Barriers to Foreign Language Acquisition: Insights from Cavite State University Students

This study investigated the different barriers that students at Cavite State University encounter when learning a foreign language, paying close attention to cognitive, affective, instructional, and environmental factors. Using a descriptive–comparative quantitative design, the researchers surveyed 276 students from various programs offering foreign language courses, selected through a combination of stratified random sampling and convenience sampling. Data were collected through a researcher-made questionnaire that was reviewed by language experts and tested for reliability using Cronbach’s alpha.
The results revealed that most students had only limited prior exposure to foreign languages, which may have contributed to the difficulties they experienced. Among the four categories, cognitive (M = 2.70) and affective barriers (M = 2.51) were the most pronounced. Many students reported struggling with vocabulary retention, understanding grammar structures, and managing anxiety or embarrassment when speaking in a foreign language. Instructional (M = 2.06) and environmental barriers (M = 2.38) were rated lower, although students consistently noted that the lack of opportunities to practice outside the classroom slowed down their progress.

foreign language acquisition, learning barriers, cognitive factors

1. Aguilar, M. G., & Rebolla, M. (2023). Challenges in learning a foreign language in three Philippine higher education institutions. International Journal of Language Teaching and Education, 7(1), 89–101. https://doi.org/10.22437/ijolte.v7i1.27986 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Ambas, J., Touwe, Y. S., Wenny, S. J., & Abdullah, D. (2024). Integration of chatting technology in the tandem language exchange learning process. International Journal of Language and Ubiquitous Learning, 1(4), 289–304. https://doi.org/10.70177/ijlul.v1i4.697 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Bygate, M., Mackey, A., & DeKeyser, R. (2022). Massed task repetition is a double-edged sword for fluency development. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 44(2), 536–561. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263121000358 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Castro, D. (2017). Foreign language anxiety and classroom performance among college students. Philippine E-Journals. https://ejournals.ph/article.php?id=13782 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Chamot, A. U., & O’Malley, J. M. (1994). The CALLA handbook: Implementing the Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach. Addison-Wesley. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Choffin, B., Popineau, F., Bourda, Y., & Vie, J.-J. (2019). DAS3H: Modeling student learning and forgetting for optimally scheduling distributed practice of skills. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/1905.06873 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Dörnyei, Z. (2005). The psychology of the language learner: Individual differences in second language acquisition. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781410613349 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Hayakawa, S., Bartolotti, J., van den Berg, A., & Marian, V. (2019). Language difficulty and prior learning influence foreign vocabulary acquisition. Languages, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/languages5010002 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M. B., & Cope, J. (1986). Foreign language classroom anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 70(2), 125–132. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1986.tb05256 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Huang, S., Lu, Y., & Ou, Y. (2024). Interaction hypothesis and its application in second language acquisition. Arts, Culture and Language, 1(7). https://doi.org/10.61173/zwhetk48 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Kara, Y., & Aksel, A. (2020). The influence of internal and external factors on foreign language learning: A review of related literature. International Journal of Contemporary Educational Research, 7(1), 65–77. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Karpicke, J. D., & Roediger, H. L. (2008). The critical importance of retrieval for learning. Science, 319(5865), 966–968. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1152408 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Kırkgöz, Y. (2010). Globalization and English language policy in Turkey. Educational Policy, 24(5), 677–700. https://doi.org/10.1177/0895904809356591 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Labicane, G. E. M. (2021). Foreign language anxiety experiences of Filipino students across the four macro skills. Language Literacy: Journal of Linguistics, Literature, and Language Teaching, 5(1), 254–264. https://doi.org/10.30743/ll.v5i1.3761 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Loewen, S., & Sato, M. (2018). Interaction and instructed second language acquisition. Language Teaching, 51(3), 285–329. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444818000125 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Long, M. (1983). Native speaker/non-native speaker conversation and the negotiation of comprehensible input. Applied Linguistics, 4(2), 126–141. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. MacIntyre, P. D., & Gardner, R. C. (1994). The subtle effects of language anxiety on cognitive processing in the second language. Language Learning, 44(2), 283–305. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Mudinillah, A., Rahmi, N. S., & Taro, N. (2024). Task-Based Language Teaching: A systematic review of research and applications. Lingeduca: Journal of Language and Education Studies, 3(2), 102–115. https://doi.org/10.70177/lingeduca.v3i2.1352 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Nation, I. S. P. (2013). Learning vocabulary in another language (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139858656 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Oxford, R. L. (2017). Teaching and researching language learning strategies: Self-regulation in context (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315719146 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Quintos, S. B. (2022). Foreign language anxiety and students’ learning motivation for Filipino foreign language (Korean) learners. IOER International Multidisciplinary Research Journal. https://doi.org/10.54476/s050354 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Saksittanupab, P. (2024). Enhancing vocabulary acquisition and retention: The role of spaced repetition in language learning. Journal of Modern Learning Development, 9(5), 205–215. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Schmidt, R. W. (1990). The role of consciousness in second language learning. Applied Linguistics, 11(2), 129–158. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Shamsi Samavi Aghdam, Ranjbar Mohammadi, R., Asadollahfam, H., & Yousefi, M. H. (2025). Enhancing second language vocabulary acquisition through self-regulation, spaced repetition, and cognitive load management strategies. Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies, 51(2), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.9734/ajess/2025/v51i21762 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Song, X. (2018). The impact of limited language exposure on L2 development among university learners. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 9(4), 743–751. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Swain, M. (2005). The output hypothesis: Theory and research. In E. Hinkel (Ed.), Handbook of research in second language teaching and learning (pp. 471–483). Routledge. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. Toyama, M., & Yamazaki, Y. (2021). Classroom interventions and foreign language anxiety: A systematic review with narrative approach. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 614184. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.614184 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. Zhou, A. (2023). Investigating the impact of online language exchanges on second-language speaking and willingness to communicate of Chinese EFL learners: A mixed-methods study. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1177922 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• The Impact of Ownership Structure on Dividend Payout Policy of Listed Plantation Companies in Sri Lanka
• Urban Sustainability in North-East India: A Study through the lens of NER-SDG index
• Performance Assessment of Predictive Forecasting Techniques for Enhancing Hospital Supply Chain Efficiency in Healthcare Logistics
• The Fractured Self in Julian Barnes' Postmodern Fiction: Identity Crisis and Deflation in Metroland and the Sense of an Ending
• Impact of Flood on the Employment, Labour Productivity and Migration of Agricultural Labour in North Bihar