RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ARABIC LANGUAGE SPEAKING ANXIETY AND MOTIVATION AMONG RELIGIOUS SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN MALAYSIA

Abstract

Purpose of the study: This study aimed at identifying the level of Arabic language speaking anxiety and its relationship to motivation among students of religious secondary schools in Malaysia.
 Methodology: This quantitative study identifies the anxiety level in speaking Arabic and its relationship with motivation. A survey was done with a selected number of 500 Arabic students out of the total population throughout Malaysia. The survey was done using questionnaires that have been adapted and modified from past studies after completing its validity and reliability process.
 Main Findings: The findings indicate that the level of Arabic speaking anxiety among secondary religious school students in Malaysia is moderately high and also shows that students’ anxiety in speaking Arabic does not have any significant relationship with their motivation. This finding illustrates that Arabic speaking anxiety is unrelated to student motivation in learning the Arabic Language.
 Applications of this study: The study can be useful for Arabic Language teachers. Students with a high anxiety level will feel anxious and avoid taking part in learning activities that will then influence the quality of learning. Hence, speaking anxiety must be tackled separately by the Arabic Language teacher from motivation since there is no significant relationship between the two variables.
 Novelty/Originality of this study: This study produced instruments to assess the level of Arabic speaking anxiety. The result of this study is consistent with previous studies, which investigated the level of anxiety in learning a foreign language and speaking anxiety must be tackled separately from motivation because it has no significant relationship with individual students’ motivation.