Exploring Teaching Anxiety in Pre-Service ESL Teachers within the Malaysian Context: Conceptual Study

Abstract

Anxiety is a topic that has been predominantly explored in the field of English learning. Unfortunately, within this extensive scholarly discourse, the prevailing trend has been to direct the bulk of attention and investigation toward unravelling the intricacies of anxiety experienced by foreign or second language learners, leaving a conspicuous absence in the thorough examination and understanding of anxiety in the context of teachers and educators involved in language instruction. As mentioned in language learning psychology, there is a similar tendency to focus primarily on research on language learners' psychology while ignoring language teachers' psychology (Mercer, 2018). However, anxiety related to speaking English while teaching has been identified as a distinct challenge affecting the success of language teaching and learning. Even experienced teachers can face this obstacle. This concept paper aims to explore the factors contributing to English language teaching anxiety among practicum teachers in Malaysian public schools. The study will employ the FLTA questionnaire, consisting of 27 out of 45 questions, to collect relevant data. The anticipated findings will serve as a roadmap for researchers, potentially paving the way for further studies on effective strategies to manage teaching anxiety among language educators.