1

VOCABULARY LEARNING PROBLEMS OF THE

FIRST YEAR ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS

IN A UNIVERSITY

DOROTHY JANE B. CANE

0000-0003-3709-4912 [email protected]
University of Cebu-Banilad
Cebu City Philippines

SARAH MAE B. DEGAMO

0000-0001-9324-583X [email protected]
University of Cebu-Banilad
Cebu City Philippines

JARA S. EVANGELISTA
0000-0003-4467-1992 [email protected]
University of Cebu-Banilad
Cebu City Philippines

NIKKI L. SANCHEZ
0000-0003-0812-2427 [email protected]
University of Cebu-Banilad
Cebu City Philippines

SHIENY ROSE G. SATERA

0000-0002-8834-5630 [email protected]
University of Cebu-Banilad
Cebu City Philippines

RIO MARIE D. SINGCO

0000-0001-7482-9063 [email protected]
University of Cebu-Banilad
Cebu City Philippines

BLAS A. GERALDE
0000-0003-0860-1022 [email protected]
University of Cebu-Banilad
Cebu City Philippines
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ABSTRACT

Vocabulary learning is essential in language learning. This research aimed to

determine the vocabulary learning problems of the first year English majors in a
university. The researchers proposed webinar-workshop as an output of this study.
This study utilized the descriptive-correlational research design with the use of
the researcher-made survey questionnaire in making the research instrument. The
respondents of this study were the first year English major students in the University of
Cebu-Banilad using the purposive sampling technique. In treating the data, this study
utilized simple percentage which was used for the computation of the profile of the
respondents; weighted mean was used to determine the vocabulary learning problems of
first year English major; and the Chi-square used to determine the significant relationship
between the profile of the respondents and their vocabulary learning problems.
After gathering and treating the data, the results showed that most of the
respondents were in the age range of 18 to 21 composed mostly of female respondents
with the frequency of 29 and only four from the male respondents. Majority of them
chose rereading the text as their reading habits with 45.46%. The first year English major
of the university experience vocabulary problems on the following; trouble in locating the
context clues of the complex word used in the sentence, trouble in memorizing lengthy
words, trouble in learning the definition of the new vocabulary word, trouble in
remembering words without understanding its meaning, trouble in learning words with
multiple meaning, etc. And there is no significant relationship between participants'
profile and their vocabulary learning problem, accepting the null hypothesis of the study.
Therefore the results revealed that the first year English major students have difficulty in
learning the vocabulary. The researchers proposed recommendations.

Keywords - vocabulary learning problems, English majors, first year, descriptive-

correlational, University of Cebu-Banilad.

INTRODUCTION

Vocabulary learning is essential in language learning. The vocabulary learning

problem is one of the major challenges learners have faced in learning a language
because it may also affect students' capability in reading and writing. Saengpakdeejit
(2014) found out in his study the problems faced by the students, such as discovering the
meaning of unknown words; and retaining the newly learned words in long-term memory
and recalling it. A study in Prince Stattam bin Abdulaziz University (PSAU) in Saudi
Arabia confirmed that the learners face vocabulary-learning problems even in tertiary
education. The study argues the need to address students' limited word repository
seriously. Since the vocabulary learning problems weaken the students' reading
comprehension, writing power, and communication skills due to lack of vocabulary
knowledge (Awan, 2019).
Another study revealed that pre-service Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSED)
and Bachelor of Elementary Education (BEED) in both private and public institutions in
the Philippines still lack productive vocabulary knowledge in English to make them
proficient and effective speakers or writers (Calub and Calub, 2017). It also found out
 3

that students from state colleges have a more comprehensive range of vocabulary
knowledge than private colleges. The National Achievement Test (NAT) suggests that
Filipino learners find it difficult to understand English text. Thus, in the Philippines,
developing vocabulary among learners is a great challenge among teachers (Palasan,
2017).
In an interview conducted with the 35 first-year English major students of the
University of Cebu-Banilad campus, they were asked if they have faced vocabulary
learning problems. The result has shown that the 35 students have faced vocabulary
learning problems such as trouble understanding unfamiliar words, using new
vocabulary, understanding context clues, and remembering the newly learned vocabulary.
This study differs from the previous study conducted at the University of Cebu-
Banilad since another knowledge is being introduced. The gap is seen in the conclusion
of the previous research where it tells that there is a need to improve to the excellent level
the proficiency of the students, so the researchers included other factors in the present
study that can determine the learning difficulty of the learners presented in the research
tool. Besides, the previous study deals with the vocabulary strategies of the learners
affecting the vocabulary proficiency of the BEED students. This present study deals with
BSED learners.
Thus, the preceding phenomenon of vocabulary problems prompted the
researchers to conduct a research study to find out vocabulary learning problems of the
first-year students of the University of Cebu-Banilad campus. Descriptive-correlational
research was conducted to determine the vocabulary learning problems of the students
and will be the basis for a vocabulary strategy webinar workshop.

FRAMEWORK

This study is anchored on Bartlett's Schema Theory. This theory describes that
schema of past experiences or past knowledge has a role in the students' new learning.
Such as having a past knowledge of a particular word is important in acquiring a new
vocabulary. This theory guides the learners to stimulate understanding of the new
knowledge based on the previous knowledge. This theory was first observed by
Immanuel Kant but later on developed by Bartlett
According to Cui (2016), the schema theory assists students in motivating their
prior information and, as a result, understanding the current knowledge generated in
vocabulary instruction; thus, schema theory-based instructions positively influence
students' vocabulary learning strategies. Moreover, she concluded that learning a new
vocabulary based on schema theory might help them develop a positive attitude towards
and arouse their interest in learning new vocabulary and gradually form a keen interest in
English learning.
"Schema is the knowledge structure of known items or information retained in
mind," according to Widdowson (1983)." Cook (1989) believes that "schema is the
reflection of typical scenarios in the brain." According to these schema explanations,
when people learn new things, they should connect them to previously learned concepts
and experiences. Schema is a type of memory structure, and readers can rearrange
reading materials to better understand them based on their existing schema in the brain.
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Ausubel's Assimilation Learning Theory supports the theory above. This theory
describes that students learn best when they decide to connect new data to a significant
part of their current information, which he termed meaningful learning. Ausubel's theory
likewise centers on significant learning. As the theory says, learners must relate the
newly acquired words to pertinent words on what the learners already knew to learn
meaningfully. Thus, previous knowledge has a part in acquiring new knowledge.
Ausubel was influenced by Jean Piaget's teaching, similar to Piaget's ideas of
conceptual schemes; Ausubel related this to his explanation of how people acquire
knowledge. David Ausubel theorized that "People acquire[d] knowledge primarily by
being exposed directly to it rather than through discover" (Wool Flok et al., 2010).
Furthermore, according to Ausubel, "the most important single factor influencing
learning is what the learner already knows" (Novak, 1998).
Another theory that supports the anchored theory is the Cognitivism Learning
Theory by Jean Piaget. Cognitive theory focuses on how students' learning processes are
conceptualized and addresses how information is received, organized, stored, and
retrieved by the mind.
In this theory, Ertmer and Newby (2013) assert that additional vital elements
include the way the learners attend, code, transform, rehearse, store, and retrieve
information. Moreover, one of the principles that directly relate to instructional design is
creating learning environments that allow and encourage students to connect with
previously learned material (recall of prerequisite skills; use of relevant examples,
analogies).
Wojcik (2013) stated that, for learners to learn newly acquired vocabularies, they
must link their previous learning and associate them to the new ones. Vocabulary
acquisition is also a memory process; thus, learners need to learn them and memorize
them too.
Stanovich's (1896) theory of the Matthew effect also supports the anchored
theory. This theory applies to students with finite vocabularies. He proposed that students
who are not into reading have deficit vocabularies; thus, students' oral and written
vocabularies suffer. He also added that students with limited word experiences have
limited vocabularies (Willingham and Price, 2009).
Individual differences in word reading, mediated by the amount of reading
experience, have been postulated to impact the rate of vocabulary expansion, a
phenomenon known as the Matthew effect (Stanovich, 1986). Furthermore, they
projected that beyond the third or fourth grade, reading ability and the accompanying
reading experiences enabled by these reading skills would influence vocabulary growth.
These theories tell that by acquiring new knowledge related to the student's
vocabulary, learners must link their past knowledge to the new knowledge to acquire
learning. This means that prior knowledge has a major role in acquiring new knowledge.
Learners must open their "black box" to retrieve knowledge. For instance, in learning the
vocabulary, a learner who knows red must connect to the new vocabulary, which is
magenta and maroon.
Vocabulary learning is essential as mastering this skill will help improve all
communication areas, which involves reading, listening, writing, and speaking.
According to Richards and Renandya (2002), vocabulary is a core component of
language proficiency and provides many bases for learning, listening, reading, and
 5

writing. Therefore, the lack of vocabulary knowledge will hinder me from being a good
communicator and using language learning opportunities around.
The first is vocabulary. "Words we must know to communicate successfully;
words in speaking (expressive vocabulary) and words in listening (receptive vocabulary)"
is a definition of vocabulary (Neuman and Dwyer, 2009). Students' vocabulary
knowledge grows over time as they develop links to other words, study examples and
non-examples of the word and related words, and correctly utilize the term within the
context of the sentence (Snow, Griffin, and Burns, 2005).
Next is vocabulary learning problems. Learning the vocabulary seems to be very
easy, but it is the opposite, as this is one of the hardest things to do. According to
Thornburry (2002), there are many difficulties students may encounter in mastering the
vocabulary; pronunciation, spelling, length and complexity, grammar, meaning, range,
connotation, and idiomaticity. Vocabulary learning problems occur because vocabulary
knowledge involves more than just the link between meaning and form; it is multifaceted
(Laufer and Goldstein, 2004).
A study entitled "Student's Problems in Building up English Vocabulary" showed
that there were numerous problems that students faced while learning the English
vocabulary, including; lazy in memorizing words, pronunciation, words meaning and
grammar, the learning facility and, motivation to learn (Balqis, 2018). Moreover,
according to Aldawsari (2017), students commonly encountered various difficulties in
various academic settings concerning listening, speaking, reading, and writing. It was
also found out that these difficulties had their roots in a limited knowledge of English
vocabulary (both general and academic).
Apart from the aforementioned considerations, the researchers seek several
factors that affect an individual's vocabulary learning. One of which is Age. As regards
the connection between motivation and age in vocabulary knowledge, most studies
conclude that the level of motivation decreases with age (Tachibana, Matsukawa, and
Zhong, 1996; Chambers, 1998; Williams, Burden, and Lanvers, 2002; quoted in Bernaus,
Moore and Cordeiro, 2007; Ghenghesh, 2010). The research conducted by Lasagabaster
(2003) on a group of university students shows that motivation stabilizes after Secondary
Education.
Another factor is gender. A recent study by Ahour and Abdi (2015) revealed that
male and female learners differ significantly in their frequency of using VLSs
(Vocabulary Learning Strategy). Gu's (2002) research revealed statistical significance
between male and female language learners in VLS use in favor of female learners. Ping's
(2002) study accounted for more varied strategies by females than males in general
academic vocabulary learning, while applying practical strategies by males was found to
be more often than females in specific academic vocabulary learning.
Good reading habits act as a potent weapon for the students to excel in life
(Bashir and Mattoo, 2012).In his opinion, Palani (2012) stated that effective reading is an
essential avenue of effective learning and the interrelatedness of reading in the entire
education process since educational success requires successful reading habits. According
to the study of Howe and Singer (1975), they found out that rereading subjects outscored
note taking and summarizing groups on immediate and delayed free recall tests; thus,
rereading has proven to be a powerful study technique. Setyaningsih et al. (2013), in the
study entitled "A Correlational Study between Reading Habit, Vocabulary Mastery, and
 6

Translation Ability," concluded that reading is instrumental in enhancing one's

knowledge of vocabulary; they will discover a lot of new words through reading.
A study by Utami et al. (2020) at the University of Islam Malang in Malang, East
Java, Indonesia, entitled "Non-English Students' Difficulties and Challenges in Learning
Vocabulary." This aims to explore the vocabulary learning problems and the strategies
used by the students in PSAU, Saudi Arabia. In this descriptive qualitative study, they've
found out that students' vocabulary problems were; the difficulty in finding new
vocabulary that is stored in memory, difficulty in writing and memorizing vocabularies in
class activities. To improve further studies, they suggested finding new strategies to help
students with their problems by using more than one method and more participants from
different levels to provide better generalization, especially in vocabulary.
Rohmatillah (2015), in his study entitled "A Study on Students' Difficulties in
Learning Vocabulary" in the Institut Agama Islam Negeri (IAIN), RadenIntan Lampung
sought to find out the kinds and factors of students' difficulties in learning the vocabulary
of the students who took vocabulary class of the first semester in the English Education
Department.. Rohmatillah found out that there are several difficulties the students have
faced. These included difficulties pronouncing words, writing and spelling the words, and
recognizing the various grammatical forms of a word known as inflections. These are
some causes of students' difficulties in learning vocabulary, as stated in Rohmatillah's
study.
According to Leaño et al. (2019) in Philippine Normal University North Luzon,
Aurora, Alicia, Isabela, Philippines study entitled "Speaking Difficulties of Philippine
Indigenous Learners in English Semantics" aims to identify indigenous learners' speaking
difficulties in English semantics. Specifically, specific indicators of poor development of
English vocabulary and insufficient processing and expressing of information using
verbal language were aimed to be determined. The results refer to the speaking
difficulties in English semantics of indigenous learners, which included speaking
difficulties in developing English vocabulary and the processing and expressing of
illustrated information in English. The results include difficulties in developing English
vocabulary; their findings show that most indigenous Philippine learners were poor in
English vocabulary based on the oral evaluation activity conducted by the researcher and
their teacher. Data from both evaluations showed that all five IP learners could not
verbally cite items that are usually found using English in their environment.
David G. Falculan (2017) conducted a study entitled "Vocabulary Difficulty and
Learning Strategies of Grade 8-Special Science Class Students in Reading Afro-Asian
Literary Texts" in the University of Batangas - Junior High School, which sought to
identify the vocabulary skills that students have the most difficulty in using when reading
an African or Asian Literary text. Falculan's study also aims to identify the vocabulary
skills students find the most difficult to use. An unstructured interview of eight randomly
selected students was conducted to validate the quantitative results further. The
qualitative data served to collect the students' views about what capacity they think is
simple or complex for them. The results show that three (3, 38%) students have
difficulties using context clues. On the other hand, more than half of the respondents say
it was getting the meaning through figurative language (5, 63%) that was difficult for
them.
 7

Several pieces of research have been published, and vocabulary learning issues
from various foreign and national universities have been reported. In connection, the
researchers developed further studies on this problem to determine the vocabulary
difficulties of the first-year English majors in the localities. Fewer outcomes were seen
while looking for similar local studies that concentrated primarily on vocabulary-learning
issues for students. The researchers gathered new participants in this newly established
study and used new theories and survey techniques.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The purpose of this study was to determine the Vocabulary Learning Problems of
the first year English major students of University of Cebu-Banilad. The findings of this
research will be the basis for a Vocabulary Learning Strategies Webinar-Workshop.
Moreover, this research sought to discover the profile of the respondents in terms of age,
gender, and reading habits. Beside from that, this research aimed to discover, the
vocabulary learning problems of the first year English majors in the university. Also, the
significant relationship between the respondents’ profile and their vocabulary learning
problems was sought. And what the vocabulary strategy webinar-workshop that may be
proposed.

METHODOLOGY

Research Design

This study utilized the descriptive-correlational research design to determine the

vocabulary learning problems of the first-year BSED English major students at the
University of Cebu-Banilad utilizing a researcher-made survey questionnaire in
vocabulary learning problems with additions and modifications the researchers.

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

 Descriptive-
 Respondents’ Correlational  Vocabulary
Profile Research Design Strategy
 Vocabulary  Data Gathering Webinar-
Learning  Data Processing Workshop
Problems  Analysis and
Interpretation

Figure 1: Research Flow

Research Site

This study was conducted at the University of Cebu-Banilad located at Governor

Cuenco, Avenue Banilad, Cebu City. One of the programs offered in this school is
education.
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Participants

The participants of this study were composed of 54 first-year Bachelor of

Secondary Education major in English students in University of Cebu – Banilad for the
school year 2020 – 2021. The researchers came up with 33 participants as a sample size
from the total population. The sampling technique utilized was the purposive sampling
technique.

Instrumentation

The research instrument used was a researcher-made survey questionnaire. It was

patterned from a standardized test questionnaire used as the main data-gathering
instrument for this study. It was divided into two portions; the profile and the
questionnaire proper. The first part of the questionnaire contained the demographic of the
respondents, such as name, age, and gender, and reading habits—the questionnaire
comprised of questions that target their vocabulary learning problems. There are 20
questions in total.
The researchers conducted a dry run to prove the reliability of the study. At 9:30
A.M. on November 25, 2020, the researchers conducted the dry run through Google Meet
and Google Forms since the medium of learning was online learning. Moreover, 15
respondents participated in the dry run. The results were computed using Cronbach's
Alpha, and the reliability result shows that the researcher-made questionnaire has a range
of 0.8. Thus the questionnaire is good and reliable.

Data Collection

The researchers wrote a letter to the academic director to ask for permission to
conduct the study. The researchers sought approval from the respondents’ teacher to have
the students joined the meeting through Google Meet wherein the link for the Google
Forms and the Informed Consent was given. They will be given a time to answer, after
the time given, the researchers collected the research tool and thanked the respondents for
their participation.

Statistical Techniques

The researchers used the three statistical tools to treat the data. First, a simple
percentage was used for the computation of the profile of the respondents. Next,
weighted mean was used to determine the vocabulary learning problems of First-Year
English major. Lastly, the Chi-square was used to determine the significant relationship
between the profile of the respondents and their vocabulary learning problems.
 9

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Table 1: Respondents’ Profile
n=33
Profiles f %
Age
36-34 2 6.06
30-33 0 0
26-29 0 0
22-25 3 9.09
18-21 28 84.85
Gender
Male 4 12.12
Female 29 87.88
Reading Habits
Rereading the text 15 45.46
Active Prior Knowledge 4 12.12
Context Clues 2 6.06
Infer Meaning 3 9.09
Visualize 9 27.27

Most of the respondents are in the age range of 18 to 21 with 84.85% and were
primarily composed of female respondents with the frequency of 29 and with the
percentage of 87.8%. This implies that the usual ages of students in the first year are 18
to 21 and is mainly composed female students than males. The majority of them chose to
reread the text as their reading habits with 45.46% in which it is supported with the
Matthew-Effect by Stanovich in which Nelson, et.al, (2005) believed that learning words
through reading will affect vocabulary on both oral and written tasks. A study by
Biemiller and Boote (2006) discovered that while rereading stories improved students'
understanding of word meaning by 12%, an additional 10% gains occurred when word
explanations were taught directly during the reading of the storybook.
 10

Table 2: Vocabulary Learning Problems

n=33
Weighted
Vocabulary Learning Problems Interpretation Rank
Mean
I have trouble in learning the definition of the
2.21 Agree 3
new vocabulary word I encountered.
I have trouble in identifying complex vocabulary
2.13 Agree 7
words that I encountered.
I have trouble in using the new vocabulary that I
1.79 Agree 17
learned in both writing and speaking.
I have trouble in pronouncing the new vocabulary
1.91 Agree 15
that I have learned.
I have trouble in spelling the complex vocabulary
1.97 Agree 12
that I have learned.
I have trouble in memorizing the new vocabulary
2.03 Agree 10
that I have learned.
I have trouble in recognizing new vocabulary
1.91 Agree 16
word.
I have trouble in learning the meaning of the
2.09 Agree 8
technical words.
I have trouble in remembering words without
2.21 Agree 4
understanding its meaning.
I have trouble in analyzing the use of word in the
1.97 Agree 13
context.
I have trouble in reading books with complex
2.18 Agree 6
vocabulary.
I have trouble in learning words with multiple
2.19 Agree 5
meaning.
I have trouble in locating the context clues of the
2.33 Agree 1
complex word used in the sentence.
I have trouble in understanding the connotation of
2.06 Agree 9
the word.
I have trouble in understanding the blended
1.79 Agree 18
words.
I have trouble in memorizing lengthy words. 2.24 Agree 2
I have trouble in understanding the compound
1.92 Agree 14
words.
I have trouble in understanding the meaning of
1.76 Agree 20
words that contain affixes.
I have trouble in determining the different
2.00 Agree 11
meaning of the words that have the same spelling.
I have trouble in encouraging myself to study the
1.79 Agree 19
new words I encountered.
OVERALL MEAN 2.03 Agree
Legend: 1.00-1.66 Disagree 1.67-2.33-Agree 2.34-3.00- Strongly Agree
 11

The results under vocabulary learning problems of the first-year English major of
the university experience the top five vocabulary problems on the following: trouble in
locating the context clues of the complex word used in the sentence which Nassaji (2004)
concluded that learners “need good vocabulary knowledge to derive word meanings from
context successfully” which points out the second problem which is trouble in
memorizing lengthy words. According to Baniabdelrahman and Al-Shumaimeri (2014),
university students have difficulty memorizing new vocabulary, mainly because they
have difficulty memorizing the prefix and suffix. Another problem that students faces is
learning the definition of the new vocabulary wording which according to Wilkins
(1972), "while without grammar, very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary,
nothing can be conveyed" which means that learners should engage themselves in deep
learning. The fourth problem is trouble in remembering words without understanding its
meaning in which according to Dai and Yang (2012) said that language learners
sometimes believe they are unable to remember terms that they have attempted to learn.
Lastly, trouble in learning words with multiple meaning among others which is greatly
supported by Mazzoco (1997), who claimed that learners have immense difficulties in
comprehending how homonyms are used in different contexts.
The results above exemplified Bartlett's Schema Theory that describes that
schema of past experiences or past knowledge has a role in the students' new learning.
Without the schema of the past knowledge, students will have difficulty learning new
words. According to Jenkins & Dixon (1893), students who acquired limited schemas, or
prior knowledge, have more difficulty learning new words.

Table 3
Results of the Test of Hypothesis on the Relationship Between
Respondents’ Profile and their Vocabulary Learning Problems Paired with the
Different Variables
Critical
Computed
df Value P- Cramer Decision
Variables Value of Interpretation
of Chi- Value V on Ho
Chi-Square
Square

Age 5.94 4 9.49 0.2037 0.300 Accept Not Significant

Gender 0.53 2 5.99 0.7672 0.1267 Accept Not Significant

Reading
2.74 8 15.51 0.9496 0.2038 Accept Not Significant
Habits

Table 3 illustrates the results of the relationship between the respondents' profile
and their vocabulary learning problems. Cramer's V, P-value, and Chi-square were
computed to determine the relationship between participant's profile and vocabulary
learning problems. The results connoted no significant relationship between participants'
profile in terms of age, gender, and reading habits as shown in the computed values of
chi-square, which are lesser than the critical values; the P-values are more than the
 12

significance level of 0.05 in the computed chi-square values, which are less than the
critical values, we accept the null hypothesis. Cramer's V values are not close to 1; it
shows no strong association between the profile of the respondents and their vocabulary
learning problems. It implies that the profiles of the respondents do not affect the
vocabulary learning problems of the respondents. Ausubel's Assimilation Learning
Theory describes that students learn best when they decide to connect new data to a
significant part of their current information, which he termed meaningful learning.
Ausubel's theory likewise centers on significant learning. According to the assimilation
theory of learning, new information is assimilated or incorporated into a student's
anchoring system (Seel, 2012). The profile of the students is not a factor in learning new
vocabularies. As stated in our supporting theory, to acquire and learn new vocabularies,
students must engage themselves to read and write and reconnect to old schemas that
have nothing to do with their profiles. So, the reason why they agreed to the vocabulary
problems is that they experienced them firsthand. The reading habits say that rereading is
the most used technique in reading. It means that they are having issues or troubles with
the words in the story, for example, and the best way to understand it is to look for the
meaning of the difficult words and read the story over again.

CONCLUSION

Based on the findings, the researchers concluded that first-year English major
students have problems in learning vocabulary. The top five vocabulary problems are;
trouble in locating the context clues of the complex word used in the sentence, trouble in
memorizing lengthy words, trouble in learning the definition of the new vocabulary word,
trouble in remembering words without understanding its meaning, trouble in learning
words with multiple meaning. From the Schema Theory of Bartlett, this theory guides the
learners to stimulate understanding of the new knowledge based on the previous
knowledge. The respondents having vocabulary problems have limited prior knowledge
because they have faced difficulties in learning new knowledge.

.
 13

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