School Year 2025-2026. Methodology: Simple random sampling was utilized to select 43 campus journalists from Grades 7 to 12 at Aplaya National High School. A researcher-made rubric measuring knowledge in correct language use (grammatical competence, sociolinguistic competence, discourse competence), skill in correct language use (grammatical competence, sociolinguistic competence, discourse competence), and journalistic competence (content quality, technical proficiency, reader impact) was administered to analyze the actual writings of the respondents. Data were analyzed using weighted mean, standard deviation, and Pearson's r. Results: Respondents demonstrated a very high level of knowledge in correct language use (overall WM = 3.43), a very high level of skill in correct language use (overall WM = 3.57), and a very high level of journalistic competence (overall WM = 3.62). Significant positive relationships were found between knowledge and skill (r = .657, p < .001), knowledge and journalistic competence (r = .664, p < .001), and skill and journalistic competence (r = .903, p < .001). Conclusion: Skill in correct language use is the strongest and most critical determinant of journalistic competence (r=.903, p<.001). Grounded in Halliday's Functional Theory of Language and Canale & Swain's Communicative Competence Model, the findings underscore the primacy of practical language application over declarative knowledge alone. Strengthening grammatical, sociolinguistic, and discourse competencies through structured training, mentoring, and peer review can significantly improve the quality of campus journalism. The proposed SALIN-HUSAY action plan offers a replicable intervention for school publications.