English language has been the primary language of communication in financial services such as banking, stock trading, insurance, investment banking, asset and company valuations, among others. It has also become a basic skill needed for a workforce. The ability to communicate using this language is very essential for a business leader to succeed internationally. As future financial managers, students who are taking Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Major in Financial Management is expected to possess a strong foundation on theory, principles and concepts, as well as analytical skills, perception, and competencies necessary for successful financial decision-making in the business world. Based on observations, majority of students are performing below average on the said course because they find it difficult to understand the exercises, case studies, and financial scenarios. These issues spurred the researcher to examine whether their proficiency in English course significantly influences their academic performance in Financial Management course. The study used descriptive correlational research method in order to test the relationship between the academic performance in two English courses and Financial Management Course of 4th year BSBA Financial Management students Batch 2015-2016. A total of 75 BSBA Financial Management students was used in the study. The research instrument of the study was their final grades in three courses involved. Based on the results, there was a weak positive relationship between the students’ academic performance in both Communication Courses and Financial Management course. However, Communication Skills Courses does not significantly influences the academic performance of the students in Financial Management Course. It also showed that there were no significant differences in the academic performance of the students in Communication Skills Courses and Financial Management Course when they are grouped according to gender. Since the result shows that Communication Skills Courses has a relationship with the academic performance of students in Financial Management, it is recommended that Communication Skills Courses should be aligned more on communication activities applicable to business environment rather than using elementary English. College students should be exposed more on business terminologies for them to have a better capability of grasping the knowledge in other business subjects. It is also recommended that the College of Business Administration of Bulacan State University should also establish course objectives to Communication Skills Courses that is more relative to business setting rather than adapting the generic course objectives of English courses. Teachers are also influencing academic performance of students. Lastly, it is recommended that English Teachers should attend courses, workshops, or seminars on communication skills that is applicable on business setting in order to channel this knowledge to their students.
Keywords: : Academic Performance, Communication Proficiency, Communication Skills, financial management
