ABSTRACT

Language learning is such a relevant key aspect that may help an individual to

interact and communicate. It allows the students to acquire knowledge and understanding

for a range of purposes.

It enables the language learners to have intercultural awareness and ways of

developing experiences which involve exchanges and interaction between various cultural

perspectives and conformity of the capacity to communicate with a new people in diverse

languages. It will serve as a gateway into a new culture and allow for a better understanding

of certain people and customs. However, not everyone who learns another language

(Chinese Mandarin) rapidly makes an effective progress to it. Fear of mistakes, lack of

confidence, anxiety and lack of motivation might be a barrier to success for the learners

and cause failure to progress. Learners who experience difficulties and slow progress may

not be aware of the causes or problems behind the absence of progress or how to resolve

them.

Since effective language learning involves a varied of skills, practices and abilities,

the language teachers should attain the complete student’s profile in learning language in

order to help determine the possible and likely causes for the learner’s lack of expected

progress.
 Meanwhile, there are so many factors involved in language learning, it would be

beneficial to determine those notable factors affecting the difficulties of the learners to help

them, teachers, other researchers and society to have a better learning and performance in

Chinese Mandarin and for the effectiveness of teaching strategy of the Chinese Mandarin’s

teachers. The study covered the factors affecting the difficulties of select Junior High

School students who were engaged to study Chinese Mandarin.

Moreover, section A students of the JHS (Junior High School) in Bataan School of

Fisheries were able to partake Chinese Mandarin. This research came up with this study

because they want to determine the causes of such difficulties of the particular students in

learning Chinese Mandarin. This study obtained only 10 students per section wherein the

researchers will take 5 male and 5 female students from Grade 7-A to 10-A. The researchers

were focused only to those students in specific school. Therefore, one of the limitations of

this study would be the results and conclusion can only be use to the particular school that

was selected and may not apply to other schools in the country.

Additionally, the researchers followed the analytical descriptive method in the study

wherein the population is from the Junior High School of the Bataan School of Fisheries

specially those students who are in section A (205). Also, the researchers used to employ

simple random technique to compose the 40 students (20 male and female). In order to
gather the required data the researchers used survey questionnaire as an instrument of the

study. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and the frequency distribution and percentage mean

were harnessed in this study to analyze the collected data.

After all the computation and interpretation of the data collected, the researchers

concluded that students and teachers-related factors had no effect on the students’ learning

progress in Chinese Mandarin was rejected. This could mean that all of the determined

factors are having intercorrelation to the learning proficiency of the students in Chinese

Mandarin.

The results of the study revealed psychological factors such as fear of mistake, lack

of confidence, anxiety and lack of motivation hinder the student’s learning proficiency.

Moreover, learning styles have given difficulties to the students because if their teachers

don’t reach their ideal learning styles, they more probably fail to have progress in Chinese

Mandarin.

Teaching strategy plays an important role as well to have progress in learning

Chinese Mandarin if the teachers use any materials that are not suited for the student’s

learning, they might be in trouble of speaking Chinese Mandarin. The Chinese Mandarin

language structure itself such as tones and translation contributed difficulties to them

because it is the hardest language among all the nations (Dylan Lyons, 2017).
 Furthermore, the recommendations suggested by the researchers in accordance

with the results and findings found out in this study are the school administrator should

build a Chinese Mandarin conversation Club to help the students learn as well as enjoy.

Also, teachers may improve their teaching strategy by weighing the needs and abilities of

their students. As well as conducting an additional research study with different type of

research (experimental research) to have a depth analysis about the factors that lead to

have slow progress and difficulties in learning Chinese Mandarin in order to have a

credible results that may provide a further explanations about the factors that affect the

learning proficiency of the students in Chinese Mandarin. Likewise, student-related

factors such gender, age, grade level, and learning style are also affect student’s learning

proficiency in Chinese Mandarin, then the researchers commended that the respondents

needed to boost their willingness in participating in the said language by having more

activities and programs with the use of Chinese Mandarin.