Indonesian theology students' foreign language reading anxiety and reading performance: A correlational study

Jeane Theresia Limeranto,Adaninggar Septi Subekti

doi:10.24815/siele.v8i1.17398

Jeane Theresia Limeranto, Adaninggar Septi Subekti

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.24815/siele.v8i1.17398

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Abstract

This study investigated Theology students’ Foreign Language Reading Anxiety (FLRA) and the relationship between their FLRA and their reading achievement. A number of 63 Theology students participated in this quantitative study. A questionnaire developed by Saito et al. (1999) was used in obtaining the data for the study. The study was conducted to fill the void in the literature on the scarcity of empirical research on FLRA in the Indonesian English for Specific Purpose (ESP) context, especially among Theology students who were required to read a lot of English text and thus were very likely susceptible to experience reading anxiety. The study found that in general, the students experienced a medium level of FLRA. Low self-perceived reading competence and the unfamiliar topic of reading passages were reported to be attributed to higher FLRA levels whilst the formation of reading habits, reading exposure, and reading strategies were believed to reduce reading anxiety. This study further found a statistically significant negative correlation between the students’ FLRA and their reading achievement, albeit the strength being weak. This finding suggested that students’ FLRA could be a factor hampering learning. The present study’s specific finding on the possible positive impacts of reading strategies and the duration of reading exposure may indicate the urgency to incorporate these two aspects in the instructional design of English reading classes. Based on the findings, contributions, limitations, and suggested future studies were formulated.

Highlights

Foreign language learning includes specific processes involving public practices and trial and error and as such it is often considered tedious by learners (Gusman, 2004; Trang, 2012)
Anxiety experienced by learners in reading has been defined as Foreign Language Reading Anxiety (FLRA) (Saito et al, 1999)
The finding on the medium composite level of reading anxiety was similar to the results of five previous studies in the Indonesian context across different education levels (Aisyah, 2017; Mawardah et al, 2019; Muhlis, 2017; Sari, 2017)

Summary

Introduction

Foreign language learning includes specific processes involving public practices and trial and error and as such it is often considered tedious by learners (Gusman, 2004; Trang, 2012). In this tedious process, learners can consider learning a foreign language pressure and this leads to anxiety (Horwitz, 2001). Though speaking class is often regarded as the most anxiety-provoking (Trang, 2012), reading class and learning reading skills can instil learners’ anxiety (Saito et al, 1999). Anxiety experienced by learners in reading has been defined as Foreign Language Reading Anxiety (FLRA) (Saito et al, 1999). FLRA is seen as an essential influencing factor in learning and it can determine learners’ reading achievement (Lien, 2011; Sari, 2017)

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