Foreign Language Learning Part 1 2 Combined

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Foreign Language Learning Part 1 2 combined
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FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING AMONG ABEL STUDENTS
An Undergraduate Thesis Presented

to the Faculty of English Language Department
PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Urdaneta Campus
Urdaneta City, Pangasinan
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
BACHELOR OF ARTS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE
By:
Coroña, Sheena Richelle M.

De Chavez, Charmaine L.
Voces, Lavishreiy Gail P.
January 2023

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APPROVAL SHEET
In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Bachelor of Arts in
English Language, this thesis entitled “Foreign Language Learning among
ABEL students” prepared and submitted by Sheena Richelle M. Coroña,
Charmaine L. de Chavez, and Lavishreiy Gail P. Voces is hereby
recommended for approval and acceptance.
MARVIN Q. CORPUZ, M.A.Ed. VIRMA CRIS L. LAGUNA

Critic Reader Adviser
PANEL OF EXAMINERS
RUBY F. AMADO, M.A.Ed.

Chairman
EDNA C. QUERIONES, Ed.D. JANILYN GRACE C. PALEB, M.A.Ed.

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

degree of Bachelor of Arts in English Language.
ELIZABETH F. EPISCOPE, Ed.D. ROY C. FERRER, Ph.D.

Dean, College of Arts and Education Campus Executive Director
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ACKNOWLEDGMENT
"If you don't sacrifice for what you want, what you want becomes the sacrifice."
Foremost, the researchers would like to express their gratitude to God almighty,
who continuously recharged and comforted them by reminding them that they
were not alone in completing this paper.
The researchers, research adviser ma'am Virma Cris Laguna, and critic reader
sir Marvin Corpuz are also gratefully acknowledged for their patience in
providing guidance and reviewing the article during the study. These people's
unflinching perseverance inspired researchers to keep going in the middle.
The adviser and critic appreciation are extended to panels being tough on the
researchers and contributing to the improvement of this study. The families,
friends, and moral support of the researchers enabled them to complete the
project they had begun.
The path taken by the researchers to complete this study is not one they take
alone. This paper's allure and quality are the results of numerous
contributions and suggestions from others.
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DEDICATION
“The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the
determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of
ourselves to the task at hand.” – Vince Lombardi
This paper is dedicated to God, our family, and our friends who give us constant
support and motivation to finish this study.
This paper is also dedicated to those who inspire us to keep moving.
We also dedicate this paper to those who work hard and gave their time and
effort to improve this study, our adviser and critic reader.
We also dedicate this paper to ourselves who work hard to finish this paper.
May this study assist future researchers and students in studying their foreign
language.
- Charmaine, Lavish, and Sheena
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ABSTRACT
Title of the Study: Foreign Language Learning Among ABEL

Students Researcher: Coroña, Sheena Richelle M.
de Chavez, Charmaine L.
Voces, Lavishreiy Gail P.
Degree/ Specialization: Bachelor of Arts in English Language
Institution: Pangasinan State University- Urdaneta City
Campus San Vicente, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan
Research Adviser: Virma Cris L. Laguna
Keywords: foreign language, Korean language, Japanese language, Chinese
language, challenges, perceived effects, strategies
This study aimed to examine the challenges, perceived effects, and strategies
that the students experienced and used while learning foreign languages,
specifically Japanese, Korean, and Chinese. This study focused on these three
languages because they are the foreign languages offered by the Bachelor of
Arts in English Language. The researchers chose these languages because they
have a different writing system than the Roman alphabet.
The study used qualitative research design and utilized semi-structured
interview as the research instrument. The researchers transcribed the recorded
interview and analyzed the data using thematic analysis. The respondents were
five (5) 4th-year ABEL students of Pangasinan State University Urdaneta
Campus. Results showed that the challenges students experienced in studying a
foreign language werethe writing system, pronunciation,
memorization, learning environment, time constraints, and
demotivation. The result also showed that the perceived effects of the
challenges of foreign language learning on students are
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emotionally draining, mentally taxing, distracting and confusing, demotivating,
and motivating. Lastly, the result showed that students' learning strategies in
studying foreign languages are cognitive, memory-related, social, and
metacognitive. This study is essential for understanding the needs and
shortcomings of learning a foreign language because it will aid both instructors
and students in their learning and teaching. The study recommended that; (1) the
students are encouraged to reward themselves after finishing an activity, (2)
teachers should give more time to discuss the writing system, pronunciation, and
rules of a foreign language, (3) teachers should expose students to the native
speakers and foreign language, (4) school organizations should have programs
or seminars about mental and emotional health, (5) students may motivate each
other to study foreign languages,
(6) use social media sites such as YouTube and TikTok to learn foreign
languages, and (7) the current researchers recommend that a similar study be
conducted, considering other variables such as the instructors' teaching
strategies in foreign language teaching.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
TITLE i
APPROVAL SHEET ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT iii
DEDICATION iv
ABSTRACT v
TABLE OF CONTENTS vii
LIST OF FIGURES ix
CHAPTER
1 THE PROBLEM
Background of the Study 1
Statement of the Problem 3
Significance of the Study 3
Scope and Delimitation of the Study 4
Definition of Terms 5
2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES
Related Literature 6
Related Studies 19
Synthesis of the Reviewed Related Studies 23
Theoretical Framework 26
Conceptual Framework 29
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3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

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Research Design 30
Respondents of the Study 31
Data Collection Instrument 31
Data Gathering Procedure 31
Data Analysis 32
4 PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION 33
OF DATA
5 SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATION 66
BIBLIOGRAPHY 69
APPENDICES
A Letter of Permission to the Campus Executive Director 75
B Letter of Permission to the Dean of College of Arts and 76
Education
C Letter of Permission to the Chair of English Language 77
Department
D Letter to the Participants 78
E Interview Guide Questions 79
CURRICULUM VITAE 82
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LIST OF FIGURES
Page
Figure
Figure 1. Research Paradigm 29
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Chapter 1
THE PROBLEM
Background of the study
A foreign language is a language that is not extensively spoken within a
specific group, civilization, or country. Teaching and studying a foreign language
are both challenging endeavors. Learning a foreign language is difficult in many
ways, including the current state of education, which influences a student's
academic achievement, unfamiliar pronunciations, grammar rules, vocabulary
words, and the significant deviation of some native languages' writing systems
from the Roman alphabet. In addition, students have their learning strategies to
help them learn and understand the lesson.
Many of today's international students are eager to learn and
communicate in one or more foreign languages for the sake of scientific, cultural,
political, and economic exchange. As much as it can be challenging or difficult for
students in many places to physically interact with native language speakers.
Foreign language has set a precedent for it to be included in the new
curriculum of other college courses in the Philippines. The high-level demand for
foreign language talent has risen dramatically because of globalization.
Workplaces are becoming more worldwide, and as a result, cultures and
languages are becoming more diverse (Lonsmann & Kraft, 2018). As the
principal language education, higher education institutions are committed to
assisting with this. In the Philippines, CHED Memorandum Order No. 23,
Series 2010
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established the teaching of foreign languages in curricular programs of higher
education. This is in the hopes of developing globally competitive and locally
employable graduates.
As stated in the Oxford taxonomy of foreign language learning strategies
(1990), the role of individual differences in second language learning, such as
motivation, aptitude, and learning strategies, as well as how negotiation for
meaning and all forms of education contribute to language learning (Schimdt,
2001). In addition, Wong (2015) stated that learning issues can be resolved by
understanding students' learning styles. Achievement in terms of learning skills
may follow when the foreign language classroom becomes a place where
students' needs are identified and satisfied. Students' academic achievements
are highlighted when teachers and students work together to achieve the desired
learning outcomes.
As per positive psychology in Wang et al. (2022), students who are in a
positive emotional state are better able to acquire foreign languages and resist
the impacts of negative emotions. Online learning modality were incorporated to
avoid disrupting the educational system, including foreign language learning,
however, the disadvantages of this new learning have an impact on student-
teacher interactions. This research looked at the issues students have learned a
foreign language, as well as the techniques that assisted them to deal with the
challenges that the pandemic has brought to their new learning modality. The
focused, of this research, is to address the problems of studying Japanese,
Korean, and Mandarin in an online setting, based on Everson's (2011, as cited in
Quintos, 2021) argument

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that languages like Japanese and Chinese take at least four times longer to learn
and master compared to European languages. Hence, this study was conducted.
There is a growing population of students in AB English Language course
because of the inclusion of foreign languages to its curriculum as students wanted
to learn foreign languages. Moreover, the reason why the researchers perceived
this study to be significant. This study focused on foreign languages to benefit the
instructor and students. This study aimed to examine online foreign language
learning experiences, particularly the difficulties faced by ABEL students at the
Pangasinan State University-Urdaneta City (PSU-UC) campus. The present study
will also investigate how the students perceive the challenges and approach
learning a foreign language.
Statement of the Problem
This study aimed to determine the foreign language learning of ABEL
students in distance learning. Specifically, this study sought to answer the
following questions:
1. What are the challenges students experienced in studying the foreign language?
2. What are the perceived effects of the challenges of foreign language learning
on students?
3. What are the learning strategies of students in studying foreign languages?
Significance of the Study
The result of this study would benefit the following:

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Foreign language teachers. This study brings a clear understanding of
the challenges of students in learning foreign languages and their perceived
effects. It will also help the teachers in understanding the learning strategies of
the students. Students. This study aided students to discover the challenges of
foreign language learning and its perceived effects. It will also help the
students to
discover learning strategies for studying foreign languages.
Future researchers. This study provided pertinent data on the challenges
and their perceived effects on the students and the learning strategies students.
Hence, this can be a credible related study for future researchers.
Scope and Delimitation of the Study
This study focused on the challenges, the perceived effects of the
challenges, and the learning strategies of students in foreign language learning,
specifically in the Japanese, Chinese, and Korean languages. This study focused
on languages that have different writing systems from the Roman alphabet,
which will include Japanese, Korean, and Chinese characters. The respondents
of this study are ABEL students at PSU-UC campus who have taken subjects in
foreign languages like Japanese, Korean, and are taking Chinese subject.
The researchers focused on the data collected using qualitative methods,
and the instrument used was interview. The study is limited to distance learning
since it is the only modality that ABEL students use for learning foreign
languages due to COVID-19 pandemic.

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Definition of Terms
The following terms are defined lexically and operationally for further
understanding.
Foreign language. It is a language that is neither one’s native language
nor used for communicative purposes among the members of the community
(Yildiz, 2021). In this study, it also works as the language that is not native in the
Philippines.
Learning strategy. It is the specific actions taken by the learner to make
learning easier, faster, more enjoyable, more self-directed, more effective, and
more transferable to new situations (Oxford, 1990). In this study, it works as the
students’ way of learning and further understanding their lessons.
Learning Environment. It refers to the “whole range of components and
activities within which learning happens” (Basque and Dore, 1998). In this study,
it works as the location where students study before, during, and after their online
class.
Language Acquisition. It refers to a process which starts 3 months
before birth (Elman et al. 1996; Karmiloff and Karmiloff-Smith 2001) and
gradually leads to the child's mastery of his/her native language/s, at around
adolescence. In this study, it works as the process of acquiring a language.

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Chapter 2
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES
This chapter presents a comprehensive review of literature and studies
conducted which were related and relevant to the present study. The review of
related literature is carefully selected and analyzed to find the essential relevance
with the present study.
RELATED LITERATURE
Foreign language learning
Foreign language learning and teaching refers to the teaching or learning
of a nonnative language outside of the environment where it is commonly spoken
(Catalano and Moeller, 2015). Learning a foreign language, according to Connor
(2016), can improve cognitive skills, increase mental agility, and prevent brain
aging. Klimova (2018) cited Lee and Tzeng (2016) who propose that due to
neuronal plasticity, foreign language learning leads to effective structural and
functional connections in the brain. They claim that effective connection resulting
from foreign language learning improves language processing and executive
control by rearranging brain circuitries. Through collaborative and social
involvement, foreign language(s) learning can serve as an entry point for building
intercultural understanding and global citizenship (Kennedy, 2020, Porto &
Zembylas, 2020a; Byram, Golubeva, Hui, & Wagner, 2017).

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A. Japanese as a Foreign Language
Fujiwara (2012) stated that Chinese and Japanese are two of the most
popular foreign languages after English. Gonzales (1998) stated that the
Japanese language is one of the foreign languages that Filipinos have learnt and
can speak. Rose (2019) stated that Kana, the Japanese syllabary, is written
using a further two scripts, hiragana, and katakana. Due to this complex
representation of language at its different linguistic levels, the Japanese writing
system is often considered the exception in world writing systems research.
B. Korean as a Foreign Language
Ancho (2019) asserts that the Korean language is offered in some
institutions since it has a favorable demand and interest from students. This
could also be attributed to the attractiveness of Korean popular culture in the
Philippines along with the presence of Korean nationals who live in the country
for short-term or long-term stays.
C. Chinese as a Foreign Language
Everson (1998) learning to read Chinese as a Foreign Language is
extremely difficult for children whose first language (L1) uses an alphabetic
writing system due to the non-alphabetic character of its spelling. Because
Chinese characters reflect the spoken language in a mostly irregular and
unsystematic way, it is critical to determine how much beginning Chinese
language learners depend

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on their growing spoken language resources when recognizing Chinese word
meanings.
Challenges in studying Foreign Language
Learning a foreign language is much more complex, since; ″you must have
a comprehensive knowledge of the entry behavior of a person, and objectives
you wish to reach of possible methods″ (Brown, 2000). Everson (2011) claims
that it takes four times longer to learn and master languages such as Japanese
and Chinese than European languages.
Kuraesin (2020) concluded in his study that lack of interest, belief and
course difficulty, and family environment are the cause of the challenges in
learning Japanese language. On the other hand, grammar, aural reception,
words, oral production, pronunciation, and recall are the challenges that UK
learners experience in studying Chinese as foreign language in the study of Hu,
(2010). While in the study of Yang (2018), character recognition, homophones,
and lack of links of sound and logograph of characters. Wrongly written
characters because of confusion and miswriting components and stroke errors
are the challenges the students faced in studying Chinese as foreign language in
Deng and Hu (2022) study. Vocabulary is the most challenging in studying
foreign language as compared to pronunciation, grammar knowledge and/or
sentence construction in discourse (Kang & Chang, 2014) and it brings language
anxiety to the learners (Gregersen, 2005). Buted et al. (2014) discovered that
pronunciation of terms closer to their original sound received the lowest score
because there may be an

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underlying explanation for this, such as environment, which makes it harder for
them to hear the professor's pronunciation after they are asked to repeat it.
Pappamihiel (2002) noted that the most difficult aspect of learning Korean
for Chinese-Korean learners is that they have less exposure to the language,
less practice time, and minimal interaction as cited by Kim (2022). Ancho (2019)
cited Kondo & Ling (2004) in her study about learning Korean that language
anxiety can pose a problem in studying foreign language as the learner’s attitude
and viewpoint are significant in the learning process of the learner.
According to Muhammad Salim Hossain and Muhammad Kamal Uddin
(2008) entitled, A Cognitive Psychological Explanation of Difficulties in Learning
Japanese Language Strokes can be considered as features that distinguish one
letter from another. Hence it can be said that the alphabet which is comprised of
more strokes has more distinctive features. And the alphabet which is comprised
of more distinctive features will be easier to learn. But the alphabet which is
comprised of fewer strokes has less distinctive features. Hence, the alphabet
comprised of fewer distinctive features will be more difficult to learn than the
alphabet comprising more distinctive features.
Fatmawati Djafri and Supra Wimbarti (2018) in their study ‘Measuring
foreign language anxiety among learners of different foreign languages: in
relation to motivation and perception of teacher’s behaviors’. They found out that
different writing system of Japanese, including the using of three different kinds of
alphabets at the same time, and the gradual increasing of difficulty as the
learners move to intermediate and advanced level, are some factors contribute to
it. There is also a

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difference in foreign language anxiety levels between Latin languages (English
and French) and non-Latin languages (Japanese, Korean, and Arabic), in which
the non-Latin one has a greater anxiety level. While in the study of Yang (2018),
character recognition, homophones, and lack of links of sound and logograph of
characters.
A study conducted by Bright Nkrumah (2021) entitled, “Demotivating
factors in learning second language: The case of Chinese language learners in
Ghana’ also discovered that the learning environment was the most demotivating
factor that discourages students from learning, which cannot be overlooked
among Ghanaian students studying Chinses as a second foreign language at the
University of Ghana.
Ahn, Misook and Prescott Valley (2017) study entitled, ‘Arizona Student
Perception of Language Achievement and Learner Autonomy in a Blended
Korean Language Course: The Case Study of Defense Language Institute
Foreign Language Center’ includes that isolated feelings, expectations of less
class work, and lack of time management skills and responsibility for personal
learning due to the reduced social interaction in a face-to-face classroom are the
challenges student face in blended learning environment. Another challenge is
difficulty with technologies such as poor Internet connections and lack of support
for course design from universities.
Mahyoob (2020) said the sudden change of classroom settings, the lack of
direct interaction between teachers and learners, the weak emotional bond, and
the unstable internet access are all potential variables that can affect foreign

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language learners’ level of anxiety. Demo and Parker (1987, cited in Kalanzadeh,
Mahnegar, and Hassannejad, 2013) contend that self-esteem and language
learning are complementary and interdependent in language instruction. It
implies that efficient language learning might come from having a high sense of
oneself. According to Bryman (2016) clarified that the demotivated learner is
once motivated but has lost motivation for a reason. As concluded by Egbert
(2020): engagement in language tasks can continue to support learners'
achievement. A foreign language class requires a carefully planned and
systematically organized curriculum to effectively and successfully achieve
course intended learning outcomes.
A study conducted by Chua H. W, Tan T. G, Lin Chia Ying (2015) stated
that learning Chinese characters are difficult since it takes a lot of time and effort
to retain and memorize the strokes and components that each character is made
up of. Although they share the same radical, various phonetics components do
not show resemblance in meaning range.
that some characters contain a phonetic radical component that provides hints as
to how to speak to them; nevertheless, since the Chinese language has
developed, characters are no longer pronounced in accordance with their
phonetic radical components. As a result, remembering how to pronounce
characters becomes more difficult as a result of this issue.
Study conducted by Sharon M. DiFino and Linda J. Lombardino (2004)
stated that memorization is an integral component of learning at all levels, but it

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plays a particularly large role in the acquisition and mastery of an L2. From the
first to the last lesson in the L2 class, students are required to employ their
memory in almost every area of language learning. Poor remembering abilities
have catastrophic effects because they nearly invariably translate into
unsatisfactory performance in L2 classes.
A. Effects of the challenges in foreign language learning
Speaking a foreign language might cause specific anxiety, which is a
worry that is limited to the situation. The term "generic anxiety" refers to those
who experience general anxiety in a range of settings (Horwitz, Horwitz, & Cope,
1986). The expression "subjective sense of tension, uncertainty, apprehension,
and worry paired with an arousal of the autonomic nervous system" is used to
define anxiety, according to Spielberger (1983) quoted by Andrea (2022). Li
(2021) claimed that when students are anxious about the process of learning and
teaching in the foreign language classroom, it is frequently difficult for them to
acquire knowledge. Learners of second or foreign languages typically do not
focus much on their feelings while they are learning a new language. Also, the
cognitivism tradition is relevant to this circumstance. The learner's capacity to
absorb and learn a second or foreign language will be diminished as well as the
amount of information being ingested into the brain when the filter is activated.
This means that learners prefer to reject and have a negative attitude toward
language absorption when they experience anxiety emotion, which might
promote the switch of the filter. This will further impair learners' learning ability
and efficiency.

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Jee (2012) stated that Korean is a challenging language, and studying it
takes much longer than learning other European languages. In order to lower the
anxiety level of students studying Korean as Foreign Language (KFL), educators
need to improve their teaching strategies by making a greater effort to create
sympathetic and supportive learning environments. On the other hand, Zhao et
al. (2013) evaluate the effects of factors like gender, course level, experience in
the nation, and reading performance as well as the levels of anxiety associated
with reading in Korean for non-native speaking Korean learners.
According to Saito et al. (1999) and Zhao et al. (2013), native English
speakers of all three languages—Japanese, Chinese, and Korean—experienced
a large degree of stress due to the foreign writing system, symbols, and
vocabulary. Japanese language learners have the highest level of foreign
language anxiety compared to other language learners, according to Wimbarti et
al. (2018).
According to Wimbarti (2018), learners of Japanese exhibit the highest
levels of anxiety when learning a foreign language. Hiragana, Katakana, and
basic Kanji are the three Japanese characters that learners must learn,
discouraged remarks and harsh language correction techniques, dominating the
classroom, and rigid teaching strategies that make it difficult to understand the
materials. Shen (2022) therefore writes that for Japanese language teaching to
be effective, students must be attentive and have a favorable attitude toward
using the corpora. Shi (2015) added that learning motivations were the inner
aspect that caused personal learning objectives and caused the learning
performance of students to

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be constant efforts, fortifying the cognitive process, strengthening and increasing
the learning effect of students.
According to Yu and Geng (2020), the high dropout rate of students
learning Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) is a source of worry for
educators. While Gao (2020) stated that new challenges emerging for learning
Chinese characters in online education were principally caused by technological,
physical, and temporal constraints, as well as their effects on students' mental
health and wellness. Because all students were time-constrained, time
restrictions for handwriting constituted a substantial barrier for students to
acquire characters.
According to S. Kim (2015) found in her study that it can be postulated that
demotivation occurs when learners do not have a clear ideal L2 self and cannot
relate it to their current L2 learning. The core idea of the L2 Motivational Self
System is that learners’ drive to reduce the perceived discrepancy between their
current self and their hoped-for self provides the necessary motivation for
language learning. As motivation is a dynamic process (Dörnyei & Ushioda,
2011), demotivation is also a negative dynamic process that can “pull learners
down” (Kikuchi, 2015, p. 4). According to Kikuchi (2015), numerous demotivators
exist and can reduce learner engagement in the learning process. More
specifically, demotivators can range from internal factors (e.g., lack of self-
confidence) to external ones (e.g., teachers, teaching methods). S. Kim (2015),
(Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011), Kikuchi (2015), said that demotivation arises through
internal and external factors. Those studies are related in the present study since
students are also demotivated in learning foreign languages. Furthermore, a
multitude of things,

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such as losing interest in the main task, being unable to pay attention for a
variety of reasons, or the intensity of the distractor, might be the source of
distractions. Confusion makes it more difficult to complete any task correctly.
Others might have trouble concentrating, recalling, or making choices. According
to N. Hasan (2020) students found online learning to be particularly distracting
due to factors like noise, bad management, commercials, etc. Online teaching is
a relatively new phenomenon compared to traditional classroom teaching. Calls
between classes were a major source of distraction for 98% of students who
used their mobile phones for online learning. Lack of assistance, comfort, and
familiarity with technical tools may cause many learners to find learning to be
time-consuming, unpleasant, and unworthy. Research on online teaching has
produced inconsistent results, and online learning has not received the same
level of scrutiny as traditional classroom instruction (Ryan et al., 1999; Kenny,
2002; Atack and Rankin, 2002; Kozlowski, 2002).
According to Vroman (2015) learning a foreign language depends on the
individual's prior state, the nature and regularity of the resultant systems, the
susceptibility to motivational cues, and the degree of accomplishment. Individual
language learners do not use the intrinsic mechanism that controls learning in
children, which is an obvious reason. This would clearly explain why learning a
new language is often a difficult and ultimately unproductive endeavor.The
qualities of learners, along with their background of experience and cognitive
ability, are some of the most crucial aspects that define foreign language
acquisition (FLA) in adulthood. According to Singleton and Ryan (2004), learners

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struggle to retain new material, and a reduction in hearing sensitivity impairs the
ability to recognize speech sounds, making it difficult to memorize words and
understand teacher instructions. However, Bosc (2007) asserts that grownups
are less bothered by it. According to Borg et al. (2016), this is caused by several
things, including work schedules, family obligations, the cost of attending school,
or having trouble finding a course that suits their interests. Ahl (2006) divides the
barriers to motivation for learning into three categories: structural, situational, and
dispositional. Personal characteristics like low self-esteem or "poor early school
experiences that produce negative expectations of continued education" are
associated to dispositional variables (Mikeladze 2014, p. 21). Situational
variables, such as a lack of time or money, are intimately related to the learner's
actual life circumstances. Barriers at the structural level include the absence of
childcare arrangements, issues with work schedules, and inappropriate teaching
pedagogies. According to Zammit (2014) and Knowles et al. (2005), lacking
financial or emotional support is also one of the primary causes for adults to
become very demotivated and decide to drop out of courses. In addition to these
factors, Wlodkowski (2008) lists a number of health challenges that come with
aging and make it more challenging for older people to comprehend information.
Strategies in Foreign Language Learning
Language learning strategies are defined by Oxford as "specific actions
taken by the learner to make learning easier, faster, more enjoyable, more self-
directed, more effective, and more transferable to new situations." Language

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learning strategies can thus be thought of as steps or techniques that students
use to enhance their progress in comprehending, internalizing, and using the
second/foreign language. As per Oxford and Nyikos (1989), good language
learners use a variety of learning strategies, including cognitive, metacognitive,
memory-related, social, affective, and compensation strategies. Cognitive
strategies work by comprehending and producing new language through various
techniques such as practicing, receiving, and sending signals, analyzing and
reasoning, and establishing structure for input and output, according to Oxford
(1990). Metacognitive strategy refers to behaviors that go beyond cognitive
instruments. It includes centering your learning, arranging and planning your
learning, and evaluating your learning. Social strategies include asking
questions, interacting with people, and empathizing with them. Memory-related
strategies, often known as mnemonics, are methods of storing, recalling, and
retrieving information. Emotions, values, attitudes, and motivation are
characteristics of affective strategies. Compensation strategies enable learners
to utilize a language for compensation or output despite knowledge limitations.
As per Allado et al. (2016), they concluded that metacognitive, cognitive,
and compensatory strategies are used in studying Korean as a foreign language.
The main tools used were books and instructional videos. The least helpful tool
are the books because there are misspelled words. Allado et. al. (2016)
concluded that instructional films or videos were more effective than books for
foreign language acquisition in studying Korean language because its already
complete as it teaches sound, spelling, and English translation. While in Yan
(2020) study,

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orthographic strategies, semantic strategies, memory strategies, phonological
strategies, and metacognitive strategies are the learning strategies that English
speaking learners employ in studying Chinese. While Ho (2018) reported that
learners studying Mandarin were engaged in online language learning, the tools
they used, as well as the learning behaviors they demonstrated, imply a continual
traversal between online and offline learning settings, such as physically writing
notes and letters. In line with Ancho's (2019) research, writing and repeating
words is useful in increasing vocabulary. She also states in her study that a
healthy and supportive classroom environment might aid in learning. Student
engagement, such as games and activities, as well as watching videos or films, is
an effective technique for learning a foreign language. Subsequently, Damayanti
et. al (2018) found out that the implementation of contextual teaching and
learning strategies should consider learning motivation. Gonzales (1998)
discovered that social strategies are used more frequently than other strategies,
indicating that a cooperative learning environment is extremely productive and
beneficial to language learners. The learning environment is extremely effective
and beneficial to language learners of Japanese as foreign language. Takeuchi
(2003) stated that metacognitive strategies linked to increasing input and, most
importantly, chances to use a foreign language; skill-specific strategies connected
to conscious learning; memory strategies related to internalizing the linguistic
system; and cognitive strategies for practicing, such as imitation, shadowing, and
pattern-practicing, are preferred learning strategies in Japanese as a foreign
language.

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RELATED STUDIES
Foreign Studies
The following studies reviewed by the researchers are valuable in the
conceptualization of this study. They served as guides in mapping the direction of
the present research.
Ahn (2017) embarked on a study entitled “Student Perception of
Language Achievement and Learner Autonomy in a Blended Korean Language
Course: The Case of Study of Defense Language Institute Foreign Language
Center”. The purpose of her study is to discover the perceptions of ten American
students studying Korean Language at the Osan Language Training Detachment,
Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) in Korea
regarding the effectiveness of the blended Korean language curriculum on
student autonomous learning and language achievement, especially in listening
and reading comprehension skills.
The findings of her study found that a blended Korean language course
was effective for language learning and achievement, but only 50% of
participants stated it was effective for the improvement of autonomous learning
skills. The other responses said those skills were dependent on various elements
of the blended course such as activities, curriculum, teacher, and student’s
motivation and learning styles.
Another study by Hsiao (2013) entitled Anxiety and Achievement Goals:
Their Relationships in the Context of Chinese Language Learning investigates
the

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connection of anxiety and cognition interaction in the processes of learning
Chinese as foreign language. She employed a quantitative method based on
existing theories regarding anxiety (Eysenk, 1992, 1997; Hozwitz, 2010) and
accomplishment goals related to cognitive processes and actions (Dweck, 2000).
The data was analyzed using a mixed-design ANOVA, residual effects, and
contrast analysis. The study's findings revealed that all three of the researcher's
hypotheses were found to be supported by empirical evidence. First, anxiety
levels varied depending on whatever language task was being performed:
listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Second, pupils who had a performance
aim felt more anxious than those who had a learning goal. Third, students'
anxiety levels were controlled during the completion of various tasks based on
their achievement goals as a function of their study length. Reading, writing,
listening, and speaking caused the most anxiety among students. In students
who had studied Chinese for less than a year, this effect was stronger for
students with a performance aim than for students with a learning goal. The
pattern of worry was inverted among students who had studied Chinese for more
than a year.
Another study was conducted by Mehring (2014) entitled “An Exploratory
Study of Japanese Undergraduate EFL Students' Lived Experiences in the
Flipped Classroom”. The purpose of her study is to examine the experiences of
Japanese university students studying English as a Foreign language (EFL)
students who have participated in a course taught using the flipped classroom
technique will aid in determining possible benefits of the flipped classroom in EFL
higher education in Japan, according to the study. This study took a
qualitative approach and

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employed a case study design to examine the lived experiences of Japanese
EFL university students at Iwate University who are enrolled in a flipped
classroom course. This research looked at students' impressions, probable
changes in study habits, perceived rewards and challenges, and whether the
flipped classroom provided more possibilities for honest dialogue. This study
contributed to the understanding of learning technologies used to support the
implementation of a communicative, student-centered learning environment in
the undergraduate EFL classroom by examining the lived experiences of
students who have taken part in a course taught using the flipped classroom
technique.
According to Mehring's findings, Japanese higher education has decided
to move away from the traditional teacher-centered classroom and toward a
more student-centered, communicative environment. The flipped classroom
technique may be one potential option for assisting with the shift.
Local Studies
The study of Quintos' (2021) entitled "Difficulties in Learning Japanese as
a Foreign Language: The Case of Filipino Learners," was based on a sample of
481 randomly selected Filipino college students from 18 Nihongo programs
offered at a state institution. Quintos used a modified questionnaire from the
study of Yanagi and Baker (2016). The mean, frequency, and percentage
distribution were used to statistically examine the data.
According to the findings, students' memory and understanding of the
issues they are listening to is limited due to a lack of Nihongo vocabulary and

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cultural context of the contents delivered. Furthermore, poor listening
comprehension makes it difficult for students to respond and express themselves
in class by speaking the language. The substantial divergence of Japanese from
their natural linguistic impact causes pronunciation problems with non-Nihongo
syllables, stress, and intonation. As a result, it has an impact on their reading and
writing abilities; unfamiliar foreign characters limit their text knowledge and
linguistic competency.
According to Gonzales' (2010) study entitled "Motivational Orientation in
Foreign Language Learning: The Case of Filipino Foreign Language Learners,"
examines what motivates foreign language (FL) students. The study's secondary
goal is to compare the motivation of Filipino FL learners using the Foreign
Language Learning Motivation Questionnaire, and to see if age, sex, the FL
being studied, and the length of time spent studying FL can influence FL learning
motivation among Filipino students. He believed that the characteristics
examined in this study could distinguish FL learners' motivation. The participants
in this study were 150 students from three Metro Manila universities who had
chosen to study foreign languages. There are 80 females (53.3%) and 70 males
among the participants (46.7 percent). The data was cross-sectional, with 26
students learning Chinese (17.3%), 40 students learning French (26.7%), 50
students learning Japanese (33.3%), and 34 students learning Spanish (22.7
percent).
The findings suggest that the motivational orientation of younger learners
is toward cultural comprehension, cultural integration, and self-satisfaction. In
terms of communication, affiliation, and self-efficacy, females are more
motivated than

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males. Japanese language learners are more motivated by career and economic
advancement, while French language learners are motivated by association with
foreigners and Spanish language learners are motivated by self-efficacy.
Alcazaren et al., (2016) conducted a study on learner-related factors
affecting foreign language learners and their language learning styles. The paper
aims to identify the most and least frequently used language learning strategies
by multilingual students in a Philippine secondary school, as well as the
correlation this has on their language proficiency scores, using Rebecca Oxford's
study on language learning styles and strategies (2003) as a framework.
According to the findings, metacognitive is the most frequently employed
strategic category, followed by cognitive, social, compensatory, memory, and
emotive, according to the results of the rank order of frequency. It was also
discovered that language learning methodologies and language competency had
a statistically significant association. As a result, it may be reasonable to
conclude that learners who use a wider range of language learning strategies
have greater language competency.
SYNTHESIS OF THE RELATED STUDIES AND THE PRESENT STUDY
The past research had been a direct influence on the current investigation.
These parallels and differences between earlier studies and the current study are
extremely useful and informative for academics conducting this research. The
similarities and differences between this study and other studies are listed below.

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Ahn (2017) and Mehring (2014)'s findings on the effectiveness of mixed
learning and embracing the flipped classroom in the context of language
acquisition have direct relevance to the current study. They differ in research
design and participant selection methods in order to determine the effectiveness
of the new learning system.
Ahn (2017) investigated the benefits of integrating traditional face-to-face
learning with an online tool such as a learning management system (LMS), which
has grown in popularity and use for both teachers and students in foreign and
second language education. The current research is descriptive. The current
study is similar to Mehring (2014) in that it includes the experiences of Japanese
university English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students who have taken a
course taught using the flipped classroom technique, and it will aid in determining
the potential benefits of the flipped classroom in EFL higher education in Japan.
Furthermore, to determine the effectiveness of flipped classrooms, Mehring
(2014) used both qualitative and descriptive study approaches. Similarly,
qualitative and descriptive methodologies were applied in this investigation. In
terms of respondents, however, the current study differs from Mehring (2014).
Hsiao (2013) conducted a study that was identical to this one because it
focused on linguistic anxiety and the relationships between it and other factors. In
the context of studying Mandarin Chinese as a foreign language, the studies
discovered that linguistic anxiety influences students' language anxieties and
achievement goals.

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The findings of Quintos (2021) and Gonzales (2010) on the difficulty of
learning Japanese as a foreign language and the orientation to motivate students
in learning foreign languages both applied to all Filipino learners studying a
foreign language. In order to establish the major obstacle that students have
while learning a foreign language and what motivation may affect them to learn a
foreign language, they differ in research design and participant selection
methods. Although the two studies have different research focuses, they are both
strongly related to the current study.
Quintos (2021) investigated the challenges that students face when
studying Japanese as a second language. In the case of Filipino students, it is
necessary to rationalize Nihongo teaching and learning among them. While this
information is useful for improving instructional materials for learning Nihongo, it
also emphasizes the necessity for the institution to consult with Nihongo
specialists on the best ways to teach and learn it, such as by utilizing the most
up-to-date technology and innovations. Quintos' study is quantitative while the
current study is qualitative in nature.
Gonzales' (2010) research is attempting to establish the extent to which
motivation divides foreign language (FL) learners. Some instructional and
pedagogical practices for teaching foreign languages are suggested in the study.
The current study, however, differs from Gonzales in terms of respondents and
topic. The current research is similar in that it includes motivation as a strategy to
encourage students to learn a foreign language.

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The study by Alcazaren et al., (2016) is relevant to the present study
because it focuses on foreign language learners and their language learning
styles. The study investigated the least commonly used language learning
strategies among multilingual students in a Philippine secondary school, as well
as the impact this has on their English language proficiency scores. The present
study investigated the language learner strategies that they regularly used.
Furthermore, the present study is like Alcazaren et al., (2016), which took a
descriptive approach. In terms of respondents, however, the current study differs
from Alcazaren (2016).
Theoretical Framework
This study was prompted by five (5) hypotheses of Krashen's theory of
second language acquisition (1988).
Acquisition-Learning hypothesis. The most fundamental of Krashen's five
theories, and the one that linguists and language teachers are most familiar with.
There are two distinct systems of foreign language performance, according to
Krashen: "the acquired system" and "the learnt system." The 'acquired system,'
sometimes known as 'acquisition,' is the result of a subconscious process
comparable to how children learn their first language. The "learned system,"
often known as "learning," is the result of formal education and consists of a
conscious process that culminates in conscious information 'about' the language,
such as grammar rules.

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Monitor hypothesis. According to Krashen, the acquisition system initiates
the speech, whereas the learning system functions as the "monitor" or "editor,"
preparing, editing, and correcting the utterance when three precise
circumstances are met. First, the learner of a second language has enough time
on their hands. Second, they concentrate on form or consider correctness. They
finally understand the rules.
Input hypothesis. The Input hypothesis exclusively considers 'acquisition'
rather than 'learning.' According to this theory, when a student gets a second
language 'input' that is one step beyond his or her existing level of linguistic
ability, the learner improves and develops along the 'natural order.'
Affective Filter. According to Krashen, a variety of 'affective variables'
facilitate but do not cause second language acquisition. Motivation, self-
confidence, anxiousness, and personality traits are among the variables.
Natural Order. Research findings (Dulay & Burt, 1974; Fathman, 1975;
Makino, 1980 cited in Krashen, 1987) suggest grammatical structure acquisition
follows a predictable 'natural order'. Some grammatical structures are learned
early in a language, whereas others are learned later. Although individual
acquirers' agreement was not always 100 percent in the tests, statistically
significant parallels were found that supported the existence of a natural order of
language acquisition.
According to Krashen, studying the structure of a language can provide
general educational benefits and values that high schools and universities might
want to incorporate into their language programs. Any gain, however, will be

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contingent on the learner's prior knowledge of the language. It should also be
clear that analyzing the language, formulating rules, separating irregularities, and
teaching complex facts about the target language are not language teaching, but
rather "language appreciation" or linguistics, which does not lead to
communicative proficiency. The only time that teaching grammar can lead to
language acquisition (and proficiency) is when the students are interested in the
subject and the target language is used as a medium of communication.
In this study, language acquisition is prominent since learning a new or
foreign language is interrelated to language learning. This study focuses on
assessing the various challenges that students have in learning foreign
languages, as well as determining which strategies are most beneficial for both
students and teachers when it comes to foreign languages.
Conceptual Framework
Figure 1 presents the conceptual model of the study foreign language
learning of ABEL students.
The paradigm illustrates the respondents' unique but interconnected
challenges, perceived effects of challenges, and strategies applied in foreign
language learning, which serve as the investigation's emphases. These three are
parts of the respondents' learning process.

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Challenges students Perceived effects of the

experienced in studying challenges of foreign
the foreign language language learning on
students
Strategies for
studying foreign
language
Figure 1. Research Paradigm

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Chapter 3
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This chapter presents and discusses the methods of research and tools
used in this study. Specifically, this chapter presents the research approach,
respondents, sampling technique, data collection instrument, data gathering
procedure, and analysis of data.
Research Design
The present study is qualitative in nature. The qualitative research
methods strive to gather more information and acquire a thorough picture of the
issues, situations, or events (Arora and Stoner, 2009), and the researchers
performed an interview using thematic analysis. Thematic analysis is a sort of
qualitative, comprehensive, and detailed data analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). In
conducting data analysis, the researchers took the role of the analyst and make
decisions based on coded, themed, decontextualized, and recontextualized data
(Starks & Trinidad, 2007). This study was concerned with the challenges,
perceived effects of the challenges, and strategies for learning foreign languages
of the respondents. To provide comprehensive and detailed data for this study,
thematic analysis was used in data analysis.
30

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31
Respondents of the Study
The respondents of the study were 4th year AB English Language
students who have finished the Japanese and Korean language subjects and are
taking the Chinese language subject at Pangasinan State University-Urdaneta
City Campus for Academic Year 2022–2023. A total of five students participated
in this study. To determine the study's respondents, the researchers used a
simple random sampling technique using the fishbowl method.
Data Collection Instrument
The researchers collected data for this study by conducting virtual one-on-
one semi-structured interviews. The interview questions focused on the
challenges, perceived effects of the challenges, and strategies the respondents
encountered and used in learning foreign languages. The researchers asked
permission from the respondents to record the interview in compliance with
research etiquette. The researchers recorded the interview to ensure the
accuracy and reliability of the assessment.
Data- Gathering Procedure
Before collecting data, the researchers requested permission from
Pangasinan State University's Urdaneta Campus Executive Director, Dr. Honorio
L. Cascolan, the Dean of the College of Arts and Education, Dr. Elizabeth F.

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Episcope, the Chair of the English Language Department, Mr. Marvin Q. Corpuz,
subject teachers, and the respondents.
The researchers obtained the official ABEL enrollment list from the
registrar's office for the academic years 2022–2023. In addition, the researchers
asked the respondent's permission to participate in a semi-structured interview
online. After getting their approval, the researchers conducted a virtual interview
on MS Teams. A follow-up interview was also conducted. In accordance with
research etiquette, the researchers asked a series of questions concerning the
challenges, perceived effects of the challenges, and strategies that respondents
faced and utilized in learning foreign languages. Afterwards, the data were
collected, tabulated, analyzed, and interpreted.
Data Analysis
The researchers gathered the data using a semi-structured interview and
transcribed the recorded interview and analyzed the data using thematic
analysis. The researchers chose the themes based on the codes created.
Psychology proposed the use of thematic analysis. Because the search
for an investigation of patterning across languages does not necessitate
adherence to any theory of language or explanatory meaning framework for
human beings, experiences, or behaviors, TA is considered theoretically flexible
(Guest et al., 2012). Using interview questions and thematic analysis, the
researchers examined the most relevant data needed for this study. The
researchers also used the themes gathered from the interview and interpreted
the data collected.

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Chapter 4
PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA
This chapter presents a detailed presentation and discussion of data
analysis and the results of this study. The main source of data is the virtual
interview conducted with the randomly chosen 4th year ABEL students using the
fishbowl method. The findings are presented in response to the research
questions stated in the study. The method used to analyze the data is thematic
analysis, as discussed in the methodology.
CHALLENGES IN STUDYING THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE
Research question one (1) sought to answer the challenges respondents
experienced in studying foreign language, especially in Japanese, Korean, and
Chinese among 4th year ABEL respondents. Writing system, pronunciation,
memorization, learning environment, time constraints, and demotivation are the
identified themes..
1. Writing System
The most difficult aspect of studying a foreign language for 4th year AB
English Language respondents is the difficulty in writing the characters or writing
system of the foreign language, which includes Japanese, Korean, and Chinese.
33

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34
The writing system, which is significantly dissimilar to the Roman alphabet, is
what respondents begin to learn.
The following responses give a glimpse of what challenges were
experienced by the respondents in the foreign language classes.
“Korean language yung writing talaga yung mahirap talaga sakin.”
“ung isa macurve ung isa matusok, mahirap pero compare sa iba,
mas
nadadalian ako sa Japanese.”
"I face difficulties in terms of writing characters, siguro nahirapan ako sa
writing pinapasulat pa satin 10 times.”
“Chinese ang pinakamahirap na writing characters kasi may mga box box
doon tas parang kelangan ano tama ung pinaglagyan mo don.”
“writing characters, parang nahihirapan ako kasi hindi maganda ung
penmanship ko parang damay.”
“iyong sa writing, iyong iba kasi parang magkakaparehas.”
The respondents' answers indicated that they find writing to be one of the
most challenging aspects of learning a foreign language since its characters are
very different from the Roman alphabet. Nevertheless, Korean and Chinese
received feedback that they were more challenging to write than Japanese. This
implies that respondents of AB English Language find the Japanese writing
system easier to learn than the Korean and Chinese languages.
A study conducted by Deng and Hu (2022) discovered that wrongly written
characters because of confusion and miswriting components and stroke errors
are the challenges that students faced in studying Chinese as a foreign
language.

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Learning Chinese characters are difficult since it takes a lot of time and effort to
retain and memorize the strokes and components that each character is made up
of. Although they share the same radical, various phonetics components do not
show resemblance in meaning range as per Chua H. W, Tan T. G, Lin Chia Ying
(2015).
2. Pronunciation
The second most challenging part of learning a foreign language,
according to respondents, was pronunciation. There are instances when
respondents are not confident in speaking foreign languages like Korean,
Chinese, and Japanese since most of the respondents are not well equipped
with those languages and are afraid to make mistakes and be judged by others
for mispronouncing the words.
The following are the responses of the respondents, indicating that
pronunciation is one of the challenges they face in learning a foreign language.
“yung pronunciation mo iba yung meaning na, kapag nagkamali ka sa
pronunciation, iba yung mga difficulties nila.”
“nahirapan (Japanese mag pronounce), lalo na sa (Korean).”
"Korean is complicated due to its many rules, pronunciation, and writing.
Nahirapan sa Japanese mag pronounce, lalo na sa Korean."
“pronunciation of Mandarin because sometimes your classmates will say
para kang …, I got distracted sa pronounce.”

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“Mahirap siya sa pag pronounce pag sumasabay naman ako kay sir, ok
naman self-knowledge na it’s hard talaga repeating ung sound.”
“the pronunciation is different, meron mataas yung tone, meron yung
mababa, then meron naman yung combine and then the way you pronounce”.
“sa Mandarin naman the pronunciation kasi iba-iba.”
“Nakakalito lang po yung ipropronounce mo yung G as KA pronunciation
pinaka-nahirapan po ako sa mandarin kasi yung mga vowels ganun po.”
This means that they found pronunciation difficult because of the rules
needed to be considered and with just one wrong tone, they might change the
meaning of the word.
This implies that these three foreign languages—Japanese, Korean, and
Chinese—are all difficult in terms of pronunciation. Respondents are conscious
of their pronunciation because a mispronounced word can cause confusion and
change its meaning. Furthermore, respondents did not participate in class and
did not fully grasp the foreign language because they were afraid of being
judged.
A study conducted by Buted et al. (2014) discovered that pronunciation
of terms closer to their original sound received the lowest score because there
may be an underlying explanation for this, such as environment, which makes it
harder for them to hear the professor's pronunciation after they are asked to
repeat it. On the other hand, grammar, aural reception, words, oral production,
pronunciation, and recall are the challenges that UK learners experience in
studying Chinese as foreign language in the study of Hu (2010).

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that some characters contain a phonetic radical component that provides hints
as to how to speak to them; nevertheless, since the Chinese language has
developed, characters are no longer pronounced in accordance with their
phonetic radical components. As a result, remembering how to pronounce
characters becomes more difficult because of this issue.
3. Memorization
According to respondents, memorizing is one of the challenges they face
in learning a foreign language. Remembering the writing system, rules, tones,
vocabulary, and sentence construction are all part of this challenge. The
respondents admitted that they could not recall the rules and were unfamiliar with
them.
The respondents' comments, which mention that memorization is one of
the difficulties people have when learning a foreign language, are provided
below.
“It is a challenge for me how am I going to master those new 14 or 20
characters.
“the mastery of the characters because they are so
many.” “mahina ako sa vocabulary.”
“sa characters parang magkakamukha po ang hirap I-memorize.”
“writings talaga, mahirap i-memorize.”
“writings nila, ang hirap nyang i-memorize.”

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“strictly memorizing the tones because you know because it differs it
highly differs in terms of tones.”
“minemorize pero parang super nag effort naman ako kahit papaano na,
alalahanin kung ano ba ung mga rules.”
“pag nagkamali ka sa paglagay ng rules parang yung writing mo
maapektuhan na.”
“Japanese constructing of sentence yun naman ung pinaka difficult
sakin.” "sa sentence construction- sobrang nahirapan, hindi ko
masyadong
memorize iyong rules nila.”
“sa Korean po parang yung lesson na’to para mabuo ko tong sentence
na’to, babalikan ko yung past na lesson kaya kailangan memorize mo po yung
rules.”
“sa Korean kasi parang andaming rules parang mas nahirapan ako.”
“siguro sa mga noun phrases, verbs. Hindi ko masyadong
maintindihan
iyon.”
“mahirap talaga iyong pagsabit ng particle sa Japanese at Korean
iyong mga noun phrase pati iyong writings.”
It can be gleaned from the respondents’ answers that most of them
struggle with the grammatical rules of different foreign languages. This finding
showed how memorization plays a big part in learning foreign languages and
how important it is to remember sentence construction, rules, and vocabulary,
which makes learning languages like Korean, Japanese, and Chinese more
difficult. This implies

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that respondents can be more effective in acquiring a foreign language if they
remember and use the grammatical rules of that language.
In the study of Hu (2010), grammar, aural reception, words, oral
production, pronunciation, and recall are the challenges that UK learners
experience in studying Chinese as a foreign language. On the other hand,
vocabulary is the most challenging aspect of studying a foreign language
compared to pronunciation, grammar knowledge, and sentence construction in
discourse (Kang & Chang, 2014). It causes language anxiety in learners
(Gregersen, 2005).
A study conducted by Sharon M. DiFino and Linda J. Lombardino (2004)
stated that memorization is an integral component of learning at all levels, but it
plays a particularly large role in the acquisition and mastery of an L2. From the
first to the last lesson in the L2 class, students are required to employ their
memory in almost every area of language learning.
4. Learning Environment
The learning environment became one of the main challenges in the new
curriculum during the pandemic until now. Some respondents do not have their
own learning space in their houses. Their houses are prone to different
background noises, and during online learning, they may also experience poor
internet connection because of their location.
The replies of the respondents are listed below, saying that one of the
difficulties they have when learning a foreign language is the learning
environment.

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“it is not just for the foreign language, sadly I do not have a personal
space where I can focus. That is also one factor, that I lost my interest, and I got
distracted like a domino effect”
“hindi ka makasabay dahil sa set up natin na online learning
“unexpected sounds like dogs, chicken, kapit bahay kasi we do not control
them tapos mga vehicles na mabibilis and mga bata na like it really interfere my
learning process and minsan mga deliver sa shopee, lazada.”
“lumalabas ako, naghahanap ng malakas na internet connection, walang
signal sa mismong bahay namin”,
“hindi ko talaga masyadong nacocope-up iyong lesson dahil na rin siguro
sa environment.”
It could be understood from the respondents' answers that most of them
struggled to connect and learn in an online class. The learning environment
significantly impacts respondents learning, especially in foreign languages.
Moreover, many kinds of noise in their study place make learning difficult. It
signifies that the respondents need a conducive learning environment to learn a
foreign language effectively.
A study conducted by Bright Nkrumah (2021) entitled, "Demotivating
factors in learning a second language: The case of Chinese language learners in
Ghana' also discovered that the learning environment was the most demotivating
factor that discourages respondents from learning, which cannot be overlooked
among Ghanaian students studying chinses as a second foreign language at the
University of Ghana.

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41
A study conducted by Buted et al. (2014) discovered that pronunciation of
terms closer to their original sound received the lowest score because there may
be an underlying explanation for this, such as environment, which makes it
harder for them to hear the professor's pronunciation after they are asked to
repeat it.
5. Time Constraints
Time constraints posed a challenge as well for the respondents. The
respondents revealed that the discussion is too fast, and the time allotted is
short. As a result, the respondents felt much pressure to cope with the demands
of the subject. The following sample responses disclosed the common perception
of the respondents concerning their foreign language classes.
The replies of the respondents are listed below, saying that one of the
difficulties they have when learning a foreign language is the learning
environment.
“masyadong mabilis iyong discussion.”
“nahihirapan talaga kasi pag binasa mo yung Korean ta-translate mo
pa sya in English para lang maintindihan mo.”
“experienced lack of time…na hindi narin ako nagkaroon ng time na
panuorin ang recorded videos and tangi ko nalang nagawa is basahin iyung
learning materials.”
“you will input a lot of information in your head so in your utak diba like the
information is kinda loaded that sometimes you are too overwhelmed to
comprehend everything, so hmm I think that the downside of two hours
“hindi tayo familiar sa writing mahirap kasi un nga sa deadline narin.”

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42
“may mga times na sabay kasi binibigay eh gahol sya sa time ang
nagiging result is trash na ung gawa mo hindi na naayos ung writings.”
The respondents did not learn much in foreign language subjects due to
time constraints. Respondents must understand the foreign language's writing
system, pronunciation, and vocabulary in a short period of time, which causes
them to feel pressured and stressed when learning the language. This implies
that time is an important factor that foreign language instructors should take into
consideration while trying to cover lessons that are deemed important for the
course. The researcher claims that there are no studies that give data about the
challenge of time constraints, and this is the contribution of the study.
6. Demotivation
The final theme of the difficulties encountered in foreign language learning
is demotivation. Most respondents are disinterested in learning a foreign
language because it is not their preferred language. Aside from the fact that it is
not their first language, other factors contribute to the respondents' disinterest in
learning a foreign language. Such as consecutive writing activities, quizzes, and
assignments; low self-esteem because they are afraid of being judged; and
different distractions in their learning space.
Below are the responses of the respondents, which indicate that
demotivation contributes to difficulties in learning foreign languages.
“compare to other foreign language kasi hindi na ako nagkaroon ng
interest hindi ko na inaral, hindi ko na pinalawak”.

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"I lost my interest to learn a language, I found that the other foreign
languages are harder to learn."
“I do not show any interest sa Korean talaga.”
"we are in the middle of a pandemic like I lost my interest."
“my self-confidence affects my learning because sometimes I got afraid of
na baka hindi tama iyong sasabihin ko or hindi tama iyong alam ko."
“may time lang na magkakasama kami ng mga kapatid ko tapos online
class doon talaga nagkakaanuhan mga background noise.”
“may mga times na sabay kasi binibigay eh, eh like ung quiz and ung
writings tapos ganun pa kadami like last time ung pinasulat ni sir.”
Less exposure to the language is also a demotivating factor for
respondents just like this respondent said that:
“mas nahirapan ako sa vocabulary ng Korean kasi I am less exposed.”
It can be inferred that the respondent's answers show little interest in
learning foreign languages like Japanese, Korean, and Chinese. This finding
indicates that respondents are disinterested in learning a foreign language
because of the pandemic that forced the class to be held online, many
respondents feel incomplete and, as a result, have lost interest in learning. It
implies that there is a need to learn a foreign language face-to-face or in a
classroom setting for more exposure to the foreign language that will help them
learn more. A lack of interest exists in foreign language classes during
synchronous online classes. The respondent admitted that they lost their interest
in learning a foreign language during online learning. Respondents reveal that
they have lost interest in the

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foreign language since it is not to their liking and they only learn it for their
activities, but after that, they do not learn anything.
Kalanzadeh et al. (2013) recommend that teachers of foreign languages
consider their students' academic self-esteem as a potent motivator that can
maximize learning the language, particularly if it is a second language. They went
on to say that one major objective of language teaching should be to boost
students' self-esteem because it plays a crucial role in their ability to learn a
language. Moreover, distraction can also be demotivating, or a challenge for a
respondent since distraction is taking away one's focus, and background noise
and multitasking are examples. According to Gurung (2005) students who study
with music on, TV on, with friends around, or while responding to e-mail all
perform significantly worse on course exams. Too many activities can also be
demotivating for respondents since sometimes it is more on completion than
learning, which can be challenging for them. Kuraesin (2020) concluded in his
study that lack of interest, belief and course difficulty and family environment is
the cause of the challenges in learning the Japanese language.
PERCEIVED EFFECTS OF CHALLENGES OF FOREIGN

LANGUAGE LEARNING
Research question 2 investigated the perceived effects of the challenges
among 4th year ABEL respondents in synchronous online classes in studying the
foreign language, especially Japanese, Korean, and Chinese. The identified
recurring ideas are emotionally draining, mentally taxing, distracting and

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confusing, demotivating, and motivating. This is arranged according to the most
up to the least answer of the respondents.
1. Emotionally Draining
The emotional impacts of studying foreign languages in synchronous
online class lessons are the main effects of problems among 4th year ABEL
respondents. When respondents' academic performance has an emotional
impact, this topic is present. They begin overanalyzing their capacity to learn the
language and lose interest in doing so.
The responses that follow show how emotionally drained the respondents
are by learning a foreign language.
"Learning a language is a form of enjoyment, but as time goes by as we go
along with the lesson it gets harder... sobrang lawak ng language minsan hindi
na ako makasabay."
This means that the respondent was emotionally driven. When it was her
first time learning a foreign language, she felt the excitement of learning the
language, but as time and the lesson went by, due to the foreign language's
broadness, she lost interest in pursuing learning the language. It is supported by
respondents who have similar thoughts saying:
“At first medyo na e-excite pa’ko since bago nga parang excited akong matuto,
then pag tumatagal na, nahihirapan na’ko. I feel stressed.”

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"The Japanese language was fun. While the Korean language was kinda
complicated for me since there are a lot of rules, especially the pronunciation,
and the writing is also complicated in a manner of you must add and subtract to
get the sounds … and for me, it's kinda comp complicated. In Mandarin, well
since it's a tonal language it's very hard. Especially with the tones, and even the
tones have rules to follow, and Mandarin Chinese is an exciting subject since it
is currently taking it."
"Parang I feel a na overwhelmed ako sa mga Chinese Characters. Visual
orientation, parang paranoia, iyung titignan mo iyung characters na pag
nakita mo naguguluhan ka nahihilo something like that.”
"Nakaka emotionally frustrated, and learning a new language can be
overwhelming especially a language like Chinese, it affected me somehow
especially in managing my time because it's time-consuming sa sobrang
daming kailangan na dapat intindihin iinput sa utak mo you'll be stressed out in
a way na parang maapektuhan na talaga iyung emotions mo."
“Chinese ang pinakamahirap na writing characters kasi may mga box box doon
tas parang kelangan ano tama ung pinaglagyan amo don…Kasi nagfocus tayo
sa structure sa pattern, hindi ako masaydong nagenjoy more on nahirapan ako.”
“Nakaka-stress, nakaka-excite kasi nga po bago parang, uy matututo ako nito,
pero pag nasa process na po, medyo ano na hard.” The other respondent also
mentioned that he/she emotionally affected “kasi syempre kapag na halt ang
internet connection mo ma frufrustatte ka na huh paano na to, ano bato paano
… nakakaka emotionally frustrated lalo sa learning process ko.”

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Apparently, the respondents were initially excited about learning a new
language, but as they progressed, they found the subjects challenging. It can be
deduced further they were also unhappy since they have had a variety of issues
with the Mandarin language, particularly with its characters, procedure, and
pattern.
This implies that the three foreign languages, Japanese, Korean, and
Chinese, are challenging in a way that respondents are emotionally affected
owing to their academic challenges, especially in studying a foreign language.
In a study conducted by S. Kasap (2021), a sense of extreme fear and panic
is called stress.
According to Wimbarti et al. (2018), Japanese language learners have the
highest level of foreign language anxiety compared to other language learners.
Ancho (2019) asserts that the Korean language is offered in some
institutions since it has a favorable demand and interest from students.
Everson (1998) learning to read Chinese as a Foreign Language is
extremely difficult for children whose first language (L1) uses an alphabetic
writing system due to the non-alphabetic character of its spelling.
2. Mentally Taxing
Another perceived effect of the challenges is mentally taxing of 4th year
ABEL respondents in studying foreign language in distance learning. This theme
exists when respondents are thinking superficially which affects their academic
performances.

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As shown below, studying a foreign language strains the respondents'
mental abilities.
“Sobrang nakakaapekto yon sa mental health ko. Minsan umiiyak nalang ako
kasi hindi ako makasabay sa ano sa lesson, ang hirap. Minsan parang ayaw ko
na mag-aral. Kasi hindi ko talaga masyadong nacocope-up iyong lesson … at
nakakawalang gana iyong scores ko mababa ... medyo nastress kasi hindi ako
makasabay sa klase, hindi ko din mapanood iyong recorded video sa
meetings.” “Stressful talaga sya, sa pagsulat palang sa rules the other student
added mga experiences na yun sobra talaga nadadamay na mentally,
physically kasi hindi ko alam minsan ano yung uunahin.”
“It's affecting my mental health in a way na it's too overwhelming. The
information is too overwhelming to comprehend and input to me and nag panic
siguro kasi nga mostly ang mga teacher natin sa foreign language ay
nagpaparecite... nakaka-stress”
"If you got the low point then it affects my mental tasks... I feel embarrassed
when I do not pronounce the word properly."
“Sometimes, naiisip ko parang wala naman improvement sakin parang di naman
ako natututo kasi parang may kulang pa it’s not enough pag sa self ko mismo.”
“Foreign language subjects are stressful when it comes to quizzes like you are
quizzing with different writing systems and characters and vocabularies.”
It can be deduced from the foregoing that respondents were affected by the
thought that their productivity was declining; they perceived themselves to be the

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class's slowest learners. The respondents were subjected to mental pressure,
and they were unaware of the negativity that creeped into their thoughts.
This implies that the respondents’ attempts to acquire a new language
were not successful. They were more concerned with surviving than learning the
foreign language.
According to Saito et al. (1999) and Zhao et al. (2013), native English
speakers of all three languages—Japanese, Chinese, and Korean—experienced
a large degree of stress due to the foreign writing system, symbols, and
vocabulary. The learner's capacity to absorb and learn a second or foreign
language will be diminished as the amount of information is ingested into the
brain when the filter is activated.
3. Distracting and Confusing
Another perceived effect of the challenges is distracting and confusing of
4th-year ABEL respondents in studying a foreign language in distance learning.
This theme exists when respondents are affected by their vicinity during an
online class.
The following responses indicate how preoccupied and perplexed the
respondents are with learning a foreign language.
“When I'm distracted or uninterested in studying a foreign language, I learn
less. I am not focused on learning the language, so I don't know enough and
learn less.”

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“Pag tinignan ko iyung characters naguguluhan na ako.” Another respondent
added that “pronunciation of Mandarin … sometimes your classmates will
say para kang tanga, I got distracted sa pronounce uneasy ka to pronounce
para kang uncomfortable nakaka conscious ha tama ba ginagawa ko.”
“One problem na kaya ako coconcious is that since virtual tayo di ko nakikita
mga mukha ng mga classmates ko kaya you cannot tell if you are pronouncing it
correctly … unlike sa f2f nakikita mo sila … somehow the instructors they place
your other colleagues na oh ito si ganyan ang galing parang native speaker na
pero ikaw parang boses mo parang arte lang... somehow na kaka distract...
coconcious parin ako sa ms team like talking to via through phones,
microphones nakaka coconcocious… sa foreign language kasi syempre it’s a
new language mag iiba ang tone ng boses mo nakakhiya and nakakaconcious
like I feel embarrassed when I do not pronounce the word properly.”
“Sometimes I get confused, I search how to pronounce it properly.”
“Hindi ka naman sanay sa mga ganung tones you’ll be confused, and you’ll
be distracted…it distracts you sometimes kasi makikita mo na iba mong
kakalse
tumatawa na.”
“Nag-online class tayo parang nasanay narin ako sa pagmu-multitasking at the
same time nakakaapekto din yun sa studies ko… hindi mo alam kung anong
uunahin kasi online class, utos dito utos nyan.”
“Nakakalito iyong pare-parehas na stroke iyong mga alphabets.”
“I got distracted na parang okay na all along I thought.”

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The respondents became conscious and distracted within their vicinity.
This explains why 4th-year ABEL respondents in synchronous online courses
face obstacles in that they are unable to manage every aspect of their online
sessions, including their internet connection, surroundings, virtual audience
pressure, the broadness of each foreign language, their comfort, and help from
both their family and teachers. This will reduce the ability of students to focus on
their education by paying close attention during online classes.
A multitude of things, such as losing interest in the main task, being
unable to pay attention for a variety of reasons, or the intensity of the distractor,
might be the source of distractions. Confusion makes it more difficult to complete
any task correctly. Others might have trouble concentrating, recalling, or making
choices.
This implies that respondents are not yet ready to fully embrace distance
learning since they are distracted by several elements while learning a foreign
language in which respondents is confused due to the language rules itself.
According to N. Hasan (2020), students found online learning to be
particularly distracting due to factors like noise, bad management, commercials,
etc. Online teaching is a relatively new phenomenon compared to traditional
classroom teaching. Calls between classes were a major source of distraction for
98% of students who used their mobile phones for online learning.
4. Demotivating

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The challenges faced by the respondents in foreign language classes had
demotivating effects. This idea recurred as the respondents shared their
sentiments during the interview.
The findings indicate that there is the insufficient motivation among the
respondents to study foreign languages.
“I think it Korean subject there's a part ohh there's an interesting topic but nung
nag choppy na si sir… iyung interest ko…nawala so yah it does affect."
"In Japanese, you are very overload whereas the vocabulary bucket is full
and…not well and the only thing you can do now is to stop… and feel
unmotivated."
“Kulang ako sa self-confidence …to learn foreign language yung kawalan kasi
ng self-confidence parang hindrance yun para ano eh para mag excels ka sa
class.” “We are in the middle of a pandemic; I lost my interest and sometimes
unmotivated because of the hardness or the hard part na sobrang hirap.”
“My self-confidence really affects my learning … I got afraid na baka hindi tama
iyong sasabihin ko or hindi tama iyong alam ko.”
“Parang nadisappoint ako sa sarili ako.. mas nadagdagan pa iyong kawalan ng
interes ko mag-aral. Imbes na madagdagan iyong motivation, mas nawalan
ako ng motivation”.
“May mga times na gusto ko na din sumuko lalo na kapag ano kapag hindi ko
nagegets.”
“I do not show any interest sa Korean talaga. We are in the middle of a
pandemic, and I lost interest.”

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It can be inferred from what the respondents revealed that they lost
motivation to study a foreign language because of their lack of confidence, up to
the point of losing interest in studying their lessons. This implies that foreign
language subjects posed serious challenges on certain respondents that
demotivated them.
“When you are distracted or have no interest in learning a foreign language you
acquire less.” This respondent also added that “hindi ko masasabi na natuto
ako ng sobra. I know na dapat mas may matutunan tayo but because of our
system or our set-up new set-up. We learned less.”
According to Singleton and Ryan (2004), learners struggle to retain new
material, and a reduction in hearing sensitivity impairs the ability to recognize
speech sounds, making it difficult to memorize words and understand teacher
instructions.
5. Motivating
If there were respondents that demotivated by the challenges in foreign
language classes, others perceived them as motivating. In this study, motivation
is highly needed to help the students learn a foreign language amidst pandemics.
The following responses give a glimpse of how the respondents motivated
to learn a foreign language.
"In Mandarin… I enjoy learning it and I'm looking forward kasi parang
nababalik na interest so since we are slowly having are face to face class and
so you know the momentum is there, I think it adds up to my motivation to
learn again

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the language coz you know balik na tayo naseset na utak ko na oh I need to
study the pressure Is on but in a good way."
"I came from a school where… I personally experienced that like parang may
prior knowledge na ako about that. About the people, their culture how polite
they are, and I think my motivation is having prior knowledge … their
language." “Prior knowledge is one of my motivations and I want to learn more
like parang may seed na … a way to grow na mas matuto pa.”
"Though it is stressing still I get the motivation to strive to learn the foreign
though it is stressing somehow the exciting part of the motivation part where
you know you failed at kasi diba after mong makita or makuha iyung points or
correction sa quiz diba andun naman iyung answer or kung bakit mali sagot
mo and with that, you learn and you will be motivated to na oh mali pala ito so I
should I have to remember ito pala meaning nito or gamit nito."
“Stressing but when you failed at, then that’s the time where you appreciate
to learn, master and remember it that next time I know that I will answer
correctly na.”
These several respondents believe that one of the best things they can do
to motivate themselves to study a foreign language is to increase their exposure
and interest in it. Another factor is their prior understanding of the language,
which will drive them to put more effort into their studies. Another is student
failure, which means that if they have setbacks or errors when learning the
language, this is the moment they will be able to master it.

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“Learning those foreign languages is an advantage for us who are in Asia also
it is a great motivation if you want to pursue foreign teaching in the future.”
“Pag may part na mahirap, may part na hindi ko nasabayan, yun nga tatamarin
na’ko, tatamarin nako aralin syempre pag malapit na po yung exam,
papanoorin na yung mga recorded, ano doon na mamo-motivate pag malapit
na ung exam, pag mag activity.”
“Oo yun lang talaga motivation for the grades lang. Grades lang talaga. hindi
na ako makikipagplastikan”.
In the extract above, one respondent sees the positive aspect of the
foreign language course as a steppingstone for the future if they desire to teach
foreign languages. And one respondent added that she/he only becomes
motivated to study the foreign language to pass the course material when an
exam or quiz is about to be administered. Another respondent answered
without filter that motivation is the grades alone. This implies that studying a
foreign language for the first time could inspire respondents because it's a new
language, and new chances, experiences, and discoveries are waiting to be
had.
Shi (2015), added that learning motivations were the inner aspect that
caused personal learning objectives and caused the learning performance of
students to be constant efforts, fortifying the cognitive process, strengthening,
and increasing the learning effect of students.
LEARNING STRATEGIES FOR STUDYING FOREIGN LANGUAGES

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Research question three (3) sought to answer the learning strategies of
4th year ABEL students when studying foreign languages online, specifically
Japanese, Korean, and Chinese. The themes generated are adapted to Oxford
(1990) language learning strategies. Cognitive strategies, memory-related
strategies, social strategies, and metacognitive strategies are the identified
themes. The themes are arranged according to the most up to the least answer
of the respondents.
1. Cognitive Strategies
The most used learning strategy that 4th-year ABEL respondents
employed in learning foreign languages is cognitive strategy. The respondents
practice how to pronounce words and write characters, take notes, and watch
instructional videos. According to Oxford (1990), cognitive strategies function by
understanding and producing new language by different means such as
practicing, receiving, and sending messages, analyzing, and reasoning, and
creating a structure for input and output.
"I try to practice by myself. I do advanced reading and advanced
pronunciation drills. After watching the video, via mimicry and imitating the
sounds. I practiced … and then imitate.”
“I am searching for it in google and I’ll know how to properly pronounce
it.” “ina-aral ko iyong rules kung paano ipronounce.”

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“Prinapractice ko din iyong writings. Nagprapractice ako magsulat ng mga
strokes ng Mandarin.”
“practicing the proper ways to write the characters to understand a certain
vocabulary in a sentence.”
“dalawang beses akong nagsulat, first ung strokes muna prinactice ko, tas
doon sa malinis na format. Napa-practice ko yung ano, pag connect-connect ng
grammar ng Korean.”
The respondents are practicing the proper pronunciation of the words
incorporating the rules of the foreign language as Japanese, Korean, and
Chinese have different alphabet compared to English. Japanese, Korean, and
Chinese do not have a Roman alphabet like English, rather they have their own
writing system. Practicing the proper pronunciation and writing the characters of
Japanese, Korean, and Chinese help the respondent to familiarize themselves
and memorize the language. Practicing the characters on paper is a typical
learning strategy or practice in traditional teaching or offline learning.
The respondent stated that they usually take down notes in Japanese,
Korean, and Chinese. The respondents stated the responses below.
“natuto ako kasi prinactice ko iyong napag-aaralan natin. I read. I write.
I pronounce. I practice the language.”
“because there is myriad tone so I must really immerse myself and try
to jot down numerous vocabularies and master it so that I will be able to go on
my
class.”

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“I do jot down notes especially pag sinusulat ni sir sa white board niya or
sa mismong pdf niya.”
“ni-no-notes ko, sinusulat ko sa papel. Nahihirapan matandaan kaya
ni- no-notes ko, sinusulat ko sa papel, pati sa Japanese.”
“isusulat … yung parang proper pronunciation.”
“may notes ako. For example, isang character yung pronunciation niya
meaning niya at the same time paano siya isulat. Ang notes ko lang sa mandarin
ay yung proper pronunciation.”
Writing down notes about the vocabulary and the proper pronunciation of
the character helps respondents to memorize it. The mode of learning of the
respondent is online and traversal of online and offline strategy is present as the
respondent read or listen on their devices such as smartphones and laptop and
write physically.
The respondents also watch the recorded discussion on MS Team as
seen their statements below.
“sa recorded discussion po, lahat ng discussion pina-panood ko po ulit.
Ginagawa ko po every after ng klase papanoorin ko po ulit tapos don ako
nagta- take note ng malala. sa Korean lahat ng klase natin pinapanood ko ulit
ng isang
beses.”
“papanoorin ko po, mag no-notes ako tas iintindihin ko pa ulit.”
"I preferred watching the recorded meetings.”
“repeating yung sounds tapos nagbabase ako sa recording and at the
same time sa YouTube, nanonood ako sa YouTube.”

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Taking notes is also effective aid for the respondents learning. One
respondent stated that watching every recorded discussion in every foreign
language subject helps her to not have zero grades on quizzes. Another
respondent preferred watching the recorded meeting in Chinese subject,
however this is contrary to her learning strategy in studying Japanese and
Korean where she preferred reading the instructional materials rather than
watching the recorded meeting.
Practicing their writing and speaking skills improved their fluency in foreign
languages. The traversal of online and offline strategy can be seen among 4th
year ABEL respondents. This implies that even if the mode of learning is online,
respondents still incorporate offline strategies as it is effective in helping them in
the learning foreign language.
Takeuchi (2003), Alcazaren et al. (2016), and Allado et. al. (2016)
concluded in their studies that cognitive strategies are one of the preferred
learning strategies of students in learning foreign languages such as Korean and
Japanese. Imitating, shadowing, and pattern testing was used by the students in
learning Japanese as a foreign language in the study of Takeuchi (2003).
2. Memory-related Strategies
The second learning strategy that 4th-year ABEL respondents employ is
memory-related strategies. According to Oxford (1998), memory strategy helps
students store and retrieve information. Almost all the respondents review the
lesson and their notes. The respondents stated that they usually review their
notes

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or the learning materials that the instructor provides if there is a recitation, quiz,
or examination coming. The respondents also memorize vocabulary and print the
instructional materials given to them. This is employed in three foreign
languages: Japanese, Korean, and Chinese.
The respondents write notes to store information as seen below.
"I must immerse myself and try to jot down numerous vocabularies and
master them."
“I write and memorize every vocabulary na alam kong kakailanganin sa
Japanese foreign language class natin.”
“mag nonotes talaga ako para matandaan ung ano especially yung
pronunciation ng character na yun.”
Respondents write the vocabularies for them to memorize or master it.
The respondent do not only write the vocabulary, but also the pronunciation of it.
Writing the vocabulary and the proper pronunciation of the character help
respondent to memorize it.
The respondents revealed that they review their lesson through their notes
or the instructional materials that the instructors provided. The responses are
seen below.
“binabalikan ko ang previous para mas maintindihan
ko.” “review din kapag malapit na iyong exam.”
“after ng lesson natin inaaral ko iyong pronunciation, rules kung paano
ipronounce.”

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“I’m giving myself time to review the lesson. Review nalang ulit through
learning materials na prinovide din nila.”
“if may hindi ako maintidihan ano binabalikan ko nalang after ng class.”
“Reviewing, sa ano peers … parang siya na yung mismong nag volunteer
sa mga di nakakasabay, I take that opportunity para mas mabalikan at matuto at
makasabay sa lesson.”
“mas ni-review ko o mas inaral ko yung language.”
The respondent studies the lesson more because the instructor is calling
students to recite. Reviewing the lessons is one of the strategies respondents
employ in learning foreign languages. The above findings suggest that taking
down notes and reviewing helped the respondents retained what they learned in
their foreign subject. Thus, memory-related strategies can compensate for what
the respondents would miss due to some constraints.
Ancho (2019) emphasizes in her study that writing is useful in mastering
and remembering new vocabulary and it can be seen as one of the strategies
that 4th-year ABEL respondents used in studying foreign languages. Takeuchi
(2003) and Yan (2020) have memory strategies as one of the strategies that
students employed in their foreign language learning. Takeuchi (2003) concludes
that students learning Japanese as a Foreign Language use a memory strategy
related to internalizing the linguistic system.
3. Social Strategies

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The third learning strategy that 4th-year ABEL respondents used is social
strategies. According to Oxford (1990), social strategies involve asking questions,
cooperating with others, and empathizing with them. The respondents asked their
classmates or peers for clarification or correction to understand the lesson.
Almost all the respondents asked their classmates when they did not understand
the lesson well. Only two respondents directly ask the instructor for clarification
and understanding. And only one respondent had a conversation with a native
speaker of a foreign language. The following responses below give a glimpse of
the respondents social strategies.
“actually nagtatanong ako sa mga kaklase natin iyong mga hindi ko
maintindihan na lessons. Nagtatanong tanong din sa mga kaklase natin like kung
anong ibig sabihin ng ganitong words, saan nakuha iyong ganito.”
“parang sya na ung mismong nag volunteer sa mga di nakakasabay, …
mag asks sa classmates.”
“if may hindi ako maintidihan ano binabalikan ko nalang after ng class o
tinatanong sa kaklase.”
“tinanong ko paano ung pronunciation nito mataas ba o mababa. Meron
naman akong kaklaseng na napagtatanungan.”
“nagtanong ako sa assignment lang, kung ano ba ung susulatan, ung
nandun ba na nasa may pdf or ung nakahiwalay na box box doon ganun
lang.
Nag-ask ako sa mga kaklase ko kung pwede magsend siya ng notes niya sakin
tas ung sinend nya naman.”

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“I ask directly the instructor, especially the instructions. Instructions
about the lesson kung bakit ganto, ganyan kung paano ito, paano sa
pagsusulat kung
pababa at pataas.”
“I reached my friends and professor just to aid the information in language
learning.”
“The way kami mag-usap natuto siya sakin ng English language, at the
same time natuto din ako sa kanya ng Japanese language.”
One respondent said that a classmate of them volunteered to teach.
Asking or seeking answers to classmates are commonly seen in classroom
interactions especially in a foreign language subject. This helps the respondents
to understand the lesson clearly and it encourages interaction using the target
language. Asking the instructor can aid more help with information in the lesson
or activities.
Exposure to native speakers will help the respondents to become more
proficient in the language. However, only one respondent interacted with a native
speaker which helps them to learn a foreign language. Exposure to native
speakers may also motivate the students to master the foreign language. This
implies that asking questions to classmates and foreign language teacher can
help the respondents to further understand the lessons in their foreign language
studies.
Gonzales (1998) stated that social strategy is more frequently used than
other strategies like cognitive strategies. However, social strategy is ranked third
as the learner's strategy in this study and in Alcazaren et al. (2016) studies.

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Egbert (2020) stated in his study that engagement in language tasks can
continue to support learners' achievement. No or less exposure to the language
and minimal interaction with native speakers of a foreign language can be
challenging to language learners. This coincides with Kim (2020) as he cited
Pappemihiel (2002) in his study concluding that less exposure to the language,
less practice time, and minimal interaction is challenging to Chinese Korean
students studying the Korean language.
4. Metacognitive Strategies
The fourth learning strategy that 4 th-year ABEL respondents used is meta-
cognitive. The metacognitive strategy includes centering your learning, arranging,
and planning your learning, and evaluating your learning. Respondents read their
notes or the learning materials that the instructor provided. The respondents
always read in advance in every foreign language subject. Respondents also
print the instructional materials and watch instructional materials on YouTube,
Facebook, and TikTok where there are free lectures about foreign languages.
The following responses give a glimpse of the metacognitive strategies that
respondents do to enhance their foreign language learning.
"I do an advance reading. I need to read in advance what the instructors
provided." The respondent added, “library sa e-books nag dodownload at
nagbabasa ako to maximize my learning.”
"yung Nihongo nag-a-advance reading ako using the learning materials
they provided."

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“nagbabasa ako ng notes sa Japanese.” One respondent said, “the
most effective way I used to do in learning a language is reading and writing
them… I
read. I write.”
“mas mag-advance reading nako,… nakakahiya … pag ikaw na ang mag-
recite pag nagkamali ka.”
"I have said I have difficulty reading the text in Korean or Hangul. I've
overcome … by giving time myself at least one hour or 30 minutes to just read a
Hangul or Korean transcriptions or textbooks.”
“nagpri-print ako and then nagha-highlight sa notes ko ng na discuss.”
“nagpri-print din po ako ng binibigay nilang mga notes pdfs, ppts, pati
po
yung mga ppts pini-print ko po yun.”
Some respondents watch videos on social media sites such as YouTube,
Facebook, and TikTok where there are free lectures. There responses are seen
below.
"I go to YouTube since it has free lectures and a Facebook group. Since I
have visual distortion or paranoia, I feel overwhelmed by Chinese characters.
I'm trying to watch a free class on social media like TikTok. There is a free
Chinese
lesson for me to feel comfortable with those Chinese characters."
"I'm looking or searching for a video tutorial. When I forgot about the
proper pronunciation of a character, I watch it and make myself familiar with the
character, its proper sound, and its proper usage. Sometimes I got confused … I
used the tutorial, video tutorial in learning a language."

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One respondent does not want to limit his readings to the learning material
provided by the instructors. The respondent read in advance in Chinese and
Korean but not in Japanese because there is a designated reporter to summarize
the previous discussion. Reading Korean textbooks is one of the learning
strategies that the respondent employs to overcome his difficulty in learning the
Korean language. Online library can further enhance the learning progress of the
students in learning foreign language as they can borrow or download the book in
their gadgets. The respondents also utilized the used of internet and gadget to
learn more. Reading and writing are also effective strategies to the students.
Electrical sources which include pdf and instructional videos on YouTube are
effective aid that helps the learning progress of the students. This implies that
watching instructional videos is effective strategy in learning foreign language.
Ancho (2019) concluded in her study that student engagement, such as
watching videos or films, is an effective technique for learning a foreign
language. Allado et al. (2016) also concluded that instructional films are more
successful than books for foreign language acquisition in studying Korean
because it consists of misspelled words. However, this is contrary to the
experience of one student.

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Chapter 5
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This chapter presents the summary of the research work undertaken, the
conclusions drawn, and the recommendations made as an outgrowth of this
study.
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
The objective of this study was to gather information about the challenges
students experience when studying a foreign language, the perceived effects of
the difficulties on students' foreign language learning, and the learning strategies
students use when learning foreign languages. This study uncovered specific
and context-based experiences of fourth-year ABEL students at PSU-Urdaneta
Campus. Even though confined to a different set-up, ABEL students give almost
the same response during the interview since the mode of teaching, instructor,
location, and foreign language are the same, which are Japanese, Korean, and
Chinese.
1. Challenges experienced in foreign language learning. The respondents
considered (1) writing system is challenging since Japanese, Korean, and
Chinese language are logographic (2) pronunciation is difficult since there are
rules to follow to pronounce it correctly (3) memorization of new information is
difficult (4) learning environment is challenging for the learning process (5) time
constraints are also a

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67

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68
challenge for students and instructors, and (6) Demotivation is one of the
challenges faced by students in foreign languages.
2. Perceived effects of the challenges of foreign language learning on
students. It was clear that the perceived effects of the challenges of foreign
language learning were (1) emotionally draining as they found the subjects are
challenging (2) mentally taxing as they pressure themselves to learn a foreign
language (3) distracting and confusing considering that there are several
elements distracting and confusing considering that there are several elements
while learning foreign language (4) demotivating since they lack confidence and
lose interest in learning foreign languages, and (5) motivating given that a new
language means new learning, new chances, and new experiences.
3. Strategies for studying foreign languages. It was found that (1) cognitive
strategies as respondents practice and creating structure for input and output, (2)
memory-related strategies as respondents review well, (3) social strategies as
respondents ask questions, and (4) meta-cognitive strategies as respondents
plan their learning.
CONCLUSIONS
After careful analysis of the findings, the researchers arrived at the following
conclusions:
1. Foreign language is strange as it is not spoken by everyone, which makes it
difficult to learn their rules, systems, pronunciation, and setup. Distance learning
makes it more difficult to study foreign languages.

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2. Foreign language learning is complex; thus, adverse effects are expected;
however, it can also motivate other students. Hence, foreign language learning is
compelling and terrifying, mainly when the class is held online.
3. Foreign language learners employ several strategies to deal with the demands
of language study. As such, the four Oxford language learning techniques are
used to categorize those strategies used by learners.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on the summary of findings and conclusions drawn, the following
recommendations are composed:
1. The curriculum developer may lessen the foreign language in the
curriculum to one or two foreign languages instead of four. The teachers
should give more time to discuss the writing system, pronunciation, and
rules of a foreign language. Also, the foreign language teachers are
encouraged to conduct activities like film showing to expose the students
to the language and culture.
2. The school administration should provide seminars for the students about
mental and emotional health that will be attended by the students to help
them to learn how to manage their stress in learning foreign languages.
3. The students may watch instructional videos on the internet to aid their
foreign language learning. Also, the researchers recommend that a similar
study be conducted, considering other variables such as the instructors'
teaching strategies in a foreign language.

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APPENDIX A
LETTER OF
PERMISSION
TO THE CAMPUS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
October 12, 2022
HONORIO L. CASCOLAN, PHD.

Campus Executive Director
Pangasinan State University-Urdaneta Campus
Sir:
We, Sheena Richelle M. Coroña, Charmaine L. de Chavez, and Lavishreiy Gail

P. Voces, 4th year ABEL students on this campus, are writing to request
permission to conduct a research study entitled, “Foreign Language Learning
among ABEL Students”, as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree
Bachelor of Arts in English Language.
In view thereof, we would like to request the school administration to allow us to

conduct a semi-structured interview with five (5) randomly selected participants
from the 4th year ABEL students using the platform of their choice, or the learning
platform of the institution, the MS Teams.
Your approval to conduct this study is highly appreciated.
Respectfully yours,
SHEENA RICHELLE M. COROÑA
CHARMAINE L. DE CHAVEZ
LAVISHREIY GAIL P. VOCES

Researchers
Noted:
VIRMA CRIS L. LAGUNA

Research Adviser
Approved by:
HONORIO L. CASCOLAN, PHD.
75

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APPENDIX B
LETTER OF
PERMISSION
TO THE COLLEGE DEAN OF ARTS AND EDUCATION
October 12, 2022
ELIZABETH F. EPISCOPE, Ed.D.

Dean, College of Arts and Education
Ma’am:

P. Voces, 4th year ABEL students at Pangasinan State University-Urdaneta
Campus, we would like to request your good office to allow us to conduct a
research study with the 4th year ABEL students through semi-structured interview
entitled “Foreign Language Learning among ABEL Students”. Rest assured
that all information to be gathered will be used for research purposes only.
Your kind approval to conduct this study is highly appreciated.
Rest assured that all information to be gathered will be used for research
purposes only
Thank you.
Respectfully yours,

Researchers
Noted:

Research Adviser
Approved by:
ELIZABETH F. EPISCOPE, Ed.D.
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APPENDIX C
LETTER OF
PERMISSION
TO THE CHAIR OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT
October 12, 2022
MARVIN Q. CORPUZ, M.A.Ed

Chair, English Language Department
College of Arts and Education
Sir:

P. Voces, 4th year ABEL students at Pangasinan State University-Urdaneta
Campus, would like to request your good office to allow us to conduct a research
study with the 4th year ABEL students through semi-structured interview entitled
“Foreign Language Learning among ABEL Students”. Rest assured that all
information to be gathered will be used for research purposes only.
Your kind approval of this request will help us in the completion of our research
work.
Rest assured that all information to be gathered will be used for research
purposes only
Thank you.
Respectfully yours,

Researchers
Noted:

Research Adviser
Approved by:
MARVIN Q. CORPUZ, M.A.Ed
77

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APPENDIX D
LETTER TO THE
PARTICIPANTS
Dear participants:

P. Voces, 4th year ABEL students on this campus, are currently conducting a
research study entitled, “Foreign Language Learning among ABEL
Students”, as part of the fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Bachelor
of Arts in English Language.
In this connection, we would like to request your kind cooperation to participate in

a virtual one-on-one interview and respond with truthfulness and honesty. Rest
assured that all information provided will be treated with the utmost
confidentiality, and no ethical practices will be violated.
Respectfully yours,

Researchers
Noted:

Research Adviser
78

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APPENDIX E
INTERVIEW GUIDE
I. Establish Rapport
A pleasant morning! Permit me to first introduce myself. I am (name of
researcher), a 3rd year ABEL (AB English Language) student, and I am currently
conducting research entitled "Foreign language learning among ABEL students."
I would first outline the purpose of the meeting and how the respondents were
selected to take part in the study. I'll start by asking them about their days before
moving on to questions about the study questions. Although this questions are
not in the interview questions, it would be helpful to break the ice and learn more
about the interviewees. The sample questions are: Would you mind answering a
question that has nothing to do with the interview questions? We simply want to
know how your day has been. Can you remove the ice for us? Can we start
asking you the real questions now?
After hearing the participants' responses to that question, we would advise them
that we would be outlining the primary goal of this study and ensuring that all the
data was used solely for academic purposes. All information conducted will also
be treated with confidentiality.
SOP Data to Gather Guide Questions
1. What are the 1. Challenges of 1. Will you describedyour
challenges students students in experiences in your foreign
studying language class?
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80
experience in studying foreign 2. How did the difficulties you
the foreign language? language. encountered affect your
2. Perceived language learning?
effects of the 3. Will you compare your
2. What are the challenges experiences in learning Korean,
perceived effects of the students’ Mandarin, and Japanese as a
challenges on experience in foreign language?
students’ foreign studying 4. Did you encounter the same
language foreign difficulties in the three foreign
learning? language language classes?
3. Learning 5. What do you think are the
3. What are the strategies of effects of this difficulties you
learning strategies of students in encountered in your foreign
students in studying their foreign language learning?
foreign languages? language 6. What do you think is the most
learning. affected in your foreign language
studies when you encounter
challenges in learning foreign
languages?
7. What are the things you do to
maximize your learning in your
foreign language subjects?

lOMoARcPSD|31637338
8. How did you manage to learn
Korean, Japanese, and Mandarin
as a foreign language, in spite of
the new educational system?
9. How did you make sure that
you learned a lot in your online
foreign language class?
10. What are your
preparations for your foreign
language class?
11. How did you employ your
learning strategies in your three
foreign language classes?
II. The aim of the interview is to aid the researchers in learning more about
the difficulties that students have when learning a foreign language, as
well as the perceived effects of these difficulties have on students' ability
to learn that language and their learning strategies. In accordance with
proper research protocol, the researchers will request permission from the
respondents before recording the interview. In order to guarantee the
reliability and accuracy of the assessment, the researchers will record the
interview exclusively for academic purposes.

lOMoARcPSD|31637338
CURICULLUM VITAE
Name: Sheena Richele M. Coroña
Date of Birth: March 27, 2001
Place of Birth: Moncada, Tarlac
Age: 21 years old
Gender: Female
Citizenship: Filipino
Religion: Roman Catholic
Civil Status: Single
Person to contact in case of emergency: Elma M. Coroña
Contact no.: 09568733912
Address: Anoyao West, Linmansangan, Binalonan, Pangasinan
Languages/Dialects Spoken: Filipino, English, Ilocano
Special skills: Microsoft Office literature
Video editing (Filmora)
Educational Background:
College: Bachelor of Arts in English Language
August 2019 – Present
Expected graduation: 2023
Pangasinan State University - Urdaneta Campus, Urdaneta
City, Pangasinan
Introduction to Front Office Services
82

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83
January 5, 2022
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority
Secondary: Moncada Catholic School, Inc
Poblacion 4, Moncada, Tarlac
2012-2019
Primary: Moncada Catholic School,
Inc Poblacion 4, Moncada,
Tarlac 2007-2012
Seminar/Training/Workshop Attended:
14th Philippine Linguistic Congress
Participant
YouTube
August 24-27, 2021
Work Experience:
Work Immersion
Municipal Social Welfare Development Office
Moncada, Tarlac
February 2019

lOMoARcPSD|31637338
CURRICULUM VITAE
Name: Charmaine L. de
Chavez Date of Birth: September 26, 2001
Place of Birth: Biwas, Tanza, Cavite
Age: 21 years old
Gender: Female
Religion: Roman Catholic
Status: Single
Person to contact in case of emergency: Reymundo C. de Chavez
Contact No.: 09164559123
Address: San Miguel, Natividad, Pangasinan
Languages/ Dialects Spoken: Filipino, English, & Ilocano
Special Skills: Computer Literate (MS Word & MS
PowerPoint) Korean language (basic)
Pangasinan State University - Urdaneta Campus,
Secondary: Tayug National High School (TNHS)

lOMoARcPSD|31637338
Plaridel Street, B, Tayug, Pangasinan
2017-2019
Primary: San Miguel Elementary School
San Miguel, Natividad,
Pangasinan 2009-2013
Seminar/ Training/ Workshop attended:
Division Seminar Workshop on Campus
Journalism 2014-2017
Work experience:
Work Immersion
Pangasinan International Montessori Academy (PIMA)
Tayug, Pangasinan
September 2019

lOMoARcPSD|31637338
CURRICULUM VITAE
Name: Lavishreiy Gail P. Voces
Date of Birth: April 23, 2001
Place of Birth: Sta. Monica Moncada, Tarlac
Age: 21 years old
Gender: Female
Religion: Jesus Is Lord (Born Again)
Status: Single
Person to contact in case of emergency: Asuncion L. Padilla
Contact no.: 09504151478
Address: 4 Caralipio St. Sta. Monica Moncada, Tarlac
Languages/ Dialect Spoken: English, Filipino, Ilocano
Special skills: Computer Literate (MS Word, MS Power point)
Pangasinan State University - Urdaneta Campus,
Secondary: Moncada Catholic School, Inc
Poblacion 4 Moncada, Tarlac

lOMoARcPSD|31637338
2016-2019
Primary: Sta. Monica Integrated Elementary School
Sta. Monica Moncada Tarlac
2007-2012
Seminar/Training/Workshop Attended:
14th Philippine Linguistic Congress
Participant
YouTube
August 24-27, 2021
Work Experience:
Work Immersion
Moncada South Central Elementary
School Moncada, Tarlac
February 2019

Foreign Language Learning Part 1 2 Combined

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Foreign Language Learning Part 1 2 combined

AB Communication Arts (Tarlac State University)

Studocu is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university

FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING AMONG ABEL STUDENTS

An Undergraduate Thesis Presented

Coroña, Sheena Richelle M.

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

English Language, this thesis entitled “Foreign Language Learning among

ABEL students” prepared and submitted by Sheena Richelle M. Coroña,

Charmaine L. de Chavez, and Lavishreiy Gail P. Voces is hereby

recommended for approval and acceptance.

MARVIN Q. CORPUZ, M.A.Ed. VIRMA CRIS L. LAGUNA

RUBY F. AMADO, M.A.Ed.

EDNA C. QUERIONES, Ed.D. JANILYN GRACE C. PALEB, M.A.Ed.

Accepted and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the

ELIZABETH F. EPISCOPE, Ed.D. ROY C. FERRER, Ph.D.

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were not alone in completing this paper.

unflinching perseverance inspired researchers to keep going in the middle.

researchers and contributing to the improvement of this study. The families,

project they had begun.

contributions and suggestions from others.

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determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of

ourselves to the task at hand.” – Vince Lombardi

support and motivation to finish this study.

This paper is also dedicated to those who inspire us to keep moving.

effort to improve this study, our adviser and critic reader.

- Charmaine, Lavish, and Sheena

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Title of the Study: Foreign Language Learning Among ABEL

have a different writing system than the Roman alphabet.

The study used qualitative research design and utilized semi-structured

interview as the research instrument. The researchers transcribed the recorded

five (5) 4th-year ABEL students of Pangasinan State University Urdaneta

Campus. Results showed that the challenges students experienced in studying a

foreign language werethe writing system, pronunciation,

memorization, learning environment, time constraints, and

challenges of foreign language learning on students are

emotionally draining, mentally taxing, distracting and confusing, demotivating,

studying foreign languages are cognitive, memory-related, social, and

metacognitive. This study is essential for understanding the needs and

shortcomings of learning a foreign language because it will aid both instructors

students are encouraged to reward themselves after finishing an activity, (2)

other to study foreign languages,

conducted, considering other variables such as the instructors' teaching

strategies in foreign language teaching.

TABLE OF CONTENTS vii

Background of the Study 1

Statement of the Problem 3

Significance of the Study 3

Scope and Delimitation of the Study 4

2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

Synthesis of the Reviewed Related Studies 23

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Respondents of the Study 31

Data Collection Instrument 31

Data Gathering Procedure 31

4 PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION 33

5 SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATION 66