Investigating Anxiety Symptoms and Reactions within EFL Learners’ Oral Narratives: The Case of Intermediate Level Students

Abstract

The present study investigated anxiety symptoms and reactions in EFL learners’ oral narratives. The focus of the study was first to ascertain whether EFL learners’ anxiety symptoms and reactions can be influenced by the degree of foreign language speaking anxiety in the classroom, and secondly to indicate to what extent Iranian EFL learners divulge the components of anxiety symptoms and reactions while they are narrating. Participants were 11 students comprising 5 males and 6 females studying English Literature at the University of Guilan, and they were selected by Purposive Sampling (Quota Sampling). ACTFL guidelines, Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS), picture stories for narrative tasks, and direct observation were instruments of this study. The present study followed a mixed-method design in which EFL learners’ foreign language classroom anxiety was investigated quantitatively. Moreover, anxiety symptoms, anxiety reactions and their components were analyzed qualitatively. The results revealed that more evident anxiety symptoms and reactions can be found in more anxious students. Furthermore, it was revealed that physiological reactions to the classroom anxiety were visible within slightly anxious learners, while behavioral reactions occurred in all of the students.