Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale Research Articles

English Language Speaking Anxiety: A Quantitative Study

The present study attempts to investigate the extent of English language speaking anxiety among the English as foreign/second language learners, studying at a public sector university in Sindh, Pakistan. The study is quantitative in nature and the data is gathered using random sampling survey method. Participants of the present study are studying in part II. A theoretical framework based on Horwitz et al (1986), a well-known theory followed by Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) is adapted. For the purpose of data analysis, SPSS (V.24) is used to determine the general descriptive statistics of the study. This study reveals the level of anxiety among students. It also concludes that learners even at a university level face language anxiety specifically in the EFL context. This study also assist the teachers and course designers for necessary steps be taken to overcome the English language speaking anxiety among EFL learners in EFL classroom.

Foreign Language Anxiety: A Study on Spanish Learners

Foreign Language Anxiety: A Study on Spanish Learners

Validating the Chinese version of short‐form foreign language classroom anxiety scale

AbstractThis three‐phase study utilized item response theory (IRT) and both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (EFA and CFA) approaches to validate the short‐form foreign language classroom anxiety scale (S‐FLCAS) for measuring Chinese college students' foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA). The sample consisted of 855 Chinese college students. Phase 1 was conducted within the EFA and CFA frameworks to investigate the construct validity of the S‐FLCAS. Phase 2 was conducted within IRT frameworks to assess the reliability of this scale. Lastly, Phase 3 adopted multi‐group confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA) to explore the measurement invariance across gender and second language (L2) learner groups. The findings revealed that the Chinese version of S‐FLCAS is a reliable and valid instrument, exhibiting unidimensional characteristics. Configural, metric, and scalar invariance were identified across gender groups, while configural, partial metric, and partial scalar invariance were observed across L2 groups. This study further discussed the reasons for some suboptimal performance of the S‐FLCAS and practical implications for researchers and university educators.

Insights into Second-grade Students’ English Vocabulary Learning Anxiety Differences

With the development of humanistic psychology as well as modern English education, the emotional factors in the fundamental stage of English learning have been emphasized by scholars at home and abroad Since the early 20th century, which contributes a large number of exceptional research about the correlation between strategies of male and female English learning and academic performance. What stand out is English words that exert an essential impact on English study process and strongly associated with the comprehensive outcomes. However, studies focus on two sexes’ English learning anxiety differences and senior high school English vocabulary learning are still relatively rare, especially for the combination of which two aspects. Thus, this work is devoted to make further understanding of the English vocabulary learning anxiety differences between two genders and possible factors involved. 64 second-grade students were selected and surveyed through a questionnaire adapted from Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale by Horwitz and Likert to analyze relative anxiety feelings and attitudes towards domestic senior high school English vocabulary learning courses. The experimental results showed that: The English vocabulary learning anxiety of both male and female belongs to upper middle state while that of female students is slightly higher than the rest. External forces, students’ self-recognition and consciousness towards English learning are the main resources of anxiety.

Exploring English Language Anxiety Among Undergraduate Female ESL Learners in Mewat Region of Haryana, India

The study aims to investigate English language anxiety among Mewat female ESL learners and the causes and sources of anxiety. It also seeks to investigate if the differences in their demographic profiles shape their anxiety levels differently. As the study deals with how certain independent variables (e.g. level/year of study, parents’ educational level, and their employment profile) shape the dependent variable (English language anxiety), a descriptive quantitative approach was adopted, and the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale developed by Horwitz et al. (1986) was utilized to collect the data from respondents. 214 study participants were selected through a simple random sampling method from the population of undergraduate ESL learners studying at different levels of the graduate program at Government Women’s College, Nuh, Mewat, Haryana, India. The findings revealed that the study respondents experience moderate levels of anxiety. However, their anxiety levels differ concerning different aspects/sources of anxiety. Communicative anxiety is the highest followed by classroom anxiety, test anxiety, and fear of negative evaluation respectively. One-way ANOVA analysis revealed statistically significant differences in the means of the responses of study participants based on level/year of study and parents' educational level. However, no difference of any statistical significance was found in the means of the response of the respondents based on their parents' professional profiles. The study findings would be useful in addressing anxiety, understanding its causes and consequences, and uncovering ways to help students overcome anxiety and learn English properly.

Effects Of Online Peer Learning On Speaking Performance And Language Learning Anxiety

This study investigated the effects of an online peer learning program on undergraduate student English speaking proficiency, language anxiety, and perceptions of online peer learning. The study adopted a case study design and recruited 32 undergraduate students from the Department of Applied Foreign Languages at a university in central Taiwan. The online peer learning program improved students’ English communication skills and reduced students’ learning anxiety by facilitating interactions with online foreign peers. Quantitative data from oral proficiency tests and the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale were collected before and after the online peer learning program. Qualitative data were analyzed and coded to determine students’ perceptions of the online peer learning program. A significant improvement in the students’ oral proficiency was observed in the pretest and posttest scores. However, no significant reduction in overall speaking anxiety levels was noted, although the students reported a noticeable decrease in anxiety levels following the intervention, particularly when they talked about general or familiar topics. The results of this study demonstrate that the online peer learning program effectively enhanced the speaking proficiency of students of English as a foreign language and moderately alleviated their learning anxiety. On the basis of these findings, this study provides suggestions for foreign language teachers.

Understanding English Language Anxiety among Undergraduate Saudi EFL Learners: The Case of Business College, PSAU

This study aims to investigate English language anxiety among Saudi EFL learners, understand their experience with the causes and sources of their anxiety, and examine if they witness differences in their anxiety based on the differences in their demographic profile. As the study seeks to understand how certain independent variables (gender, employment profile of learners’ parents, and their educational level) shape and affect the dependent variable (English language anxiety), the quantitative approach (descriptive quantitative design) was selected, and Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale developed by Horwitz et al. (1986) was utilized to collect the data from the participants. A simple random sampling method was employed to select 205 respondents from the total population of students studying at different levels of the undergraduate program at the College of Business Administration, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia. The results of the study found that the participants experienced moderate levels of anxiety and that there were several sources of anxiety among Saudi EFL learners. Test and communicative anxieties were found to be the major sources of English language anxiety followed by classroom and negative evaluation anxieties respectively. One-way ANOVA analysis revealed no difference of any significance for English language anxiety among Saudi English students due to variance in their demographic profile. The study findings hold implications as they would be of immense use in addressing the issue of anxiety, understanding the possible sources, and finding ways to overcome issues of anxiety and help students move away from anxiety towards acquiring effective and excellent English language skills and proficiency. 
 
 Received: 20 September 2023 / Accepted: 19 February 2024 / Published: 5 March 2024

Speaking Anxiety in Oral Presentation of EFL Students

This study was aimed at investigating speaking anxiety level of the fourthsemester students in English Education Study Program of Universitas Tanjungpura. In this research, the researcher used quantitative descriptive method. This study aims to find out the students’ anxiety level during presentation in the classroom. The data was collected by using questionnaire with 20 aspects of anxiety questions adopted from FLCAS (Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale) developed by Horwitz et al. (1986) combined with 5-point of Likert-scale instrument ranged from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree” for measuring students language anxiety. In this study, the researcher found that the overall students’ anxiety level in the fourth-semester students of English Education Study Program of Universitas Tanjungpura was 70.05 Based on the FLCAS theory of measuring the anxiety, it can be concluded the fourth-semester students’ anxiety level in oral presentation is categorized in the moderately low anxiety level.Keywords: Speaking Anxiety, Oral Presentation, EFL Students

Synergy of Positive Emotional Stimuli and Education Technologies in JobLab English Speaking Development for Graduates

This study delves into the effectiveness of integrating the PERMA model, emphasising the synergy of positive emotional stimuli and education technologies satisfying digital natives daily within JobLab's framework for FLA (Foreign Language Acquisition) development among graduate students. The research methodology combined qualitative and quantitative data. With a focus on nurturing holistic well-being and language proficiency, this research involves forty-six students divided into an experimental group (N=23) with an innovative approach and a control group (N=23) following traditional teaching methods. Pre/post-observations and student self-assessment questionnaires FLCAS (Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale) were utilised to assess the impact of the intervention. Statistical analysis using established software revealed notable improvements in English-speaking proficiency among the experimental group, emphasising the significance of the PERMA model's integration in JobLab. Results indicated improved professional English language learning performance for the experimental group with the positive emotional stimuli and technology integration approach, highlighting the potential for cultivating proficient communicators among graduates.

Unveiling the Presence of Speech Anxiety: A Case of English as an Additional Language

This study explores speech anxiety in students learning English as an additional language (EAL) in a university setting. Addressing classroom speech anxiety among university students is paramount for fostering supportive learning environments and ensuring academic success (Horwitz, 2001). Reducing classroom speech anxiety boosts students' confidence and persuasive communication skills, which are crucial for professional success (McCroskey, 1982). This research examined the many elements that influence classroom speaking anxiety in students at the University of Education Lahore. The theoretical foundation of this research was the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) developed by Horwitz et al. (1986). The questionnaire consisted of 25 items and was delivered to the Bachelor of Science (BS) English department students. One hundred and three students responded to the questionnaire. Data was analyzed quantitatively using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16, which was launched in 2007. Results show that there is significant speech anxiety in students based on their demographic background. The analysis of an open-ended question included in the questionnaire reveals that psychologically, students think they have less competence than their fellow students, followed by other psychological factors like fear of judgment and peer comparison. It is recommended that EAL instructors should implement strategies aimed at lowering students' anxiety levels so they can perform to the best of their abilities.

Validating Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale for High School Students

With the implementation of the Bilingual 2030 policy by the National Development Council in 2018, understanding the anxiety levels of junior and senior high school students in Taiwan regarding the English language has become crucial, especially in the context of online learning. This study reviewed the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale, modifying its factor structure and reducing the number of items to 19. The revised scale encompasses four factors: anxiety, self-efficacy, social comparison, and unwillingness to attend English classes. Data collected from 625 junior and senior high school students, within the framework of online learning, indicate the proposed scale's effectiveness and reliability in investigating English language anxiety among students. Additionally, the study offers insights into the impact of gender, grades, and the four identified factors.

Triggers for Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety: Perceptions of Saudi EFL College Students

The primary aim of the present study is to investigate foreign language speaking anxiety (FLSA) levels and the factors triggering language speaking anxiety among Saudi EFL college learners. The study adopted a mixed-method approach to meet the research objectives. A Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) questionnaire was employed. The sample of the study consisted of 39 male Saudi students at Al-Quaiyah College of Technology. Subsequently, eight of the most anxious students were identified based on the questionnaire results. The results revealed that the participants experienced a moderate level of FLSA in their English class. The participants reported several major causes of their speaking anxiety in the language class, such as a lack of preparation and vocabulary knowledge, forced participation, and other teacher-related factors. The study recommends that teachers should inform their students about what will be discussed in advance to help them become more prepared and less anxious. Moreover, teachers should encourage and motivate students to participate in oral activities instead of forcing them.

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.

Correlation between Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety and Foreign Language Achievement of Freshman and Teaching Enlightenment: A Case Study of Chinese Medical Students

Anxiety in foreign language study is a kind of situational anxiety, which is called foreign language classroom anxiety(FLCA).It can be classified into three dimensions: communication anxiety, negative evaluation anxiety and test anxiety. In this paper, the Horwitz Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) was conducted on 273 freshmen majoring in medicine in medical colleges by random sampling. The results indicated that there is a significant positive correlation between students' communication anxiety, negative evaluation anxiety and English achievement. When students' communicative and negative evaluation anxiety level is increasing, their English learning achievement will also show an upward trend. On the contrary, students' test anxiety and English learning achievement has significant negative correlation. When students' test anxiety level continues to increase, their corresponding English achievement will show a downward trend. And it was found that communication anxiety accounted for the highest proportion among the three dimensions. Accordingly, this paper proposes some teaching Enlightenments aimed at relieving medical students' anxiety in college English class. This study conducted a preliminary study of specific anxieties present in a foreign language learning classroom. The findings provide evidence to elucidate the characterization of anxiety and its effects.

Gender-Based EFL Students’ Speaking Anxiety: Poetry Performance

English for Foreign Language (EFL) teachers do not always recognize students’ speaking anxiety. Meanwhile, a set of studies revealed that there was no significant difference of male and female’s students’ speaking anxiety level. In fact, male and female students have difference condition on their learning style as well as psychological performance. This study aims to examine how difference male and female EFL students’ speaking anxiety in a different context, in which the exposure was taken under the students’ performance on reciting poetry through Youtube for their Creative Writing class. It is a quantitative study with causal-comparative research design. It was carried out to 64 students fifth semester EFL students majoring in English Language Teaching (ELT) in a state Islamic University in Jember, selected by using purposive random sampling. The data were collected by using a modified questionnaire consists of 21 items of Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) which was originally developed by Horwit et.al. (1986). The data were analyzed by using SPSS version 24 with Mann Whitney formula computation. The results indicated that there was no significant difference between male and female speaking anxiety through their poetry performance (Sig 2 tailed 0.657 > 0.05). The mean and median scores of both also showed that they were not significantly different one into another with most samples on moderate level. The findings of this study might be used as input to further researchers to examine factors affecting speaking anxiety on male and female students.

Speaking Anxiety Among Malay ESL Learners at A Private University: A Gender-Based Study

Speaking is found to be the most anxiety-inducing facet of language learning and is one of the many variables that could hamper successful language learning. Several studies have suggested gender to be a factor forspeaking anxiety, with some findings indicating speaking anxiety was more prevalent in female participants and others that detected no statistical difference between female and male participants. This present study aims to identify students’ anxiety levels based on the personality and environment variables and to compare the level of speaking anxiety between male and female students. This quantitative research involves 60 male and 69 female students from a private university in Perak who were second-year students taking an English Proficiency class that was carried out for 14 weeks. A 5-likert scale questionnaire adopted from Horwitz's Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) was administered to the students at the end of the semester. Based on the study conducted, it was found that the participants experienced a moderate level of speaking anxiety in the second language classroom, with the males recording a slightly higher speaking anxiety level than females, and while personality did not show a significant impact on students’ anxiety levels, environmental variables did.Keywords: second language learning, ESL, motivation, personality, comparative

Zooming into the L2 Speech Fluency Markers of Anxious and Non-Anxious Advanced L2 Learners – an Extreme Case Sampling Report

The study examines selected temporal markers of L2 utterance fluency in the speech of advanced L2 learners who exhibit high (HLA) and low (LLA) language anxiety levels. Out of the pool of 59 participants, six HLA and six LLA individuals were selected for an in-depth analysis on the basis of their scores on the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (the FLCAS) (Horwitz, Horwitz, & Cope, 1986). Speech samples from a monologue task were examined for selected L2 utterance fluency measures: filled (FP) and silent pause (SP) frequency, mean length of silent pause (MLSP), articulation rate (AR), speech rate (SR), and mean length of run (MLR). The results provided insights into the L2 speech fluency profiles of anxious and non-anxious individuals. The analysis disclosed relatively higher frequency and disparate application of FPs, slower speed of speech, and more varied profiles in MLR in the HLA group as compared to the LLA group. The findings yield pedagogical and methodological implications.

STUDENTS’ ANXIETY IN SPEAKING ENGLISH IN THE CLASSROOM

The purpose of this study is to determine the level of students' anxiety as well as the elements that contribute to their anxiety when speaking in English. This survey study employed the FLCAS (Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale) questionnaire by Horwitz et al. (1986) and interviews. Sixty students were chosen as the sample of the study. The results showed 20% of participants feel very anxious, 42% feel anxious level, 23% feel mild anxious, 8% feel relaxed, 5% feel very relaxed. In the interview, the types of language anxiety indicators were also identified. The results show that fear of negative evaluation and feeling insecure were the major causes of students’ anxiety. This study implied that anxiety could become a driving factor that leads students to be passive and make no effort to speak English in the classroom. Teachers are encouraged to address students’ anxiety in order to help students overcome their anxiety.

STUDENTS’ SPEAKING ANXIETY IN SPEAKING SKILLS IN THE CLASSROOM AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE FOR THE 2nd GRADE AT SMA NEGERI 1 PAREPARE

To speak English, someone, especially among students, needs to master several verbs, and one of the obstacles to speaking English is the lack of verbs among students. Therefore, students face various obstacles. Anxiety is one of the biggest obstacles for students. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to find out what is students' anxiety and what factors cause students' anxiety when speaking in English in class. The sample of this study was MIPA 5 students of XI class of SMAN 1 Parepare which consisted of 35 students. The approach used in this study is descriptive research and qualitative. This study uses two research instruments namely Horowitz et al. (1986) used the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) and interviews. The questionnaire had 33 items consisting of 9 positive and 24 negative statements on a Likert scale of 1-5 points, while the interview consisted of 10 questions. According to the survey's findings, there was only 1 respondent with a "Very Anxious" anxiety level or 3%, 5 respondents had "Anxious" anxiety levels or 14%, 6 respondents had "Mildly Anxious" anxiety levels or 46%, 13 respondents had "Relaxed" anxiety levels or 37%, and there were no students with a "Very Relaxed" anxiety level. Considering this, it can be said that the students in Class XI MIPA 5 SMAN 1 Parepare are generally "Mildly Anxious" when speaking English in class. According to the results of the interviews, it is clear that some students who are learning English in a classroom setting still experience anxiety. The factors contributing to this include a lack of vocabulary, imprecise pronunciation, a lack of confidence, being unprepared if the teacher calls on a student to speak in English without warning, and a lack of motivation on the part of the students. From 35 students in class XI MIPA 5, the researchers only interviewed 14 sources.

Effects of Mind Map Integrated Project-Based Learning on the Reduction of English Speaking Anxiety on Chinese Undergraduates

The problems of English speaking unproficiency, low interest and silent English classrooms among students in Chinese higher vocational colleges have become an issue in recent years in China. Due to the importance of the mind map has become very popular in English language instruction, this paper carries out a study to investigate the effectiveness of Mind Map integrated Project-Based Learning (PjBL) strategy in public English language teaching in one of the Chinese higher vocational colleges and designs an English speaking project on food in the campus cafeteria. Twenty freshman students majoring in preschool education are selected in the experimental group and divided into four sub-groups of five students per group to select their tasks for the project so that they can be stimulated to finish the project independently and cooperatively. The other twenty students of the same major are in the control group to compare. The study uses mixed methods by combining quantitative and qualitative methods through students’ English speaking anxiety tests before and after the project by using Horwitz’s Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) and a semi-structured interview as a supplement to investigate. It turns out that the Mind Map Integrated Project-Based Learning (PjBL) Strategy reduced students' English speaking anxiety to a certain degree.