Exploring Students’ Experience in Learning English Vocabulary Through Song in Spotify

Abstract

Although previous studies have documented positive outcomes of using Spotify songs for English vocabulary learning, most have focused on measuring learning outcomes or general perceptions, leaving the lived, day-to-day experience of learners largely unexamined. This study therefore aimed to explore how university students experienced the process of learning English vocabulary through Spotify songs and how these experiences shaped their vocabulary development. A qualitative narrative inquiry design was employed, as it allows researchers to capture how learners construct meaning from personal experience over time. The study involved five second-semester students of the English Language Education Study Program at Pakuan University, purposively selected because they actively and independently used Spotify songs as part of their English learning routine. Data were collected through reflective journals and semi-structured narrative interviews and were analyzed using thematic analysis. Five interrelated themes emerged: learning strategies, vocabulary learning process, emotional responses, learning impact, and reflective insight. Participants reported employing strategies such as repeated listening, reading synchronized lyrics, taking vocabulary notes, searching for word meanings, inferring meaning from context, and shadowing pronunciation. Through these strategies, participants perceived gains in vocabulary knowledge, pronunciation awareness, lyric comprehension, motivation, and long-term retention, alongside a growing tendency to regulate their own vocabulary learning. The study concludes that Spotify functioned, in participants’ experience, as a contextual and emotionally engaging resource for English vocabulary learning, offering practical implications for integrating music-based, learner-centered activities into vocabulary instruction.