EXPLORING ENGLISH LANGUAGE ANXIETY: THE CASE OF PRE-UNIVERSITY STUDENTS FROM MINORITY TRIBES

Abstract

Research on foreign language anxiety (FLA) has been an interest for decades based on the premise that the affective domain plays a significant role in language learning. This paper is an attempt to further this research endeavor by exploring English language anxiety among pre-university students from minority tribes in the Philippines, particularly in Mindanao State University-Marawi. By distributing copies of the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) to 68 participants and interviewing some of them, this study gathered pertinent data. After completing quantitative and qualitative analyses, data revealed that participants suffer from moderate to high levels of anxiety, covering all types of language anxieties, namely, communication apprehension, test anxiety, fear of negative evaluation, and classroom anxiety. Data from one-on-one interviews disclosed factors that caused their anxieties such as difficult tests and lessons, mental disturbances, perceived incompetence and low self-efficacy, and family's expectations and pressure. Moreover, no significant difference in language anxiety was found among five age groups as well as between participants who graduated in public and private high schools. In contrary, there was a significant difference in language anxiety between male and female participants, with female ones as more anxious. This study asserts that educators should employ inclusive, sensitive, and responsive English instructional programs and interventions especially in multicultural classrooms to cater to the needs of learners, particularly those who belong to minority groups.