Final Manuscript

LEVEL OF DIFFICULTIES OF ABEL STUDENTS
IN LEARNING FOREIGN LANGUAGE
An Undergraduate Thesis
Presented to the Faculty of the
Bachelor of Arts in English Language Program
PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Lingayen, Pangasinan
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for

The Degree Bachelor of Arts
In English Language
JIM AIRIES S. PANINGBATAN
MILKEE MAE M. RAQUINO
RYZELLE VIEVE A. REPUDAS

Pangasinan State University Bachelor of Arts
in English Language
APPROVAL SHEET
In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree Bachelor of Arts in
English Language, this undergraduate thesis entitled, “THE LEVEL OF
DIFFICULTIES OF ABEL STUDENTS IN LEARNING FOREIGN LANGUAGE,”
has been prepared and submitted by JIM AIRIES S. PANINGBATAN, MILKEE
MAE M. RAQUIÑO and RYZELLE VIEVE A. REPUDAS, is hereby
recommended for approval and acceptance
MINERVA JOY B. PEDRALVEZ, Ed.D. SUSAN D. TIAGSON, Ed.D.

Subject Teacher Adviser/Critic Reader
Approved and Passed by the Committee in Oral Examination
JULIUS SISON
Chairperson
CHRISTINE IÑEZ PADLAN SALOME DE GUZMAN

Member Member
Accepted and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for

the degree Bachelor of Arts in English Language
JESSIE S. PARAGAS, Ed.D. RANDY JOY M. VENTAYEN, DBA, DIT

Chairperson Campus Executive Director
AB English Language Department PSU- Lingayen Campus
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in English Language
ABSTRACT
Title: The Level of Difficulties of ABEL students in learning Foreign

Language.
Researchers: Jim Airies S. Paningbatan, Milkee Mae M. Raquino, Ryzelle

Vieve A. Repudas
Degree : Bachelor of Arts in English Language
Institution: Pangasinan State University

Lingayen Campus
Adviser : Susan D. Tiangson
Date of Completion: 1st Semester, SY 2022-2023
This research study investigated the level of difficulties of ABEL students
in learning Foreign Language among Pangasinan State University-Lingayen
Campus fourth-year Bachelor of Arts in English Language students. The
variables included in this study are name, sex and, grades in 3 foreign
languages which are Nihongo, Spanish and, Korean. The study's population
consisted of 80 students from two sections of fourth year ABEL students. .
Respondents were chosen using purposive sampling method.The
researchers used a descriptive survey method to conduct the research. The
main data-gathering instrument used in the research was a survey
questionnaire. This study used the Chi-square correlation to identify if there
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are significant relationships between the respondent’s profile variables and
the level of difficulties of Abel students in learning foriegn language in terms
of speaking reading, listening and writing. The findings showed that the
respondents were neutral with a descriptive equivalent of moderate in
speaking and listening. However the respondents have high difficulty in
reading and writing when it comes to learning foreign language.
Furthermore, in terms of reading in learning foreign language, respondents
agreed that they were confused and hardly remember details when reading
text written in foreign language, they could hardly grasp the meaning of the
words used in the text using foreign language and they got difficulty in
analyzing the context of the passage written in foreign language. And in
terms writing in learning foreign language most of the respondents agreed
that they can’t write quickly in foreign language, they can’t write foreign
language without reference, they can’t construct simple phrases and
sentences using the writing system in foreign language and It is difficult for
them to answer my written activities and assignments in foreign language
because they are not familiar with the words and writing system of these
foreign language. However in terms of speaking and listening the
respondents were impartial in all the indicators statements given. So this
lead the researchers to recommend that foreign language instructors should
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in English Language
focus and adopt teaching strategies that enhance the writing and reading
ability of ABEL students to mend their high level of difficulties in learning
foreign languages. Foreign language instructors should provide activities
that can improve the writing skills and reading skills of the students.
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in English Language
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This research study would not have been accomplished without the generosity
and assistance of those who assisted us in completing this research.
The Bachelor of Arts in English Language Faculty, for being our constant
source of strength and inspiration throughout the previous three academic years;
Dr. Susan D. Tiangson, our research adviser, for her unwavering support,
patience, and encouragement, and for always welcoming questions and concerns.
Without her guidance, none of this would have been possible;
Dr. Minerva Joy B. Pedralvez, our research instructor, for her guidance and
unrelenting patience towards the entire class of IV-ABEL-B;
The researchers’ families for providing constant support and encouragement
during the duration of their research;
The friends of the researchers who assisted in the development of this research
in any manner;
The Lord Almighty, for His unending wisdom, guidance, and mercy.
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DEDICATION
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
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in English Language
TITLE PAGE i
APPROVAL SHEET ii
ABSTRACT iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENT v
DEDICATION vi
LIST OF FIGURE x
LIST OF TABLES x
CHAPTER 1 THE PROBLEM
Background of the Study 1
Statement of the Problem 3
Null Hypothesis 4
Significance of the Study 5
Scope and Delimitation of the Study 6
Definition of Terms 6
CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES
Related Literature and Studies 9
Synthesis of Reviewed Literature and Studies 15
Research Paradigm 16
CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY
Research Design 18
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Locale of the Study 18
Respondents 19
Data Gathering instrument 19
Data Gathering Procedure 20
Statistical Treatment of the data 20
CHAPTER 4 PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS, AND

INTERPRETATION OF DATA
Profile of the Respondents 23
Level of difficulties of the Respondents 26
Correlation between the Profile Variables and 30
Level of difficulties of the Respondents
CHAPTER 5 FINDINGS, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATION
Summary 39
Findings 39
Conclusion 42
Recommendation 42
BIBLIOGRAPHY 44
APPENDICES
A Survey- Questionnaire
B Initial Statistics Clearance
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C Final Statistics Clearance
D CFL Certificate in Plagiarism
E CFL Certificate in Grammarly
CURRICULUM VITAE
LIST OF FIGURE
Figure Title Page
1 Research Paradigm 17
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LIST OF TABLES
Table Title Page
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1 The Frequency and Percentage Distribution of 23

the Respondents’ Age (n=80)

the Respondents’ Gender (n=80)

the Respondents’ Grades (n=80)
4 The Result of the Level of Difficulties of ABEL 26

Students in learning Foreign Language in terms
of Speaking.

of Reading.

of Listening.

of Writing.
8 Correlation between Age and the level of 30

difficulties of ABEL students in learning Foreign
Language
9 Correlation between Sex and the level of 33
Language
10 Correlation between Grades and the level of 36
Language
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1
Pangasinan State University Bachelor of

Arts in English Language
CHAPTER 1
THE PROBLEM
Background of the Study
The study of foreign languages is becoming a more important
component of education worldwide. According to Wivers (2018), the teaching
and learning of foreign languages (FL) has been expanding throughout
different educational contexts and different parts of the world for a number of
years.
In the Philippines, there is strong public support for learning languages
other than the local language. It was all evident from the beginning of the
Bilingual Education Policy implementation phase in 1974, when English was
recognized as one of the instructional media, to DepEd establishing a Special
Program in Foreign Language in 2009. (SPFL). In addition, CHED released
Memorandum Order No. 24 Series of 2017, which includes the Policies,
Standards, and Guidelines for the Bachelor of Arts in English Language
(ABEL) students, a memo implementing the inclusion of foreign languages into
their curriculum. According to World Economic Forum (2017), studying a
foreign language makes people tolerant or flexible when it comes to
recognizing the diversity of world views.
Alderson, Brun Faut and Harding (2014) examined how diagnosis is
practiced across a range of professions in order to develop a tentative

2

framework for a theory of diagnosis in second or foreign language (SFL)
assessment. In developing this framework, a list of five broad principles
covering the entire diagnostic assessment enterprise was proposed. However,
questions about how to best apply these principles in practice remain,
particularly in identifying learners' strengths and weaknesses in the less well-
documented fields of SFL reading and listening.
On interactive models, Theorists Rumelhart (1980) concludes that, at
least for skilled or advanced readers, top-down and bottom-up processing in
reading seem to occur simultaneously. Rumelhart concludes that
comprehension is dependent on both graphic information and the information
in the reader’s mind. Comprehension, therefore, may be obstructed when a
critical skill or a piece of knowledge is missing. In a case such as this, the
skilled reader compensates by decoding a word, relying on context, or both
word and context.
According to Horwitz et.al (1986), he states that speaking anxiety refers
to the subjective feeling of tension, apprehension, and worry adjoined with
autonomic nervous system. Students who are overly concerned about their
speaking may become so anxious when they make errors.
Wipf (1984) describes listening is an invisible mental process, making it
difficult to describe. Listeners must discriminate between sounds, understand
vocabulary and grammatical structures, interpret stress and intention, retain

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and interpret this within the immediate as well as the larger socio-cultural
context of the utterance. And Rost (2002) defines listening, in its broadest
sense, as a process of receiving what the speaker actually says (receptive
orientation); constructing and representing meaning (constructive orientation);
negotiating meaning with the speaker and responding (collaborative
orientation); and, creating meaning through involvement, imagination and
empathy (transformative orientation). Listening is a complex, active process of
interpretation in which listeners match what they hear with what they already
know.
However, learning and studying foreign languages at university is a
source of stress and anxiety for many students. The majority of the time,
teachers of foreign languages are not equipped to recognize particular learning
requirements or to offer certain accommodations. Students must be proficient
in speaking, reading, listening and writing in order to communicate effectively
but many students have difficulty learning another language. It is not
uncommon for students to require additional resources in learning to speak
and write and also learning foreign languages through reading and listening.
These difficulties prompt researchers to investigate the issue and attempt to
solve it.
Statement of the Problem

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The objective of the study is to identify the level of difficulties of ABEL
students in learning foreign language. Specifically, the study aims to answer
the following questions:
1. What is the demographic profile of the fourth-year Bachelor of Arts in
English Language students in terms of:
a.) age
b.) sex
c.) grades in 3 foreign language subjects?
2. What is the level of difficulty of the students in learning the foreign language
in terms of the following linguistic skills?
a.) reading,
b.) listening,
c.) speaking, and
d.) writing?
3. Is there a significant relationship between the profile of ABEL students and
the level of difficulty in learning foreign language?
Null Hypothesis
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There is no significant relationship between the profile of ABEL students
and the level of difficulty in learning foreign language.
Significance of the Study
This paper came about because the researchers wanted to find
concrete research on the difficulties of students in learning a foreign language
and help students conquer these challenges, as well as provide suggested
strategies for instructors/professors in teaching foreign language subject.
University Administrators. The findings of this study will provide solutions
and will be use as a reference for the improvement of the ABEL program,
which could provide direction and better development of English language
skills and a more improved language performance of students.
Foreign Language Teachers. Learners experiencing difficulties in acquiring
another language and this study will help the foreign language teachers to
know the reasons why the learners show poor academic performance in
foreign language class. The foreign language teachers will be more familiarize
in the struggles of his/her students and will suggest and provide solutions.
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Students. Not all students show good academic performance in foreign
language class and this study is very essential for them to address their issues
and difficulties.
University Administrators. The findings of this study will provide solutions
and will be use as a reference for the improvement of the AB English
Language program, which could provide direction and better development of
English language skills and a more improved language performance of
students.
The Researcher Themselves. The study provide themselves a better and
deep understanding about the topic, to learn something and enhance their
problem-solving skills and challenge themselves in new ways.
Future researchers. The study's findings, conclusions, and recommendations
will serve as a guide and basis for future researchers to conduct research.
Scope and Delimitation of the Study
The study was focused on the level of difficulties of ABEL students in
the foreign language learning in terms of reading, listening, and listening of
selected 4th year college students of Pangasinan State University, Lingayen
campus during the First Semester of Academic Year 2022-2023. The
respondents of the study will be composed of 80 randomly selected 4 th year
students which comprise 100% of the total population.

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The researchers considered working on this study to find out if there’s a
significant relationship between the profile of ABEL students and the level of
difficulty in foreign language learning.
Definition of Terms
This gives readers an understanding of the concepts or factors that will
be discussed throughout this study, as well as contextual information as to how
they will be using these concepts in this study.
Foreign Language. Language Humanities defined foreign language as any
language that is not native to a particular region or person. In this study, it
refers to a subject where it is taken by ABEL students.
Reading. Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary defined reading as reading (of
something) the particular way in which you understand a book, situation, etc.
synonym interpretation. In this study, it refers to how difficult to students in
reading a foreign language.
Listening. Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary defined listening as
[intransitive] to pay attention to somebody/something that you can hear. In this
study, it refers to how difficult to students in listening to foreign language.
Speaking. Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary defined speaking as
[intransitive] to talk to somebody about something; to have a conversation with

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somebody. In this study, it refers to how difficult to students in speaking in
foreign language.
Writing. Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary defined writing as
[uncountable] the activity of writing books, articles, etc., especially as a job ·
the process of writing for publication In this study, it refers to how difficult to
students in writing a foreign language.
Difficulties. Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary defined difficulties as the
state or condition of being difficult. In this study, it refers to the condition of
being difficult of the ABEL students in learning a foreign language.
Level of Difficulties. Collins Dictionary defined level of difficulties as a level in
a point on a scale, for example a scale of amount, quality, or difficulty. In this
study, it refers to the scale on how it is difficult for ABEL students in foreign
language learning.
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CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES
This chapter presents the significant readings in related to the present
study. Information gathered from the available research provided a foundation
for understanding and helped to suggest a variety of reasons for the difficulties
they’ve experienced.
Related Literature
A blog by IELTS Blogs, (What are the Difficulties of Learning a
foreign Language and how you can overcome them?) “It is true that
acquiring new language skill is by no means an easy task. Language learners

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might encounter several challenges such as unfamiliar accents or grammar
structures in the process of learning a foreign language.”
When it comes to languages, it is undeniably crucial to get used to
native accent and intonation for effective communication. However, picking up
an accent can be enormously difficult, especially for adult’s learners because
of their lack of language learning ability. If a language learner has an
unrecognizable accent and intonation, they would not be understood by native
speakers. On the top of that, each language has different grammar and typical
grammatical sequencing of words.
Teaching language through literature gives student motivation for
learning. As Scott (2004) states “When I teach my advanced French grammar
course, students engage in a semi-traditional, systematic study of grammar,
and are also required to read a novel. The novel is selected for its relevance to
students’ experiences in order to engage them in extensive reading for
pleasure” (p. 278). Scott observes that learners use grammar actively through
reading literature. Furthermore, Mason (2004) observes that literature is more
pleasant and interesting than traditional methods of instruction, and learners
can obtain other aspects of language from literary works.
According to Sharipova Feruza Negmatulloyevna (2019). The article
highlights some of the challenges associated with listening to foreign speech.
Listening is by no means a simple sort of speech action, and the perception

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and understanding of speech is a fairly complicated mental activity. Listening is
the main way that learning a foreign language and honing communication
abilities are accomplished. Since hearing should be trained more than other
talents, it really presents the most challenges. One of the most difficult speech
activities is listening; it is not a simple speaking action. The auditor's inability to
control activities is the biggest challenge to listening. The only linguistic action
where nothing depends on the person doing it is listening.
According to Erin (2022) it’s not easy to learn a language vastly different
than your own (think English speakers struggling with Korean, or a Thai native
wrestling with Arabic). Interestingly, studies show that these difficulties are not
due to personal aversions to challenge, but rather, to neurological preferences.
According to Sophie (2022) Learning a language can be incredibly
difficult when you feel you can’t communicate with real people. While it’s easy
to understand how filling out textbook worksheets wouldn’t improve your
speaking skills, even resources like YouTube videos and podcasts have their
pitfalls – namely, there’s no live interaction! One of the main reasons people
find learning a new language so hard is that they haven’t had any contact with
native speakers in the early stages of their journey. Then when they do, they
find it overwhelming or embarrassing. This makes the process less engaging
and fun because speaking to other people is usually the first aim of learning a
language.
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According to Olly Richard, Reading is a complex skill. When it comes to
reading in a foreign language, studies have shown that we abandon most of
these reading skills we take for granted in our mother tongue. Instead of using
a mixture of micro-skills to help us understand a difficult text, we simply start at
the beginning and try to understand every single word. Inevitably, we come
across unknown or difficult words and quickly get frustrated with our lack of
understanding.
According to Bernadine (2018) Some new language learners complain
that learning a new language is difficult, although we cannot say that it is a
general occurrence because there are people who find that second language
acquisition is easy. The widespread use of the Internet and globalization made
world leaders realize that more people should learn other languages for
several reasons, including international trade, effective and faster
communication, additional business and job opportunities and narrowing the
language gap.
It is very easy to say that people should be learning a new language and
that bilingualism opens more doors for business, employment and personal
relationships. It’s the actual process of learning a language that is difficult,
based on the premise that learning something new is naturally hard to do
initially.
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Related Studies
This section reviewed some studies related to the difficulties in learning
foreign languages. In the study of Quintos (2021), (Difficulties in Learning
Japanese as a Foreign Language), the author is aware of the challenges
involved in learning another language, particularly Nihongo. Students' difficulty
in hearing the video clips played in class are highlighted, as well as how the
teacher's accent and the pace of the conversation effect the students'
comprehension of the lesson. Also, there are pronunciation issues; according
to the author, these issues relate to using the right sounds, intonation, and
emphasized syllables while pronouncing words. The challenges with reading
come next. The Japanese language, on the other hand, utilizes characters that
students could find challenging to read and that also require a lot of time to
grasp by searching up the meaning of each character the learner is reading,
unlike English and Filipino, which both use the same Roman alphabet. Writing
problems are also evident in the study, where the student has trouble
organizing words to construct sentences.
From the information given, having these difficulties in speaking,
reading,
pronunciation, and writing, you cannot actually communicate or express your
thoughts in general. Having Nihongo abilities and competency is important not
just for meeting course requirements but also for recognizing the significance
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of learning the language for future employment and travel. While this is
accepted, resource restrictions, such as limited exposure to Japanese
dialogues and writing systems, time limits, material appropriateness and
sufficiency, and instructional methodologies play a significant role in students'
challenges.
The study “Students’ Views on Language Skills in Foreign Language
Teaching” conducted by Yasemin Darancık (2018) discovered that toughest
lesson to learn is how to speak. Writing, listening comprehension, speaking,
and finally reading come after. Although one may use poor grammar and still
be understood when speaking, writing requires highly excellent grammar and
vocabulary skills. On the other hand, it is claimed that one's listening
comprehension ability is more challenging than others since it is tough to learn
from someone who is speaking fast and in a foreign language. Speaking is the
toughest skill to learn due to the lack of possibilities for practical application
and the poor usage of a foreign language. It is suggested that more speaking
courses be provided. Also, speaking requires for a broad vocabulary, clear
grammar, and the ability to improve listening comprehension.
Based from the study of (Deneme & Demirel, 2012), the four
fundamental language abilities must be developed and reinforced in line with
the level and requirements of the learners in order for education and training in
foreign language courses to be successful and effective. It has become

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standard practice to teach fundamental language abilities in that manner in a
foreign language course, taking into account the phases at which a child learns
his mother tongue. By studying educational textbooks, one may observe that
hearing comprehension is frequently covered first, then reading, then talking,
and lastly writing.
In addition, in the study of Krug, Shafer, Dardick, Magalis, and
Parente (2002) “A test of foreign language acquisition: paired‐association
learning”, discovered that acquiring words in a foreign language (FL) requires
strong phonological and orthographic knowledge. That children have problems
learning a FL if they have trouble recalling word-sound relationships fast. The
authors proposed that students' failure to link words to sounds limited their
ability to encode and decode word/sound pairings and indicated a breakdown
in the initial stages of learning a foreign language. Due to problems with the
phonological and/or orthographic structure, these children may be at a
disadvantage in their ESL studies. Due to the strong correlation between first
language acquisition abilities and second language acquisition abilities, it is
predictable that learners whose first language acquisition abilities do not match
those that would be beneficial in learning ESL will have some difficulty picking
up Foreign Language. More precisely, ESL students whose first language is
not alphabetical and who did not learn their native language using an
alphabetically coded system will find it more difficult to learn other languages.
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From the information given, having these difficulties in speaking,
reading, pronunciation, and writing, you cannot actually communicate or
express your thoughts in general. Having Nihongo abilities and competency is
important not just for meeting course requirements but also for recognizing the
significance of learning the language for future employment and travel. While
this is accepted, resource restrictions, such as limited exposure to Japanese
dialogues and writing systems, time limits, material appropriateness and
sufficiency, and instructional methodologies play a significant role in students’
challenges.
Synthesis of Related Studies and the Present Study
The literature reviewed shows that it is true that learning a new
language is not at all simple. When studying a foreign language, language
learners may run into a number of difficulties, especially when it comes in
listening, writing, speaking, and reading. Additionally, the fact that most
students still use their native tongue in class presents a significant obstacle for
foreign language learners while speaking. Because it is simpler for them to
express themselves in their own tongue, they speak in their native tongue
throughout classes.
The gap in this literature is that they do not explicitly bring out what is
the level of difficulties face by students in learning foreign language

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The studies reviewed show the difficulties of learning a new language,
particularly Nihongo. Students’ difficulty in hearing the video clips played in
class are highlighted, as well as how the teacher’s accent and the pace of the
conversation effect the students’ comprehension of the lesson. Moreover, it
showed that students with problems learning a foreign language also had
issues learning their native language, which affected their ability to learn a
foreign language. It also showed that issues with one language skill, such as
phonology or orthography, were likely to have an adverse effect on both the
native language and the foreign language. The most difficult lesson to be
learned is speaking. After speaking, listening-comprehension comes, then
writing, and finally reading.
The goal of this study was to see the level of difficulty of the students in
foreign language in terms of the following linguistic skills; Reading, Listening,
Writing, and Speaking, As a result, the researcher sought to determine whether
there is relationship between the profile of ABEL students and the level of
difficulty in foreign language learning.
Research Paradigm
INDEPENDENT DEPENDENT
Demographic Profile of
the Respondents in terms
of:
Level of difficulties in
a. Sex Learning Foreign
b. Age Language
c. Grades in 3 Foreign
Language
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Figure 1. The Research Paradigm
Figure 1 shows the correlation between the independent profile

variables such as sex, age and grades in foreign language and the level
of difficulties in learning foreign language as independent variable.
CHAPTER 3
METHODOLOGY
This chapter imparts to readers the vision of how the research design,
the locale and the respondents of the study, the data gathering procedure, the
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data gathering instrument, and the statistical treatment of data were utilized in
the study.
Research Design
The researchers used the descriptive method in this study as they aimed to
describe the situations or cases about the level of difficulties in learning a
foreign language. The descriptive method is also based on a theory-based
design method, which was created by gathering, analyzing, and presenting
collected data, which the researchers also employed. It also sought to explain
what the level of difficulties of ABEL students' in learning a foreign language.
Furthermore, the researchers used this descriptive method to gain a better
understanding of the needs of the study.
Research Locale
This study was conducted at the Pangasinan State University –
Lingayen Campus. The willingness of the respondents to collaborate in
conducting the study will compel students in the fourth year of ABEL to use this
technique.
The Respondents of the study

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The respondents of this study were the 80 ABEL 4 th year students of
Pangasinan State University-Lingayen Campus for the 1 st semester, academic
year 2022 – 2023.
Data Gathering Instrument
The main data-gathering instrument that was used in this study is Google
Forms, a web-based app used to create forms for data collection purposes
(Love, 2014). The survey instrument was used to determine the level of
difficulties of AB English Language students in the foreign language learning.
The questionnaire consists of a checklist type in which the student can check
the item that is on the choices by choosing the best that corresponds to their
answer and a questionnaire in which they can answer based on their own
experience and opinions in choosing on the Likert scale that the researcher
prepared through Google forms. The questionnaire checklist and the Likert
scale questionnaire were used to gather the needed data which specifically
sought to answer the problems presented in the statement of the problem.
Data Gathering Procedure

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Prior to the supervision of the questionnaire, the researchers supervised
the questionnaire before its distribution and worked with the participating
instructors to achieve the goals of the study. Before distributing the survey
questionnaire to the respondents, the researchers obtained consent from the
Research Statistician for initial and final statistics clearance, as well as
permission from the research adviser.
Statistical Treatment of the Data
The Statistical treatment of data is an important thing in conducting a
study, since through statistics, we can properly analyze the data that comes
from the online questionnaire that will be answered by the chosen respondents
in order to come up with an accurate conclusion.
The data gathered will be carefully analyzed, interpreted and
reviewed in making the necessary actions. To answer the problem no.1 about
the profile of the respondents in terms of age, sex and their grades in foreign
language subjects. The researchers used frequency counts and percentage
shown by the formula below
f
P= x 100
n
Where:
P is the percent
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F is the frequency
N is the number of populations
100 is a constant value
The objective of Research Question Number 2 was to show the the level
of difficulties of abel students in learning foriegn language in terms of speaking
reading, listening and writing through the Likert five-point scales, Weighted
Mean is also used. On this account, the rubric is used respectively for each
variable.
The descriptive equivalent were used to interpret as Very High, High,
Neutral, Low, and Very Low, referring to the level of difficulties in learning
foriegn language of the student respondents.
The Likert scale with the following five-point rating scale will be
used to determine the data gathered based on the respondents. For the level
of difficulties in foreign language in the four macro-skills, a 5-level scale of
Agreement is used.
Numerical Value Descriptive Rating Descriptive Equivalent
5 Strongly Agree Very High
4 Agree High
3 Neutral Neutral
2 Disagree Low
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1 Strongly Disagree Very Low
To answer the problem 3 was to carry out statistical analysis to
correlate the level of difficulties of abel students in learning foriegn language in
terms of speaking reading, listening and writing and their profile variables.
To determine the significant relationship between the respondent’s profile
variables and the level of difficulties of abel students in learning foriegn
language in terms of speaking reading, listening and writing, the Chi-square
were used.
The Chi-square was operationally defined by the formula.
The Chi-Square is denoted by χ2. The chi-square formula is:

24

CHAPTER 4
PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS, AND INTERPRETATION OF

DATA
This chapter contained the data gathered, analyzed, and interpreted by the
researchers. The analysis and interpretation of the findings in this chapter
presented the relevant and substantial data gathered in accomplishing the goal
of this study, “The Level of Difficulties of ABEL Students in Learning Foreign
Language." This portion of the study presented the results and discussion of all
the data gathered using a table. Analysis and interpretation of data are done
after the tabular presentation.
Table 1
The Frequency and Percentage Distribution of the Respondents’ Age
(n=80)
Age of the
Respondents Frequency Percentage
21 years old 24 30%
22 years old 44 55%
23 years old 10 13%
24 years old 1 1%
27 years old 1 1%
Total 80 100%
The respondents were the fourth-year Bachelor of Arts in English
Language students. The percentage distribution and frequency of respondents

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by age are visualized in Table 1. The majority of the respondents’ age is 22
years old, accounting for 44 of the total respondents with 55%, while 24 of the
respondents’ age is 21 years old, making up for 30%, 10 of the respondents’
age is 23 years old, taking account for 13%, and the least respondents’ age
are 24 and 27 years old with the same 1 of counting numbers, taking account
for 1%. As a result, the majority of the respondents’ age is 22 years old.
Sex of the Respondents
Table 2
The Frequency and Percentage Distribution of the Respondents’ Gender
(n=80)
Sex of the
Respondents Frequency Percentage
Male 15 19%
Female 65 81%
Total 80 100%
As shown in Table 2, the study had 80 respondents, 15 are males,
accounting for 19% of the total number of respondents and 65 are females,
making up for 81% of the total respondents. As a result, the majority of
respondents are females.

26

Table 3
The Frequency and Percentage Distribution of the Respondents’ GPA

GPA Frequency Percentage
1.25 1 1%
1.33 2 3%
1.42 2 3%
1.50 7 9%
1.58 3 4%
1.67 11 14%
1.75 16 20%
1.83 11 14%
1.92 11 14%
2.00 4 5%
2.08 2 3%
2.17 6 8%
2.25 2 3%
2.33 1 1%
2.58 1 1%
Total 80 100%
The majority of the respondents’ GPA in foreign languages is 1.75,
accounting for 16 of the total respondents with 20%, 1.67, 1.83, and 1.92
respondents' GPA are 11 each, making up 14%; 7 of the respondents have
1.50, which is 9%; 6 of the respondents have 2.17, which is 8%, 1.33, 1.42,
2.08, and 2.25 respondents are all 2 each, which is equivalent to 3%; and 1.25,
2.33, and 2.58 respondents have 1 each, which is equivalent to 1%. Therefore,
27

Table 4
The level of difficulties of ABEL students in learning Foreign Language in terms of
Speaking
the majority GPA of the respondents is 1.75, and the least GPA of the
respondents is 1.25, 2.33, and 2.58.
INDICATORS STATEMENT Mean Descriptive Rating Interpretation

1. I can’t speak well in foreign language
because I am not familiar with the
alphabets of these three foreign subjects
3.73 Agree High
I took.
2. I don’t know how to pronounce
properly the alphabets of those three 3.45 Neutral Moderate
foreign subjects I took.
3. I don’t know how to speak and
pronounce the basic words like numbers,
months and days of these three foreign
3.20 Neutral Moderate
subjects I took.
4. I can’t construct or speak a simple
phrase/sentence using the foreign 3.29 Neutral Moderate
language.
5. I can’t communicate well or even
participate during the discussion
because I don’t understand my instructor
using the foreign language.
GWA 3.39 Neutral Moderate
Table 4 shows the level of difficulties of ABEL students in learning
foreign language in terms of speaking. The weighted mean of the first
indication statement is 3.73. 3.45 is the second indication statement. 3.20 is
the value of the third indicator statement. A 3.29 is assigned to the fourth
indication statement. The weighted mean of the fifth indicator statement is
3.29. With a general weighted mean of 3.39 and a descriptive rating of
“Neutral” and an interpretation of ‘’Moderate’’, the respondents were impartial

28

to their level of difficulties in learning foreign language particularly in speaking.
The result was supported by the study of
Table 5
The level of difficulties of ABEL students in learning Foreign Language in
terms of Reading
Descriptive
INDICATORS STATEMENT
Mean Rating Intrepretation
1. I was confused and hardly remember details when
reading text written in foreign language. 3.65 Agree High
2. I could hardly grasp the meaning of the words used

in the text using foreign language. 3.53 Agree High
3. I get difficulty in analyzing the context of the passage

written in foreign language. 3.68 Agree High
4. I can’t comprehend the passage/words that I read

because of unfamiliar words used in the foreign
language text. 3.50 Neutral Moderate
5. I feel very uncomfortable when I have to read foreign

language aloud. 3.38 Neutral Moderate
GWA 3.545 Agree High
Table 5 shows the level of difficulties of ABEL students in learning foreign
language in terms of reading. The weighted mean of the first indicator
statement is 3.65. 3.53 is the second indicator statements weighted mean.
3.68 is the value of the third indicator statement. 3.50 is the mean for the fourth
indicator statement, and the weighted mean of the fifth indicator statement is
3.38. With a general weighted average of 3.545 and a descriptive rating of

29

“Agree” and an interpretation of ‘’Low’’, Therefore the respondents agreed that
their level of difficulties in learning foreign language particularly in speaking is
High.
Table 6
The level of difficulties of ABEL students in learning Foreign Language in
terms of Listening
Descriptive
1. I don’t understand well the lesson when my
instructors used foreign language in speaking. 3.39 Neutral Moderate
2. I find great difficulty in understanding the text

because of varied pronunciation used in foreign 3.48 Neutral Moderate
language.
3. I got distracted when listening to foreign language.
4. I can’t write and speak using foreign language
because I can’t comprehend what my instructor is 3.25 Neutral Moderate
saying.
5. I find it difficult to understand the meaning of the
spoken language without seeing the speaker’s body
language. 3.50 Neutral Moderate
GWA 3.3825 Neutral Moderate
Table 6 shows the level of difficulties of ABEL students in learning foreign
language in terms of listening. The weighted mean of the first indication
statement is 3.39. 3.48 is the second indication statement. 3.30 is the value of
the third indicator statement. A 3.25 is assigned to the fourth indication
statement. The weighted mean of the fifth indicator statement is 3.50. With a
general weighted average of 3.3825 and a descriptive rating of “Neutral” and

30

Table 7
The level of difficulties of ABEL students in learning Foreign Language in terms of
Writing
Descriptive
1. It is hard for me to imitate the writing system of the
foreign language. 3.34 Neutral Moderate
2. I can’t write quickly in foreign language.
3.66 Agree High
3. I can’t write foreign language without reference.
3.71 Agree High
4. I can’t construct simple phrases and sentences using the
writing system in foreign language. 3.58 Agree High
5. It is difficult for me to answer my written activities and

assignments in foreign language because I am not familiar
with the words and writing system of these foreign 3.53 Agree High
language.
Average 3.5625 Agree High
an interpretation of ‘’Moderate’’, the respondents were impartial to their level of
difficulties in learning foreign language particularly in listening.
Table 7 shows the level of difficulties of ABEL students in learning
foreign language in terms of reading. The weighted mean of the first indicator
statement is 3.34. 3.66 is the second indicator statements weighted mean.
3.71 is the value of the third indicator statement. 3.58 is the mean for the fourth
indicator statement, and the weighted mean of the fifth indicator statement is
3.53. With a general weighted average of 3.5625 and a descriptive rating of

31

“Agree” and an interpretation of ‘’High’’, Therefore the respondents agreed that
their level of difficulties in learning foreign language particularly in writing is
low.
According to the results, the level of difficulties of the ABEL
student when it comes to writing is ‘’high’’. The result was supported by the
study of Rein (2002) he argued that among the four language skills, writing is
the most challenging and difficult skill for most of the foreign language learners.
Table 8
Correlation between the Age and The Level of Difficulties in terms of Speaking, Reading,
Listening and Writing
Indicators Statement Chi-square value df Sig. Interpretation

Speaking
1. I can’t speak well in foreign
language because I am not
familiar with the alphabets of 8.079 12 .779 Not Significant
these three foreign subjects I
took.

properly the alphabets of those 11.342 16 .788 Not Significant
three foreign subjects I took.

pronounce the basic words like
numbers, months and days of 8.502 16 .932 Not Significant
took.
4. I can’t construct or speak a

simple phrase/sentence using 9.231 16 .904 Not Significant
the foreign language.
32

5. I can’t communicate well or

even participate during the
discussion because I don’t
understand my instructor using 14.449 12 .273 Not Significant
Reading
1. I was confused and hardly 1
remember details when reading text 12.507 .708 Not Significant
6
written in foreign language.
2. I could hardly grasp the meaning
of the words used in the text using 1
foreign language. 10.655 .830 Not Significant
6
3. I get difficulty in analyzing the

context of the passage written in 1
14.502 .561 Not Significant
foreign language. 6
4. I can’t comprehend the

passage/words that I read because
of unfamiliar words used in the 1
foreign language text. 6
5. I feel very uncomfortable when I

have to read foreign language aloud. 1
6
Listening
1. I don’t understand well the lesson 1
when my instructors used foreign 10.303 .589 Not Significant
2
language in speaking.
2. I find great difficulty in
understanding the text because of
varied pronunciation used in foreign 1
language. 2
3. I got distracted when listening to

foreign language. 1
2
4. I can’t write and speak using

foreign language because I can’t
comprehend what my instructor is 1
saying. 6
5. I find it difficult to understand the

meaning of the spoken language
without seeing the speaker’s body 1
language. 2
33

Writing
1. It is hard for me to imitate the 1
writing system of the foreign 2
language.
2. I can’t write quickly in foreign 1
language. 22.760 .120 Not Significant
6
3. I can’t write foreign language 1
without reference. 27.673 .035 Significant
6
4. I can’t construct simple phrases
and sentences using the writing 1
system in foreign language. 4.790 .965 Not Significant
2
5. It is difficult for me to answer my

written activities and assignments in
foreign language because I am not
familiar with the words and writing 1
system of these foreign language. 2
Table 8 presented the correlation between the age and the level of
difficulties of 4th year ABEL students in learning foreign language in terms of
speaking, reading, listening and writing. There was a significant relationship
between age and the level of difficulties of 4 th year ABEL students in learning
foreign language in terms of writing in indicator statement number 3: I can’t
write foreign language without reference.
The result of this finding showed that the age and the level of difficulties
of 4th year ABEL students in learning foreign language in terms of writing were
significantly related.
Reid (2002) stated that among the four language skills, writing is
considered as the most challenging and difficult skill for most of the foreign
34

language learners. Moreover, Hu (2016) and Ellis (2015) mentioned that
research in SLA has given attention to age as a factor that affects second
language acquisition and comparisons between individuals starting early or at
a later age have been made. The results could be understood that the
respondent’s level of difficulties in learning foreign language among the four
language skills, writing is considered as the most difficult one.
Table 9
Correlation between the Sex and the Level of Difficulties in terms of Speaking, Reading,
Listening and Writing
Speaking
1. I can’t speak well in foreign .34
language because I am not 3.323 3 Not Significant
4
familiar with the alphabets of these
three foreign subjects I took.
properly the alphabets of those .89
three foreign subjects I took. 1.128 4 Not Significant
0

numbers, months and days of .41
3.948 4 Not Significant
these three foreign subjects I took. 3

simple phrase/sentence using the .24
foreign language. 5
35


.28
understand my instructor using the 3.820 3 Not Significant
2
foreign language
Reading
1. I was confused and hardly .47
remember details when reading 3.527 4 Not Significant
4
text written in foreign language.
2. I could hardly grasp the
meaning of the words used in the .24
text using foreign language. 5.468 4 Not Significant
3

context of the passage written in .30
foreign language. 5

passage/words that I read
because of unfamiliar words used .65
in the foreign language text. 0
5. I feel very uncomfortable when I

have to read foreign language .52
aloud. 5
Listening
1. I don’t understand well the .24
lesson when my instructors used 4.116 3 Not Significant
9
foreign language in speaking.
understanding the text because of
varied pronunciation used in .41
foreign language. 8
3. I got distracted when listening to

foreign language. .77
0

comprehend what my instructor is .63
saying. 8
5. I find it difficult to understand

the meaning of the spoken
language without seeing the .08
speaker’s body language. 8
36

Writing
1. It is hard for me to imitate the .13
language.
2. I can’t write quickly in foreign .77
language. 1.792 4 Not Significant
4
3. I can’t write foreign language .83
without reference. 1.481 4 Not Significant
0
4. I can’t construct simple phrases
and sentences using the writing .66
system in foreign language. 1.565 3 Not Significant
7
5. It is difficult for me to answer my

written activities and assignments
in foreign language because I am
not familiar with the words and .93
.416 3 Not Significant
writing system of these foreign 7
language.
Table 9 presents the correlation between sex and the level of difficulties
of 4th year ABEL students in learning foreign language in terms of speaking,
reading, listening and writing. The table shows the chi-square value and
significance of all indicator statements. All the indicator statements show no
significant between the level of difficulties of 4 th year ABEL students in learning
foreign language in terms of speaking and their sex. The consistency of the
frequency and percentage distribution of the respondents since the (3) foreign
languages which includes Nihongo, Spanish and Korean is not their first
language.
Catalan (2000) states that gender (or even sex), contrary with such
variables as age, motivation and learning style, is neglected in “well-known

37

and widely-cited” textbooks on second language acquisition. Ellis (1994)
pertains a small section of his Study of Second Language Acquisition to ‘sex’,
listing Labov’s (1991) observations that women use more standard forms than
men (in “stable sociolinguistic stratification”) and more “incoming forms” (when
linguistic change is at issue).
However, the results show that no matter what the sex of the
respondents is, it does not affect their level of difficulties in learning foreign
language in terms of speaking. Therefore, it concludes that sex has no
significant influence in the level of difficulties of learning foreign language of 4 th
year ABEL students.
Table 10
Correlation between the GPA and the Level of Difficulties in terms of Speaking,
Reading, Listening and Writing

Speaking
1. I can’t speak well in foreign
language because I am not .35
familiar with the alphabets of 5
took.
properly the alphabets of those .97
three foreign subjects I took. 37.436 56 Not Significant
3

numbers, months and days of .48
these three foreign subjects I 2
took.
38


simple phrase/sentence using .64
the foreign language. 0

.60
understand my instructor using 39.034 42 Not Significant
2
the foreign language
Reading
1. I was confused and hardly .78
remember details when reading 47.483 56 Not Significant
4
text written in foreign language.
2. I could hardly grasp the
meaning of the words used in the .66
text using foreign language. 51.002 56 Not Significant
4

context of the passage written in .87
foreign language. 5

passage/words that I read
because of unfamiliar words .63
used in the foreign language text. 5
5. I feel very uncomfortable when

I have to read foreign language .56
aloud. 7
Listening
1. I don’t understand well the .80
lesson when my instructors used 33.912 42 Not Significant
9
foreign language in speaking.
understanding the text because
of varied pronunciation used in .73
foreign language. 6
3. I got distracted when listening

to foreign language. .18
3

comprehend what my instructor .63
is saying. 3
39

5. I find it difficult to understand

the meaning of the spoken
language without seeing the .38
speaker’s body language. 3
Writing
1. It is hard for me to imitate the .17
language.
2. I can’t write quickly in foreign .41
language. 57.676 56 Not Significant
3
3. I can’t write foreign language .97
without reference. 37.901 56 Not Significant
0
4. I can’t construct simple
phrases and sentences using the .68
writing system in foreign 37.187 42 Not Significant
2
language.
5. It is difficult for me to answer
my written activities and
assignments in foreign language
because I am not familiar with .60
the words and writing system of 7
these foreign language.
Table 10 resents the correlation between GPA and the level of
difficulties of 4th year ABEL students in learning foreign language in terms of
speaking, reading, listening and writing. The table shows the chi-square value
and significance of all indicator statements. All the indicator statements show
no significant between the level of difficulties of 4 th year ABEL students in
learning foreign language in terms of speaking and their GPA. The consistency
of the frequency and percentage distribution of the respondents since the (3)
foreign languages which includes Nihongo, Spanish and Korean is not their
first language.
40

The results show that no matter what the GPA of the respondents is, it
does not affect their level of difficulties in learning foreign language in terms of
speaking. Therefore, it concludes that GPA has no significant influence in the
level of difficulties of learning foreign language of 4 th year ABEL students.
CHAPTER 5
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATION
This chapter contained the summary of the study, findings of the researcher
presented in Chapter IV, the conclusion of the researcher based on the
findings, and the recommendations given by the researcher for the study.
Summary
This research study was entitled “The Level of Difficulties of
ABEL students in learning Foreign Language”. The researchers chose
this study to identify the level of difficulties of ABEL students in learning
foreign language. The researchers used 80 respondents from the fourth-
year Bachelor of Arts in English Language students of Pangasinan State

41

University - Lingayen Campus. The researchers used statistical analysis
and methods for the process of the study
Findings
As the researchers had calculated the data gathered, they have drawn the
following findings for this study:
1. The profile of the respondents are as follows:
1.1 In terms of Age, the majority of the respondents were 22 years old
with 55 percent, followed by 24 years old with 30 percent, 23 years old with
13 percent and 24 and 27 years old with both 1 percent.
1.2 In terms of Sex, the majority of the respondents were female, with 81
percent of the total population, while the male had only 19 percent.
1.3 In terms of GPA, the majority of the respondents GPA were 1.75 with
20 percent, followed by 1.67, 1.83 and 1.92 with the same 14 percent, 1.50
with 9 percent, 2.17 with 8 percent, 1.58 with 4 percent, 1.33, 1.42, 2.08
and 2.25 with the same 3 percent and 1.25, 2.33 and 2.58 with the same 1
percent.
2. The level of difficulties along the macro skills is as follows:
2.1 Speaking Skills. The respondents were found “Moderately Difficult”
along with their speaking skills (3.39)

42

2.2 Reading Skills, The respondents were found “Highly Difficult” along
with their reading skills (3.545)
2.3 Listening Skills. The respondents were found “Moderately Difficult”
along with their listening skills (3.3825)
2.4 Writing Skills. The respondents were found “Highly Difficult” along with
their listening skills (3.5625)
3. Correlation between the profile variables of the respondents and their
level of difficulties in terms of speaking, reading, listening and writing.
3.1 Age and level of difficulties in terms of speaking, reading,
listening and writing. There was a significant relationship between age
and the level of difficulties of 4 th year ABEL students in learning foreign
language in terms of writing in indicator statement number 3: I can’t write
foreign language without reference.
3.2 Sex and level of difficulties in terms of speaking, reading,
listening and writing is not significant. There was no significant in all the
indicator statements between the level of difficulties of 4th year ABEL
students in learning foreign language in terms of speaking, reading,
listening and writing and their sex.
3.3 GPA and level of difficulties in terms of speaking, reading,
listening and writing is not significant. . There was no significant in all

43

the indicator statements between the level of difficulties of 4th year ABEL
students in learning foreign language in terms of speaking, reading,
listening and writing and their GPA.
Conclusion
From the findings gathered from the study, the researchers arrived at
following conclusions:
1. The respondents vary in the profile in terms of age, sex, and GPA. Most of
the respondents were in age of 22 years old and most of them were female. In
terms of GPA, the majority of the respondent’s GPA were 1.75 with 20% of the
total population.
2. The majority of the respondents had moderate level of difficulty in terms of
speaking and listening. The majority of the respondents had high level of
difficulty in terms of reading and writing.
3. There was a significant relationship between age and the level of difficulties
of 4th year ABEL students in learning foreign language in terms of writing in
indicator statement number 3: I can’t write foreign language without reference.
There was no significant relationship in all the indicator statements between

44

the level of difficulties of 4th year ABEL students in learning foreign language
in terms of speaking, reading and, listening and their sex and GPA.
Recommendation
After the findings were sorted and finalized, and the study was concluded,
the researchers made recommendations that may benefit the readers,
particularly the study's subjects and those who are interested in this topic.
These recommendations may help readers have a better understanding of the
study.
1. The current study only included students in the fourth year of the
Bachelor of Arts in English Language program. It is therefore recommended
that a more comprehensive study be conducted that includes all of
Pangasinan State University's programs that has Foreign Language
subjects.
2. Foreign Language Instructors should focus and adopt teaching
strategies that enhance the writing and reading ability of ABEL students to
mend their high level of difficulties in learning foreign languages.
3. Foreign Language Instructors should provide activities that can improve
the writing skills and reading skills of the students.

45

BIBLOGRAPHY
A. BOOK/ ACTICLES/ JOURNALS
Harding, L., Alderson, J. C., & Brunfaut, T. (2015). Diagnostic assessment
of reading and listening in a second or foreign language: Elaborating
on diagnostic principles. Language Testing.
Wipf, J. A. (1984). Strategies for teaching second language listening
comprehension. Foreign language annals, 17(4), 345.
Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M. B., & Cope, J. (1986). Foreign language
classroom anxiety. The Modern language journal, 70(2), 125-132.
IELTS Blogs. What are the Difficulties of Learning a foreign Language and
how you can overcome them? https://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-writing-
learning-a-foreign-language-and-how-to-overcome-them/
Scott, V. M. (2004). Cloze Windows and Aesthetic Discoveries: Opening
Visions for Teaching Literature.
Mason, S. (2004). Is Form-Focused Vocabulary Instruction Worth While?
RELC Journal. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/003368820403500206
Negmatulloyevna, S. (2019) The main difficulties in learning a foreign
language.
https://media.neliti.com/media/publications/333912-the-main-difficulties-
in-learning-a-fore-9c2d8d56.pdf
46

Erin. (2022). Why learning a language is hard & how to make it easier.
https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/language/why-learning-a-language-is-
hard/
Sophie. (2022) Why is learning a language so hard, and can it be made
easier?
https://preply.com/en/blog/why-is-learning-a-language-so-hard/
BERNADINE R. (2018). Learning a New Language is Difficult, but It Can Be
Done. Daily publications.
https://www.daytranslations.com/blog/why-language-learning-is-difficult/
OLLY R. Steps to read effectively in a foreign language.
https://storylearning.com/blog/reading-in-a-foreign-language
Wivers, J. (2000). Issues of language and gender in second and foreign
language education. Language teaching, 33(4), 203-223.
Ceylan, N. O. (2019). Student perceptions of difficulties in second language
writing. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 15(1), 151-
157.
Hu, R. (2016). The age factor in second language learning. Theory and
practice in language studies, 6(11), 2164-2168.
B. THESIS
47

QUINTOS, S. B. (2021) “Difficulties in Learning Japanese as a Foreign
Language: The Case of Filipino Learners.”
Darancik, Y. (2018). “Students' Views on Language Skills in Foreign
Language Teaching. International Education Studies.”
DENEME, S., & DEMİREL. (2012). “THE EFFECT OF TEACHING SUMMARY
WRITING ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF WRITING SKILLS IN A
FOREIGN LANGUAGE.” Dil Dergisi.
Krug, K., Shafer, T., Dardick, W., Magalis, C., & Parenté, R. (2002). A test
of foreign language acquisition: paired‐association learning. Applied
Cognitive Psychology: The Official Journal of the Society for
Applied Research in Memory and Cognition.

48

APPENDIX A
QUESTIONNAIRE
Dear Respondents,
We are presently conducting a study entitled “THE LEVEL OF

DIFFICULTIES OF ABEL STUDENTS IN LEARNING FOREIGN
LANGUAGES”, as a requirement of the course Bachelor of Arts in English
Language.
We would like to request you to be one of our respondents in our study.

We hope you can help us by answering the questionnaire. Rest assured that
we shall treat your responses as very confidential. Thank you!
Yours truly,
Jim Airies S. Pangingbatan

Milkee Mae M. Raquino
Ryzelle Vieve A. Repudas
Researchers
NAME:
______________________________________________________________
_
(Optional)
Part I: Demographic Profile of the students

DIRECTION: Please fill out the space with the appropriate information.
1) Age: _______
2) Sex: _______
49

3) Grades in:
FL1 Nihongo: __________

FL2 Spanish: __________
FL3 Korean: ___________
PART II: Level of Difficulties in learning Foreign Language.
DIRECTION: Below are the scale and the indicators statements to determine
the level of difficulties in learning foreign language in terms of speaking,
reading, listening and writing. Put a check (/ ) mark on each column that
corresponds to your level of difficulties in learning foreign language.
Numerical Value Descriptive Rating Descriptive Equivalent
5 Strongly Agree Very High
4 Agree High
3 Neutral Moderate
2 Disagree Low
1 Strongly Disagree Very Low
SPEAKING 5 4 3 2 1
1. I can’t speak well in
foreign language
because I am not
familiar with the
alphabets of these
three foreign subjects I
took.
2. I don’t know how to
pronounce properly
the alphabets of those
50

three foreign subjects I

took.
3. I don’t know how to
speak and pronounce
the basic words like
numbers, months and
days of these three
foreign subjects I took.
4. I can’t construct or
speak a simple
phrase/sentence using
5. I can’t communicate
well or even
participate during the
discussion because I
don’t understand my
instructor using the
foreign language.
READING 5 4 3 2 1
1. I was confused and
hardly remember
details when reading
text written in foreign
language.
2. I could hardly grasp
the meaning of the
words used in the text
using foreign language.
3. I get difficulty in
analyzing the context
of the passage written
in foreign language.
4. I can’t comprehend
the passage/words that
I read because of
unfamiliar words used
in the foreign language
51

text.
5. I feel very
uncomfortable when I
have to read foreign
language aloud.
LISTENING 5 4 3 2 1
1. I don’t understand
well the lesson when
my instructors used
foreign language in
speaking.
2. I find great difficulty
in understanding the
text because of varied
pronunciation used in
foreign language.
3. I got distracted
when listening to
foreign language.
4. I can’t write and
speak using foreign
language because I
can’t comprehend
what my instructor is
saying.
5. I find it difficult to
understand the
meaning of the
spoken language
without seeing the
speaker’s body
language.
WRITING 5 4 3 2 1
1. It is hard for me to
imitate the writing
system of the foreign
language.
52

2. I can’t write quickly

in foreign language.
3. I can’t write foreign
language without
reference.
4. I can’t construct
simple phrases and
sentences using the
writing system in
foreign language.
5. It is difficult for me
to answer my written
activities and
assignments in foreign
language because I
am not familiar with
the words and writing
system of these
foreign language.

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LEVEL OF DIFFICULTIES OF ABEL STUDENTS

IN LEARNING FOREIGN LANGUAGE

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for

JIM AIRIES S. PANINGBATAN

MILKEE MAE M. RAQUINO

RYZELLE VIEVE A. REPUDAS

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree Bachelor of Arts in

English Language, this undergraduate thesis entitled, “THE LEVEL OF

DIFFICULTIES OF ABEL STUDENTS IN LEARNING FOREIGN LANGUAGE,”

has been prepared and submitted by JIM AIRIES S. PANINGBATAN, MILKEE

MAE M. RAQUIÑO and RYZELLE VIEVE A. REPUDAS, is hereby

recommended for approval and acceptance

MINERVA JOY B. PEDRALVEZ, Ed.D. SUSAN D. TIAGSON, Ed.D.

Approved and Passed by the Committee in Oral Examination

CHRISTINE IÑEZ PADLAN SALOME DE GUZMAN

Accepted and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for

JESSIE S. PARAGAS, Ed.D. RANDY JOY M. VENTAYEN, DBA, DIT

Title: The Level of Difficulties of ABEL students in learning Foreign

Researchers: Jim Airies S. Paningbatan, Milkee Mae M. Raquino, Ryzelle

Degree : Bachelor of Arts in English Language

Institution: Pangasinan State University

Adviser : Susan D. Tiangson

Date of Completion: 1st Semester, SY 2022-2023

This research study investigated the level of difficulties of ABEL students

in learning Foreign Language among Pangasinan State University-Lingayen

Campus fourth-year Bachelor of Arts in English Language students. The

consisted of 80 students from two sections of fourth year ABEL students. .

Respondents were chosen using purposive sampling method.The

researchers used a descriptive survey method to conduct the research. The

main data-gathering instrument used in the research was a survey

questionnaire. This study used the Chi-square correlation to identify if there

are significant relationships between the respondent’s profile variables and

the level of difficulties of Abel students in learning foriegn language in terms

respondents were neutral with a descriptive equivalent of moderate in

speaking and listening. However the respondents have high difficulty in

reading and writing when it comes to learning foreign language.

Furthermore, in terms of reading in learning foreign language, respondents

analyzing the context of the passage written in foreign language. And in

terms writing in learning foreign language most of the respondents agreed

language without reference, they can’t construct simple phrases and

them to answer my written activities and assignments in foreign language

foreign language. However in terms of speaking and listening the

respondents were impartial in all the indicators statements given. So this

lead the researchers to recommend that foreign language instructors should

ability of ABEL students to mend their high level of difficulties in learning

foreign languages. Foreign language instructors should provide activities

and assistance of those who assisted us in completing this research.

Without her guidance, none of this would have been possible;

unrelenting patience towards the entire class of IV-ABEL-B;

The researchers’ families for providing constant support and encouragement

during the duration of their research;

CHAPTER 1 THE PROBLEM

Background of the Study 1

Statement of the Problem 3

Significance of the Study 5

Scope and Delimitation of the Study 6

CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

Related Literature and Studies 9

Synthesis of Reviewed Literature and Studies 15

Locale of the Study 18

Data Gathering instrument 19

Data Gathering Procedure 20