Difficulties in learning specific vocabulary in a foreign language

The article aims to raise the issue of acquiring a specific vocabulary in a foreign language, which is a vital part of specific language education. Insufficient knowledge of a specific vocabulary has an influence on its future use in professional life, and can lead to the production of inadequate statements, as well as misunderstandings. In research based on a questionnaire with open and closed questions, 80 students of Economics and European Studies at the Koszalin University of Technology shared their opinions about the most common problems they face while learning specific vocabulary. Analysis of the research and the resulting conclusions can be applied to the language teaching process in order to increase its efficiency. The study has indicated that the majority of students questioned had problems with specific vocabulary, and that learning English for Specific Purposes is much more difficult than learning General English. The most frequently repeated causes of this situation were problems with finding an accurate equivalent of a word and problems using the new vocabulary in its context.