Abstract
Foreign language anxiety (FLA) has long been recognized as a factor that hinders the process of foreign language learning at all levels. Among numerous FLA sources identified in the literature, language classroom seems to be of particular interest and significance, especially in the formal language learning context, where the course and the teacher are often the only representatives of language. The main purpose of the study is to determine the presence and potential sources of foreign language anxiety among first year university students and to explore how high anxiety levels shape and affect students’ foreign language learning experience. In the study both the questionnaire and the interviews were used as the data collection methods. Thematic analysis of the interviews and descriptive statistics suggest that most anxiety-provoking situations stem from the language classroom itself.
Highlights
My personal interest in the affective component of foreign language learning, namely foreign language anxiety, appeared when I started working as an elementary foreign language teacher eight years ago
The Foreign language anxiety (FLA) level for each student was obtained by adding up the scores for items on a Likert scale
The results obtained in this study revealed several sources of foreign language anxiety, among which, according to the students’ perceptions, the most prominent are the teacher, error correction, fear of negative evaluation, low proÞciency, the lack of discipline and test anxiety
Summary
My personal interest in the affective component of foreign language learning, namely foreign language anxiety, appeared when I started working as an elementary foreign language teacher eight years ago. Despite my efforts to create a welcoming, warm and relaxing classroom environment, the present generation has proven to be very reluctant to be involved in any forms of oral performance When asked if they felt uncomfortable or even afraid of my potential reaction to or the consequences of their eventual mistakes they answered negatively, but still, to a great extent, ‘refused’ to take part in conversations. This served as an Journal of Education Culture and Society No 1_2015 incentive to investigate my students’ past foreign language learning experiences and see whether they affected their present foreign language study
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