Reconceptualizing ESP Vocabulary Learning: A Systemic Failure Model in Vietnamese Higher Education

Abstract

ESP vocabulary is a core component of academic and professional competence, yet it remains insufficiently developed among non-English major students. Existing research, including prior studies, has largely focused on identifying and categorizing learning difficulties, offering limited explanatory insight. This study addresses a critical gap by reconceptualizing ESP vocabulary learning as a systemic process and proposing a mechanism-based model of learning failure. Using a secondary analysis and reinterpretation of a mixed-method dataset involving 200 university students, the study maps empirical findings onto key learning stages, including input, cognitive processing, retention, output, and feedback. The results reveal that learning failure is not isolated but occurs as a cascade of breakdowns across these stages. Building on this, the study develops a Systemic ESP Vocabulary Learning Failure Model and a corresponding pedagogical framework. Theoretically, the study advances vocabulary learning by introducing a system-based perspective. Practically, it provides a coherent instructional model to guide integrated ESP vocabulary teaching in higher education contexts.