English Anxiety Research Articles

The Impact of Integrating Gamification Strategies Into Courses on Students' English Speaking Anxiety

Before speaking a foreign language, people will always spend more time and think more than they do about their native language. Such “more” has been defined as foreign language learning anxiety since the work of Horwitz et al. in 1986. Gamification teaching is one of the potential teaching methods that have been found by many educators to benefit learners, in terms of both learning motivation and self-confidence. In this study, the group activities were integrated into the fifth-grade English curriculum of Taiwan's elementary school to explore the correlation between students' English-speaking anxiety and English-speaking performance; through an empirically experimental test, it was found that the experimental group's English speaking effectiveness and English anxiety showed a significant negative correlation, but there was no significant correlation in the control group. The interview records showed that students enjoyed the learning method of integrating English into group activities because not only was it easy and enjoyable, but it also enabled them to learn while playing and interacting with peers.

A Study on the Correlation between English Language Anxiety and Academic Performance in English Among Students at Local Polytechnics

A Study on the Correlation between English Language Anxiety and Academic Performance in English Among Students at Local Polytechnics

Review of Research on Motivation and EFL Students' Speaking Performance

In the context of global integration, English learning has become a more important topic, especially in developing speaking skills, which plays a vital role in cross-cultural communication. Motivation, as a psychological element that boosts individuals actions, has a significant impact on improving EFL students speaking competence. The study focuses on motivation and its influence on EFL students oral performance, aiming to explore how to improve students oral ability with motivational strategies effectively. In terms of methods, this study uses literature analysis, including literature review, theoretical analysis and empirical research. Based on the review of existing literature, the challenges posed by low motivation and self-regulation ability to EFL learners oral language development are identified. At the same time, this paper introduces the L2 motivational strategy, self-determination theory and Kellers ARCS motivation strategy theory and explores how these theories are applied in the real pedagogical context. The results show that intrinsic motivation positively correlates with students autonomous learning ability, teacher support autonomy and classroom participation. Moreover, self-determination motivation can effectively reduce spoken English anxiety and improve spoken English ability. Based on the result, this study points out the key role of motivational strategies in teaching and provides practical guidance for teachers to improve EFL students oral performance.

The effect of games on listening and speaking anxiety in learning English

This action research investigates the effect of game technique on reducing English listening and speaking anxiety among fourth-grade primary school students. The study group involved 46 students at a Science and Art Centre in Türkiye. The quantitative data were collected through the English Listening Anxiety Scale and the English Speaking Anxiety Scale administered before and after the implementation. The qualitative data were gathered through student interviews and teacher’s research diary. The dependent samples t-test was used to compare the pre-test and post-test mean scores from the scales. The data from the interviews and the diary were analysed by inductive analysis. Firstly, the findings of the t-test analysis revealed that game technique significantly reduced students’ English listening anxiety, but not English speaking anxiety. On the other hand, the qualitative findings showed that this technique has positive contributions to learning-teaching process although it does not have such an effect on both speaking and listening anxiety. Nevertheless, the analysis of the interviews and the diary also indicated that the technique has a positive influence on the factors that can reduce anxiety such as “willingness to make sentences, not getting bored in lessons, feeling relaxed, thinking quickly, eagerness, and effort”. Considering all the findings in the study, we concluded that using game technique in English courses is not directly effective in reducing English listening and speaking anxiety, but it has positive contributions to the overall learning-teaching process. Finally, the study provides some practical suggestions for teachers.

Students’ Writing Anxiety in Learning English as a Foreign Language

This research aimed to investigate the writing anxiety experienced by eleventh-grade students in learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in Bali. By conducting a quantitative research method, this research involved 76 students as the participant of the study. The research employed an adapted questionnaire from Cheng (2004), consisting of 27 designed statements. The result revealed that many students face challenges with writing anxiety in English. The findings showed that linguistic challenges, such as concerns about using expressions and sentence patterns incorrectly, and time constraints like feeling stressed under time pressure, significantly contribute to writing anxiety. Additionally, the positive aspect of the study demonstrated that students actively work to minimize mistakes in their writing, emphasizing the importance of accuracy in managing writing anxiety which may imply the motivation to learn English.

Ambiguity tolerance towards learning English as a foreign language and accuracy of oral speech

All languages contain inherent ambiguities, and foreign language learners often encounter various uncertainties when learning a new language. Ambiguity tolerance is a crucial personality trait that can significantly influence the foreign language learning process. Over time, ambiguity tolerance has gained importance due to its impact on different aspects of language learning. This study investigates the relationship between ambiguity tolerance, the optimal choice of language learning approaches, and the degree of anxiety in learning English as an additional foreign language. The research was conducted with graduate and undergraduate students from the United Arab Emirates University, specifically those studying in the education field and enrolled in an English foreign language learning course. A quantitative Google survey was administered, gathering data from 270 students, which was subsequently analyzed using SmartPLS 3. The results revealed that ambiguity tolerance is negatively associated with students' anxiety levels and positively correlated with their choice of language learning strategies, ultimately enhancing their oral speech accuracy. This study offers valuable insights for academicians to design strategies that promote ambiguity tolerance among learners, thereby boosting their motivation and reducing anxiety levels. It also contributes significantly to the body of knowledge for researchers in this field.

Investigating learning burnout and academic performance among management students: a longitudinal study in English courses

Investigating learning burnout and academic performance among management students: a longitudinal study in English courses

Students’ Anxiety in Learning Englih (A Case Study at Eleventh Grade of SMK Al Istiqomah NW Mamben Baru)

This study aims to investigate types of anxiety experienced by the students in learning English and factors that contribute to students' anxiety in learning English in the Eleventh grade of SMK Al Istiqomah NW Mamben Baru. This is a qualitative descriptive research with a case study. The study was employed through observations, interviews, and documentation in data collecting. The data was analyzed through descriptive analysis. The result of the research showed that there were two types of anxiety were experienced by the students of Eleventh grade of SMK Al Istiqomah NW Mamben Baru in learning English, that were state anxiety and state anxiety. In term of causes there were three causes that contribute to students’ anxiety in learning English; firstly, was communication apprehension. Secondly was fear of negative evaluation. Thirdly is lack of vocabulary and grammar.

Foreign Language Anxiety in Learning English: Students’ Perspectives and Experiences of Learning from Home during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The corona virus disease (COVID-19) pandemic forced all schools in Indonesia to carry out the online learning since March 2020 which could certainly make the students feel anxious. So, within this paper, the writers report a study which explored the sources and effects of Foreign Language Anxiety (FLA) through perceptions and experiences of junior high school students in grade eight of MTs Nurul Huda Mereng, Warungpring, Pemalang regency during learning from home due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The design of this study is descriptive qualitative research. The data were collected through the perspectives using interviews and getting the responses to open ended questions of ten students. The findings indicate that in general, students exhibited suffering from anxiety more than benefiting learning English school subject from home. In conclusion, following the foreign language anxiety especially when students learn English from home during the COVID-19 Pandemic can be said as an essential necessary for the English teacher in contributing to the teaching evaluation and reflection.

Humor Effectiveness in L2 Classrooms: The Case of Rural School EFL Students

This study aimed to measure types, levels, and perceptions towards the application of humor as a supporting material in EFL classrooms. One hundred and thirteen rural school EFL students were involved as the participants of this mixed-methods study. As for quantitative results, humor was revealed to have positive influence on EFL students’ learning development by facilitating the lesson and encouraging learning enthusiasm. Although some aspects of L2 humor were not believed to be helpful, other aspects such as modelling English use and usage and authentic materials proved that such L2 humor was advantageous. Meanwhile, interview results showed that L2 humor was considered paramount that it helped to progress English learning, improve learning strategies, and increase motivation. The combination between both results prove that L2 humor is not only entertaining, but also prospective for those who expect a more realistic or knowledgeable material that does not cause stress or anxiety in learning English, particularly in a rural context. In addition, this study was limited on quantitative and qualitative perceptions, but it did not attempt to implement L2 humor through an action research.

Anxiety in learning English as a foreign language: Causes, effects, and coping strategies

Anxiety in learning English as a foreign language: Causes, effects, and coping strategies

A Qualitative Study of Chinese College Students’ Online Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety under the COVID-19 Pandemic

Under the background of the COVID-19 pandemic and the prevalence of foreign language learning anxiety, this study is carried out from the following two aspects. Firstly, this study tries to investigate students’ foreign language anxiety level. Secondly, this study tries to identify the sources of Chinese college students’ anxiety in online foreign language classes. To answer the above research questions, qualitative data are collected by semi-structured interviews. A total of 9 participants participated in the interviews, and each interview lasts about 30–40 minutes. The study found: Chinese college students’ overall online English anxiety is at a medium level. There are five main sources of online English learning anxiety for Chinese college students, including environmental factors, course traits, teacher influence, peer influence, and personal perception.

PUBLIC SPEAKING ANXIETY AMONG JORDANIAN EFL LEARNERS OF ENGLISH

ABSTRACT The current study seeks to determine the association between attitude and public speaking anxiety in the context of learning English by using a correlational research approach. A non-probability sampling approach was utilised to recruit the participants. Among four government universities in Malaysia, 191 Jordanian postgraduate students (PhD candidates) were chosen. The following two surveys were used to gather the data: (a) Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS); and (b) Attitude/Motivation Test Battery (AMTB). A correlational analysis was performed using Smart PLS 3.0 to test the hypotheses. The results show that attitude is substantially associated with English public speaking anxiety. It appears that among PhD students in Jordan, there is a strong negative association between attitude and public speaking anxiety in English. The findings have potential implications on language motivation and classroom instruction in foreign language settings.

EFL Teacher Strategies for Reducing Student Anxiety in Learning English

This research aims at identifying the measures that EFL teachers take to minimize learners’ anxiety in English learning at MA Arifah Indonesia particularly from the aspect of anxiety and second language acquisition. The study adopted a concurrent triangulation design in which quantitative data was collected from the questionnaires while qualitative data was collected from interviews. The study shows that anxiety arising from fear of negative evaluation, communication apprehension, and test, hurts the students’ performance in speaking activities and academic achievement. Most of the students benefited from approaches adopted by the teacher such as behaviour modification and support from classmates and Gradualiliarly Increasing the Task Difficulty. But as the results of the students’ feedback reveal, it is not enough for the students, especially those with higher levels of anxiety, to employ these methods; therefore, they require other kinds of interventions, including practices based on mindfulness. The study also brings out the impact of worry on test performance, and there is a need to analyse the existing strategies of assessments to provide for the worried students. Such results suggest that EFL education needs to be more comprehensive to include psychological intervention into learners’ mental state and teaching methods that are best suited for these learners in order to introduce change for a better learning environment.

ESL Students Anxiety in English as a Second Language Learning from The Perspective of Linguistic Skills

The present research primed to divulge the state of ESL students’ anxiety while learning linguistic skills in the scenario of ESL classrooms in Pakistani context. The one hundred fifty ESL undergraduates were selected from three well-known private universities of the Lahore city. For ethical concern institution and contributors’ information was concealed. The researchers visited the concerned department of the universities with the permission of their head of the departments and collected data by using random sampling. The questionnaire was divided among these ESL students which was contain on three parts, first part comprises demographic information of the participants, the sconed part contains on six close ended questions, while the third part contains on one open ended question. Data was composed through the instrument of questionnaire and congregated data was later analysed by using SPSS software and presented in figures, graphs and tables. The findings exhumed that ESL undergraduates undergoing anxiety owing to lack of motivations, interactions from instructors and fellows and unsupportive environments. The researchers suggested some recommendations to decrease the anxiety related to the four skills of English language. Key Words Foreign language anxiety, ESL classrooms, ESL undergraduates, Anxiety in productive skills, Anxiety in receptive skills.

Students’ Anxiety in Learning English Writing Skills in Senior High School Level

The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that contribute to students' English writing anxiety in the Science 11 class at UPT SMAN 11 Luwu. Students' levels and causes of writing anxiety in English are described (cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety, and avoidance behavior). Descriptive statistics were used for this investigation. Simple random sampling was used to select a sample of 68 students from the population of eleventh-grade students in a science class. The Causes of Second Language Writing Anxiety Inventory (CSLWAI) by Rezaei and Jafari was used to describe the main factors that contribute to students' writing anxiety, and the Second Language Writing Anxiety Inventory (SLWAI) by Cheng was used to analyze students' anxiety levels. SPSS version 22 and Microsoft Excel 2019 were used to find the mean and percentage of the data, respectively. Students who reported high levels of writing anxiety were statistically typical (M=73.06>65). Inadequate writing technique, linguistic difficulties, a lack of practice, and time constraints are also major contributors to students' writing anxieties.

The Impact of Reflective E-Journaling on Korean Adult EFL Learners’ English Anxiety and Course Achievement

Objectives This study explores the potential impact of online reflective journaling on English anxiety and academic achievement among Korean adult EFL learners in an online English course. It aims to investigate whether con-sistent engaging in reflective e-journaling can act as a mediator to help overcome vague anxiety related to English learning by reflecting on their learning processes, leading a positive effect on course achievement. Methods This study involved 148 participants who took “Basic English Reading for Graduate School Students in Professional Studies” in a 15-week online course. Data was collected from students’ weekly e-journaling, the FLCAS survey, and their final exam scores, using a mixed-methods approach. Results The results revealed that high achievers in course achievement exhibited higher levels of anxiety, while the reverse was not observed. While there was a positive correlation between achievement and anxiety levels, there were no significant differences in course achievement across anxiety levels. High levels of English anxiety were associated with more frequent reflective journaling, promoting learning process awareness and academic performance. It was reported that sharing journals on the LMS board facilitates students interaction, motivating active engagement. Conclusions This study demonstrated that even high-achieving students can experience elevated levels of English anxiety, and poor academic performance is not solely attributed to heightened anxiety levels, refuting the conventional concept of English anxiety. The findings of the current study suggest that facilitative anxiety prompts consistent engagement in reflective journaling, which enhances meta-cognition of one’s learning process, thus serving as a mediator for improving academic performance.

The Role of Halo Effect on Anxiety in Learning English of Chinese Students

The classroom is the wilderness where students' lives grow, and the new standard calls for education of humanistic spirit. This paper starts by analyzing students' anxiety emotions in English learning and exploring teachers' practices in English classroom teaching. Both personality issues and external factors can cause anxiety. Teachers should adopt active teaching strategies to encourage and help learners to overcome the resistance brought by their own factors and environmental factors, so that students can overcome anxiety and maintain a strong interest in learning and thirst for knowledge. Teaching strategies include three aspects: First, psychological counseling for individual differences can guide self-regulation of anxiety; second, establishing a new teacher-student relationship can reduce the external variables of anxiety; third, activity relaxation and experience win-win cooperation can eliminate fear of difficulties through entertaining. Teachers use the halo effect of humanistic education to overcome students' anxiety about learning English. This effect can be applied to classroom teaching in the future and has very important practical significance. Future research should continue to innovate and improve classroom teaching, so that the English classroom is harmonious and win-win.

Analysis of Students' Listening Anxiety in English as EFL Learners (A Case Study at the 2nd Semester of English Education Department in the State Islamic University Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin Banten

Listening is a complex processing in which the listeners take the incoming data, an acoustic signal, and interprets it based on a wide variety of linguistic and non-linguistic knowledge. The objective of this research is to find out the factors causes students’ listening anxiety in English as EFL learners at the 2nd Semester of English Education Department in the State Islamic University Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin Banten. This research used a descriptive qualitative method. The participants of this research were 28 students in class 2A. The instrument which is used in this research were observation, questionnaire and interview. The result of this research show that in the listening material factors, the students’ listening anxiety was caused by the speed rate, it is showed from 28 students there are 89,3% chose strongly agree with the statement. In lectures’ factors, the students’ listening anxiety caused by the lecturer show their frustration if the students do not know the answer, it is showed from 28 students there are 32,1% chose strongly agree with the statement. The last, in the students’ factors, the students listening anxiety caused by the environment around the student, if the environment around them is noisy they would distract and will missed the important point, it is showed from 28 students there are 50% students chose strongly agree with the statement. It can be concluded that the listening material factors are the most influential factors causing students' listening anxiety. The next influential factors are student factors, followed by lecturer factors.

EXPLORING STUDENTS’ AND LECTURERS’ ANXIETY IN LEARNING ENGLISH DURING EMERGENCY REMOTE TEACHING IN A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY IN NORTH BALI

This study aimed to investigate students' and lecturers’ anxiety in learning English during emergency remote teaching in a public university in North Bali. This study was formed in a quantitative study. The data were collected by doing a survey and giving the questionnaire that was developed based on the FLCAS (Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale) for the participants. There were 200 university students and 9 lecturers of English Language Education in the research setting as the participants. The study found that the university students’ level was mildly anxious or indicated a moderate level of anxiety. Meanwhile, the lecturers’ anxiety level was very relaxed or indicated as low anxiety level. From the results, it can be concluded that most of university students did not feel afraid and happy. Meanwhile, the lecturers felt joy in teaching and learning English during the emergency remote teaching.