Second Language Learning Anxiety in Malaysian Classroom
Girija A/P Wathumalai1, Parilah Mohd Shah1
1 Faculty of Education, University Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia
*Corresponding Author: [email protected] Accepted: 15 February 2022 | Published: 1 March 2022
DOI:https://doi.org/10.55057/ijares.2022.4.1.10
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Abstract: Learning English language is a typical phenomenon that takes place almost over 50 countries all over the world. However, anxiety among young students creates an impenetrable barrier to acquire English as a second language. This study’s main purpose, which used a survey methodology, was to study the second language anxiety experiences of Year 5 pupils and find out if there were any vast differences in anxiety experiences during second language learning based on gender. This study included about 80 Year 5 pupils from a primary school in the Johor Bahru, Malaysia. For this research, a questionnaire known as Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS), developed by Horwitz et al. (1986) was implemented. The data reveal that anxiety is induced by experiences such as being frightened to talk in English, worry of not understanding English, being judged by others, making mistakes when speaking the language, and fear of forgetting learning topics. The research also suggests that teachers should recognize pupils’ anxiety in second language learning, provide a stress-free classroom environment and work together with parents to create opportunities for pupils to practice the language. The study's findings should serve as a wake- up call for instructors and parents in terms of assisting young learners in overcoming their fear in English language acquisition, whether in or out of the classroom.
Keywords: Second language learning, anxiety, ESL, young learners, gender
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1. Introduction
Language development is a continuous and dynamic process that begins at birth and continues without stops or pauses for every one of us. It's a technique that combines cognitive and disciplinary elements with affective elements (Teimouri et al. 2019). Students gain fluency and proficiency in a language by acquiring and assimilating various linguistic elements into their repertoire, which they then employ in different situations. Learners are motivated to continue growing their expertise, abilities, methods, and personal interests in constructive learning activities in language-rich circumstances. While focusing on language learning can be a joyful and enjoyable experience, it can also be a challenging and complicated experience for some learners.
As a result, learners' classroom experiences may alter or fluctuate following their learning experience, particularly in second language learning, either positively or adversely. Students use a language by using it to communicate their thoughts, emotions, and viewpoints, to form bonds with family and friends, and to help us understand and order their reality. A student succeeds in school or on any other learning system when he or she can participate in the
learning activity, explore and experiment with concepts, debate questions and answers with teachers and other learners, and participate in collaborative projects (Harwati et al. 2018). The language learning process helps teachers understand that each learner constructs skills based on his or her prior knowledge and experiences regularly. It also provides a fantastic chance for teachers to promote strategic thinking and the development of a repertory of approaches for each student to employ in problem-solving and literacy activities. It moreover emphasises the need of critical thinking and questioning in the development of reflective learners, as well as how metacognition practises assist students to organise, monitor, and assess their learning.
Foreign language anxiety is a topic that cannot be neglected when discussing second language acquisition. Anxiety can obstruct a variety of learning styles, and when it is linked to learning a second or foreign language, it's described as "second/foreign language anxiety" (Gardner 2014). Trait anxiety, situational anxiety, and state anxiety are three different types of anxiety that span from consistent anxiety to time-dependent anxiety provocation (Kralova & Soradova 2015; Zheng & Cheng 2018). Trait anxiety is a personality trait that is generally consistent.
Besides, state anxiety is a reaction for a precise stimulus that lasts only a few seconds. Anxiety caused by a specific series of circumstances is known as situational anxiety (Kralova &
Soradova 2015). The components that generate anxiety, according to many studies, differ depending on language understanding and competency. In addition, Marlow (2021) has stated that anxiety or anxiousness in second language acquisition can have harmful consequences for the students. The relationship between learners' emotional states, such as delight or worry, and motivational dispositions determines their learning patterns and outcomes (Saito et al. 2018).
Many researchers have indicated a renewed interest in second language learning anxiety in recent years. It is a critical point in assessing the effectiveness of English language learning as second language acquisition. This is because it constantly raises red flags that require serious attention from many stakeholders in the educational field (Idrus 2021). At a young age, language anxiety began to dominate learners' learning acquisition. Young students began to create a barrier to learning a foreign language. Factors including a stressful learning environment, a lack of understanding of the need of learning a foreign language, and a lack of language learning support are contributors to the development of an invisible barrier in language acquisition (Aydin et al. 2017). As a result, young learners will have a debilitating effect, such as a loss of enthusiasm in learning a foreign language or a lack of involvement in language sessions, resulting in low language progress.
1.2 Rationale of the Study
Consequently, the aim of this study was to learn more about English language anxiety among primary school students, particularly those learning the language as a second language in Malaysia. Teachers and other academics might benefit from a deeper knowledge of the reasons for language learning anxiety among primary school students already enrolled in an English classroom. As a result, the goals of this study were to discover more about the second language anxiety experiences that Year 5 students have. Besides, the researcher intended to know if there are any major gender differences in second language learning anxiety experiences.
1.3 Problem Statement
Learners have been exposed to English language as early as their toddler stage. Some parents or guardians enroll their children in English language learning classes while they are young as they can learn and master the target language far faster than their peers. High privilege for English language learning is always existed among parents. Regardless of their background, gender, or age, the majority of students consider this language to be a difficult subject to learn.
Issues such as incapability to comprehend abstract concepts, short attention span, or rule systems of their first language could be factors contributing to the learning difficulties (Morfidi.
et al. 2007; Asmali, 2017). When studying English as a second language, many people have difficulties. This is a problem that not only impacts young students but also older students at the university level. When discussing the significant obstacles of learning English as a second language, several issues arise.
While language learners are anxious, they are more likely to make mistakes when judging their progress. Furthermore, worried students are more inclined to exaggerate their linguistic abilities (Liu 2013). According to Kralova and Soradova (2015), anxiety in English language learning creates an impact on the learning process. That person is prone to becoming passive in English classes, forgetting what the student has prepared in advance, not making eye contact with others, not paying complete attention to the teaching and learning process, being rebellious in finishing English tasks, not participating in pair or group projects, and not asking for help when needed. The causes and effects of anxiety in language acquisition were also examined by Khan and Zafar (2010). They found that anxiety in language acquisition might lead to failure ideas, self-deprecation, avoidance behaviors, and a slowing down of the learners' cognitive activities.
As previously stated, the researcher has observed dread and anxiety in her Year 5 students.
Even though they are provided appropriate information and opportunity to practice the targeted language skills throughout the courses, the students are not ready to participate completely and actively in English classes. During the teaching and learning process, there are usually no volunteers to execute a job assigned by the researcher. Typically, the same students who used to volunteer will come forward to answer questions and give their thoughts in the classroom.
Pupils must be addressed by their first names to participate in language activities, particularly listening and speaking. Day by day, these circumstances are growing more common in the researcher's English classroom.
2.1 English language learning as second language
English is a fun language to learn since its structure is incredibly rich and varied, allowing the audience to enjoy using it (Barber et al. 2009). This language is well-known throughout the world because it is a well-known dialect spoken in many parts of the globe. As a result, this language has carved itself a niche in the teaching and learning landscape in many nations, including Malaysia. Since English has become the second language in many nations throughout the world, the emphasis on one's capacity to practice English in speaking and writing has shifted dramatically (Ahmad 2016).
For many language learners, acquiring a second language such as English is not always as simple as studying their first language. Mitchell et al. (2019) pointed out that second language learners, particularly in informal discourse, tend to overlook true meaning for word usage. It is because the value we used to place on the casual discussion was always lower than the value we placed on language use in any formal circumstances. Previous research on second language acquisition has found that learners perceive their memory to be less effective while learning a new language, resulting in a range of reactions to the identical language learning approaches used in the classroom (Cook 2013).
Drbseh (2019) stated in one of his papers that interference from the learner's mother tongue is a barrier to English learning because many sounds in English are difficult for Arabic natives to speak. A language will be simple for an individual to learn if it is used in everyday life; yet, if
there is a language gap practice in the real world, the language will be difficult to learn (Sharma 2018). Aside from that, the external assistance that a student receives is crucial in learning English as a second language. Tariq et al. (2013) identified in their study that about 70% of Pakistani students who are learning English as a second language are not getting any help from their parents.
Even though English has been widely used throughout the world for centuries, it is still considered a second language in Malaysia. Although Malay, Tamil, and Chinese dialects are acknowledged as languages in Malaysia, the English language is used for educational, economic, entertainment, and communication purposes (Thirusanku & Yunus 2014). The English language has played a significant role in Malaysia's educational system over the years.
Numerous educational policies and measures such as Self Access-Learning Centres (SAL), Extensive Reading Programmes, English Hours, Class Reader Programmes in 1989, Malaysian University English Test (MUET) in 1999 ‘Teaching of Science and Mathematics in English’
(ETeMS) in 2002, Children’s Contemporary Literature Programme in 2003, Early Literacy Through English (ELiTE) in 2007, Literacy and Numeracy Screening Programme (Linus) in 2012, ‘To Uphold Bahasa Malaysia and to Strengthen the English language’ (MBMMBI) 2012, The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) (Azmi 2013; Luyee et al. 2018; Thirusanku & Yunus 2014; Uri & Abd Aziz 2018) were initiated and several policies are still implementing in Malaysia due to the importance that Malaysian Ministry of Education has given to English language learning a second language.
In Malaysia, English is generally introduced to a child as early as 5 years old in preschool education. In a learner's life, learning continues through primary school, secondary school, and postsecondary education (Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013-2025, 2013). On a global scale, however, Malaysian students' achievement is still unattainable. According to the OECD PISA Database (2019), Malaysia scored 415 points in reading, which is lower than the OECD average. Musa et al. (2012) identified two primary factors that influence English language learning as a second language in Malaysia: a major effect of Bahasa Malaysia on English language learning and a strong emphasis on reading and writing skills in the English classroom compared to listening and speaking skills. The outcome of language acquisition will be unfruitful if the weighting provided to the practice and production stages of a language is unequal or imbalanced. For both educators and students, English language exam-oriented learning activities have proven to be a favored method of teaching and learning (Azman 2016;
Azmi 2013).
2.2 Anxiety in second language learning
Even though the English language has been incorporated into the Malaysian educational system for many decades, the achievement rate for this subject is still below a respectable skill level.
This condition may arise as a result of language anxiety caused by a variety of factors, including one's age, knowledge obtained, individuality, and learners' language learning behavior (Yih et al. 2017).
Some early pieces of literature have substantial concerns and viewpoints on how to comprehend and explain anxiety in language learners. First, according to Horwitz et al. (1986), anxiety in learning a language is characterized as a complicated series of self-opinions, views, emotions, and actions that are strongly linked to language learning and occur because of a different learning process. Anxiety was divided into two types by Eysenck (1979): 'concern' and 'emotionality.' Worry, in his opinion, involves cognitive manifestations such as attempting to compare individual performance to that of peers, believing in the prospect of losing, having
limited levels of confidence in achievement, and having great anxiety of assessment. The emotionalism aspect is linked to negative emotions that arise because of physiological processes, such as an increased galvanic skin reaction plus pulse rate, faintness, sickness, and fear. Apart from that, Young (1994) said that teachers play a significant role in pupils' anxiousness. For example, 'abnormal' classroom practices, the educator's error-correcting tactics, and the educator's communication style with the learners appeared to be factors that could generate anxiety in students.
Anxiety is an emotion that is directly linked to the psychological system of people who are experiencing feelings that are different from what they are used to (Tercan & Dikilitas 2015).
Anxiety of interacting with others, nervousness of assessments or other activities used for evaluation, fear of negative evaluation, difficulties in answering questions, failure to do early preparation for the class, fear of English class, and cultural factor are all possible foundations of second language learning nervousness, according to some researchers (Al-Saraj 2011; Lucas et al. 2011; Marwan 2007; Yih et al. 2017).
Furthermore, Souriyavongsa et al. (2013) focused their research on the elements that contribute to Chinese students' anxiety during learning English. Learners' family backgrounds, a lack of English background knowledge, English teachers with poor teaching skills, a lack of learners' confidence, old teaching methods, absence of learners' interest in learning English, and a shortage of language practice in real life are all factors that contribute to language learning difficulties, according to the researchers. It demonstrates that anxiety is caused not only by the learners' actions, but also by their unsupportive parents, teachers, and classmates, as well as their English language learning environment. Zheng and Cheng (2018) identified causes that contribute to anxiety in Chinese students learning English as a second language. They argue that one of the most effective influencing variables in anxiety in second language learning is a community's cultural aspect such as memorizing, textbooks and grammatical norms, Confucian concepts' control, and the expectation of educators and family members as persons in positions of authority are all potential sources of cultural anxiety.
2.3 Anxiety in second language learning in gender perspective
When it comes to language anxiety, anxiety, many of us will think about gender issues. Several previous pieces of research have looked into whether gender variables could influence second language learning among learners. Marwan (2007) conducted a study with Indonesian college students who were taking the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) course to see if there was a link between language learning anxiety and gender inequalities. The researcher discovered that both gender struggle with anxiety when learning a second language and those male students are less nervous than female students in acquiring a second language due to several factors, including a lack of preparation and confidence in learning a foreign language.
The study also identified male students who are anxious about studying due to a insufficient of preparation and a anxiety of failing the class.
In 2018, similar inquiry was conducted to identify the relationship between language learning anxiety and gender aspect. Alnatour included a total of 280 participants for this study. From the results, the researcher has confirmed that the male students have greater nervousness compared to the female students. In 2012, Ezzi conducted a study associated with the gender factor’s impact on foreign language anxiety. To serve the study’s purpose, a translated and adapted version of the FLCAS questionnaire was implemented in this study. As a conclusion, the researcher addressed that female students’ anxiety level was higher comparing to male students. Another study was conducted by Hidayati in 2018 regarding language anxiety among
non-English major college students. This study was carried out with 114 students studying in the State Islamic College of Teungku Dirundeng Meulaboh in West Aceh. The more highlighting point from the outcome of the study revealed that gender factor does contribute to language learning anxiety. The female group seems to be more nervous compared to the male group.
Alshahrani & Alandal (2015), on the other hand, conducted a study at a Saudi Arabian elementary school to investigate the effect of gender differences on foreign language anxiety.
These researchers determined two ranges of outcomes from their study by evaluating obtained data using a t-test. At first, there was no significant difference in communication apprehension or test anxiety between male and female students. On the other side, they also stated that male students are more likely than female students to have significant levels of language anxiety because of their fear of failing the language. Yih, Chin and Ling conducted a similar investigation in 2017. Based on statistical analysis, the researchers concluded that gender factor does not create linguistic anxiety but does indirectly influence learning. They stated that gender had no bearing on the four major components of dread of unfavorable evaluation, communicative speech apprehension, test anxiety, and English class anxiety.
2.4 Stephen Krashen's Theory of Second Language Acquisition
There are five main hypotheses in Krashen’s Theory of Second Language Acquisition (1986);
The Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis, The Monitor Hypothesis, The Input Hypothesis, The Affective Filter Hypothesis and The Natural Order Hypothesis. Out of all these five hypotheses, The Affective Filter Hypothesis is most strongly linked to second language learning and anxiety in the learning process. Motivation, self-confidence, and anxiety, according to Krashen, are three essential characteristics that play important roles in second language learning. By considering the points raised in this hypothesis, language learners can achieve success in language learning acquisition. This is the hypothesis. To begin, learners must be very motivated to learn a second language, even though the process is difficult. Furthermore, they must maintain their self-assurance, which must be always consistent. They should always have a positive self-image. Finally, students should maintain a low degree of anxiety when learning a second language, be socially engaged, and communicate with people to pave their road to second language learning success.
Figure 1: Affective Filter Hypothesis by Krashen (1986)
To emphasize the research's main point: anxiety, concerns such as learners' fear of learning a language as a second language and embarrassing and judgmental error correction by instructors or peers. Besides, pressuring students to produce work too soon without adequate preparation time will have a negative influence on their language development. Anxiety in learning is
Language Input
Affective Filter
Language Acquisition
Device
Language Acquisition
caused by situations such as isolating learners physically and mentally in a language class and the occurrence of embarrassing learning events. Not to mention the fact that a lack of intelligible input might make learning a language harder. In short, these issues in a language learning environment will result in a ‘mental block’ experience that develops within the learners and counteract comprehensible input from being applied for language education.
2.5 Conceptual Framework
Figure 2: Conceptual Framework of Anxiety in Second Language Learning (referred and adapted from Lucas et al. 2011)
As previously stated, the purpose of this study was to look into the reasons for anxiety among Year 5 students learning English as a second language. The researcher will investigate language anxiety in learners based on the following factors: learners' dread of learning, error correction, early output expectation, solitude in learning, embarrassing learning environment, and a lack of intelligible information (Horwitz et al. 1986; Krashen 1986). The gender difference was also considered to see if one's gender influences the prevalence of anxiety during second language acquisition.
3. Methodology
3.1 Research Design
In this study, a survey design was used. This quantitative method will be beneficial since it is a systematic procedure and a useful research tool for collecting, handling, and analyzing data from research instruments (Laaksonen 2018). The survey research approach quantifies or numerically reveals patterns, attitudes, or opinions of a population by examining a sample of that population (Creswell & Creswell 2017). The study’s sample size of 80 participants was quite large. As a result, a survey design was chosen to finish this research.
Anxiety in Second Language
Learning
Causes of English Language Learning Anxiety among the
learners:
a) Learners’ fear in learning b) Error correction
c) Expectation in early output d) Isolation in learning e) Embarrassing learning
environment
f) Lack of comprehensible input Gender difference
English Language Learning as a second language
3.2 Participants and Setting
There were 80 pupils took part in this research. The researcher included all 80 participants from the researcher’s school in the Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Despite the fact that the school is in the heart of town, the majority of the students come from nearby suburban areas. All participants consisted of Year 5 pupils (aged 11) who are learning English lessons four days a week. Those participants consist of an intermediate level of proficiency in English. The English language is the participants’ second language as all of them are from the Malay community. Their sole exposure to the English language is during English classes at school. The objective of using the English language in their daily lives is primarily pedagogical.
3.3 Instrument
The researcher used a questionnaire known as Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) which was developed and used by Horwitz et al. (1986). All 33 items from FLCAS were included for this study with minimal adaptation. To make it simple for the participants to comprehend the questions asked in the questionnaire, the researcher changed the phrases
‘foreign language’ to ‘English language’ and ‘language class’ to ‘English class’. The title of the scale was changed from ‘Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale’ to ‘English Language Classroom Anxiety Scale’ to avoid any confusion among the participants while answering the survey questions.
This questionnaire contained 2 sections; Section A and B for the participants to answer. There were seven questions in Section A which are related to the participants’ demographic information such as age, gender, race, hometown, mother tongue, and their tutoring status in the English language. As for Section B, there were a total number of 33 questions from FLCAS related to their English language learning anxiety. The researcher also included Malay translation in Section B for each item in the questionnaire to make it easy for participants to comprehend given items correctly. The questionnaire has 5 Likert scale values to give the score. Constraints in making a clear statement about participants’ point of view take place by having the odd number of values in questionnaires, meanwhile, by providing choices in even number, participants could respond to either one side of the item (Wilson & Joye 2016). Hence, this questionnaire with a 5 Likert scale was suitable to get clear thoughts of the participants in the study.
3.3.1 Validity and Reliability
There have been studies to establish the scale's validity (Horwitz 1986). The construct validity of the instrument has been stated, and the outcomes backing up the notion that the instrument calculates the concepts of foreign language anxiety (Horwitz 1986). The instrument has demonstrated internal reliability with a Cronbach's Alpha of 0.93 (Horwitz et al. 1986).
a. Validity
An instrument must be valid to precisely and correctly evaluate the data required for the study's objectives. Validity refers to something that accurately represents the occurrences it is meant to explain in the real world (Ruel 2015). The Pearson Correlation was utilized to assess the item validity of the measure. The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Program Version 21 was used to assess on the validity of the instrument. From the calculation, the validity was more than 0.404, which indicated that the instrument was valid to be used.
b. Reliability
A measurement must be predictable, reproducible, and consistent with minimal random error for an instrument to be reliable (Ruel 2015). With this definition, the researcher used
Cronbach's Alpha Coefficient calculation to determine the instrument's reliability. The reliability of the instrument was further evaluated using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Program Version 21.
Table 1: Reliability Statistics
Cronbach's Alpha N of Items
.946 33
From the calculation of Cronbach’s Alpha formula, the reliability coefficient was 0.946.
According to Ruel (2015), the interpretation of the value of correlation coefficient with 0.8 to 1.0 has a strong positive reliability. So, we can conclude that the instrument has high reliability to be used to collect the data needed in this research.
3.4 Data Collection Procedure
Due to the pandemic, schools were closed, and the researcher prepared the survey questions virtually in the form of Google Form. Once got the approval of the supervisor and school headmistress, the researcher circulated the survey questions to the participants via their Class Telegram Groups from 10th to 14th September 2021. The researcher joined the Class Telegram Group as a temporary and passive member to monitor the flow of the questionnaire answering session. The English teachers of the participants’ classes were clearly explained the research objectives and instructions to be shared later with the participants much earlier. That made it easy for the teachers to explain to the participants before they share the link of the questionnaire to answer. After instructions were given to the participants, the link for the questionnaire was shared in Class Telegram Groups.
3.5 Data Analysis
The data that gathered from the questionnaire given to the participants was evaluated by using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Program Version 21. This software used to examine the descriptive analysis to demonstration the level of anxiety among the participants and frequency percentages for the first research question Besides, an independent t-test was performed to figure out the differences in the anxiety level in second language learning based on participants’ gender for the second research question of this research. All the analyzed data were tabulated for a clearer picture. Outcomes from both analyses were presented and discussed.
4. Findings
A total of 80 respondents completed the survey. Of the participants, 50 percent were males and 50 percent were females.
4.1 Descriptive Analysis
A descriptive analysis was included in this study. Mean scores, standard deviation, the highest score and the lowest score were calculated as shown in Table 2.
Table 2: Descriptive analysis based on responses given by the participants in FLCAS.
N Mean Std. Deviation Minimum Maximum
Valid Missing
80 1 96.5833 24.85246 50.00 152.00
The mean score for all the participants’ scores in answering the questionnaire for this study was 96.58. In the previous studies, the researchers who implemented FLCAS to examine students’ anxiety in foreign language mean scores of 94.12 (Alshahrani & Alandal 2015) and 95.50 (Ezzi 2012). They obtained the similar values as per this study. This indicated that regardless of age and education level, anxiety in learning a foreign language among learners reached the same point.
4.2 Research Question 1 - What are the second language anxiety experiences encountered by the pupils of Year 5?
All 33 question items were analyzed under this research question. The scales used for this research question are Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Neither agree nor disagree (N), Disagree (DA), and Strongly Disagree (SD). The results are as according to Table 3.
Table 3: Frequency analysis based on responses given by the participants for each question items in FLCAS
No Item SA
% (n)
A
% (n)
N
% (n)
DA
% (n)
SD
% (n) 1 I never feel quite sure of myself when I am
speaking in my English class.
11.3 (9)
25.0 (20)
21.3 (17)
27.5 (22)
15.0 (12) 2 I do not worry about making mistakes in English
class.
7.5 (6)
22.5 (18)
31.3 (25)
22.5 (18)
16.3 (13) 3 I tremble when I know that I am going to be
called on in English class.
6.3 (5)
27.5 (22)
27.5 (22)
27.5 (22)
11.3 (9) 4 It frightens me when I do not understand what
the teacher is saying in English.
13.8 (11)
32.5 (26)
16.3 (13)
31.3 (25)
6.3 (5) 5 It would not bother me at all to take more
English classes.
16.3 (13)
21.3 (17)
21.3 (17)
31.3 (25)
10.0 (8) 6 During English class, I find myself thinking
about things that have nothing to do with the lesson.
8.8 (7)
27.5 (22)
22.5 (18)
27.5 (22)
13.8 (11) 7 I keep thinking that the other students are better
in English than I am.
8.8 (7)
36.3 (29)
21.3 (17)
23.8 (19)
10.0 (8) 8 I am usually at ease during tests in my English
class.
8.8 (7)
18.8 (15)
25.0 (20)
36.3 (29)
11.3 (9) 9 I start to panic when I have to speak without
preparation in English class.
18.8 (15)
31.3 (25)
25.0 (20)
17.5 (14)
7.5 (6) 10 I worry about the consequences of failing my
English class.
17.5 (14)
41.3 (33)
17.5 (14)
12.5 (10)
11.3 (9) 11 I do not understand why some people get so
upset over English classes.
15.0 (12)
28.7 (23)
25.0 (20)
13.8 (11)
17.5 (14) 12 In English class, I can get so nervous I forget
things I know.
10.0 (8)
35.0 (28)
21.3 (17)
20.0 (16)
13.8 (11) 13 It embarrasses me to volunteer answers in my
English class.
8.8 (7)
31.3 (25)
25.0 (20)
22.5 (18)
12.5 (10) 14 I would not be nervous speaking the English
with native speakers.
5.0 (4)
23.8 (19)
27.5 (22)
30.0 (24)
13.8 (11)
15 I get upset when I do not understand what the teacher is correcting.
12.5 (10)
30.0 (24)
22.5 (18)
21.3 (17)
13.8 (11) 16 Even if I am well prepared for English class, I
feel anxious about it.
10.0 (8)
35.0 (28)
21.3 (17)
20.0 (16)
13.8 (11) 17 I often feel like not going to my English class. 5.0
(4)
33.8 (27)
21.3 (17)
20.0 (16)
20.0 (16) 18 I feel confident when I speak in English class. 3.8
(3)
30.0 (24)
28.7 (23)
25.0 (20)
12.5 (10) 19 I am afraid that my English teacher is ready to
correct every mistake I make.
7.5 (6)
32.5 (26)
23.8 (19)
22.5 (18)
13.8 (11) 20 I can feel my heart pounding when I am going to
be called on in English class.
11.3 (9)
30.0 (24)
23.8 (19)
23.8 (19)
11.3 (9) 21 The more I study for an English test, the more
confused I get.
7.5 (6)
21.3 (17)
31.3 (25)
26.3 (21)
13.8 (11) 22 I do not feel pressure to prepare very well for
English class.
5.0 (4)
32.5 (26)
23.8 (19)
25.0 (20)
13.8 (11) 23 I always feel that the other students speak in
English better than I do.
6.3 (5)
26.3 (21)
31.3 (25)
25.0 (20)
11.3 (9) 24 I feel very self-conscious about speaking the
English in front of other students.
6.3 (5)
33.8 (27)
36.3 (29)
17.5 (14)
6.3 (5) 25 English class moves so quickly I worry about
getting left behind.
7.5 (6)
41.3 (33)
25.0 (20)
22.5 (18)
3.8 (3) 26 I feel more tense and nervous in my English
class than in my other classes.
6.3 (5)
18.8 (15)
38.8 (31)
25.0 (20)
11.3 (9) 27 I get nervous and confused when I am speaking
in my English class.
13.8 (11)
26.3 (21)
22.5 (18)
27.5 (22)
10.0 (8) 28 When I am on my way to English class, I feel
very sure and relaxed.
11.3 (9)
33.8 (27)
23.8 (19)
21.3 (17)
10.0 (8) 29 I get nervous when I do not understand every
word the English teacher says.
10.0 (8)
27.5 (22)
30.0 (24)
22.5 (18)
10.0 (8) 30 I feel overwhelmed by the number of rules I
have to learn to speak English.
11.3 (9)
35.0 (28)
26.3 (21)
17.5 (14)
10.0 (8) 31 I am afraid that the other students will laugh at
me when I speak English.
10.0 (8)
26.3 (21)
27.5 (22)
18.8 (15)
17.5 (14) 32 I would probably feel comfortable around native
speakers of English language.
8.8 (7)
26.3 (21)
28.7 (23)
13.8 (11)
22.5 (18) 33 I get nervous when the English teacher asks
questions which I have not prepared in advance.
11.3 (9)
32.5 (26)
26.3 (21)
17.5 (14)
12.5 (10)
Firstly, the findings reveal that the participants were nervous to verbally use the English language or participate in speaking activities during English classes. They agreed to statements such as “I start to panic when I have to speak without preparation in English class”, about half of the participants have agreed with the percentage of 50.1, which is slightly more than half of the participants. As for statements such as “I get nervous when the English teacher asks questions which I haven't prepared in advance” with 43.8% with the number of 35 participants and “I get nervous and confused when I am speaking in my English class” with 40.1% of the participants have agreed. At the same time, a total of 35 participants also have rejected the statement “I would not be nervous speaking the English with native speakers” with 43.8%. It clearly shows that the readiness among the participants to interact in English with their current knowledge seems to be at a lower level. They were more likely to be nervous to take part in speaking lessons rather than reading and writing lessons.
The second major finding that has been revealed is that the participants’ anxiousness and fear of not understanding the language in communication apprehension had been highlighted in this study. A big group of the participants, about 37 of them agreed with a statement like “It
frightens me when I don't understand what the teacher is saying in English” with the percentage of 46.3%. Similarly, about 41.6% of the participants agreed to “I can feel my heart pounding when I'm going to be called on in English class”. For the statement, “I get nervous when I don't understand every word the English teacher says”, about 37.5% of the participants agreed as well. This highlighted that the participants have an ideology that they must understand every single word used in a language to understand the gist of communication that occurs which leads to fear among themselves.
This study also has shown that they were also anxious about either being less competent in English, being judged or evaluated by other students. This is shown when 46.3% agreed to the statement of “I am afraid that the other students will laugh at me when I speak English”.
Besides, a total of 36 participants agreed to the statement “I keep thinking that the other students are better in English than I am”. At the same time, for the statement “I always feel that the other students speak in English better than I do” only 32.6% agreed whereas 36.3%
disagreed with it. This situation shows that students are aware of their progress and their friends', yet they are not particular in which skills they are better at compared to their classmates. On the other hand, about 38.8 % of the participants rejected the statement that “I don't worry about making mistakes in English class” which means 31 participants as well are worried about learning errors that could happen in the classroom. Hence, anxiety in learning a foreign language could cause by the fear of humiliation and embarrassment that students tend to pass in a classroom.
The fourth point raised in this study is that participants in English lessons were worried because they were afraid of making mistakes in their second language learning. With 58.8% or more than half of the participants, 47 of them agreed with the statement "I'm concerned about the implications of failing my English class." About 42.5 percent agreed with comments like "I become annoyed when I don't understand what the teacher is correcting," while 40.0 percent agreed with "I am concerned that my English teacher is ready to fix every mistake I make." A total of 31 people disagreed with "I don't care about making mistakes in English class," with a proportion of 38.8%. They viewed failures that occur during the process of learning a language as something that should be avoided, and they were not prepared to deal with them constructively.
The outcome has also put forward that the nervousness of forgetting learning contents in second language learning could be another reason to create anxiety among the learners. The participants agreed to two statements, “In English class, I can get so nervous I forget things I know” as well as “Even if I am well prepared for English class, I feel anxious about it” with 45.0%. It showed that even though they had prepared for the lesson much earlier, still nervousness within them makes them anxious in English classes. The nervousness may cause by various factors such as the teachers’ method of handling learners’ errors, the classmates’
reactions to the learners’ ability, or the learners themselves with low self-esteem and less motivation about the learning process.
4.3 Research Question 2 - Is there a significant difference between males and females with respect to second language learning anxiety experiences?
To answer the second question, an independent samples t-test was conducted to identify the relationship between gender factor and second language learning anxiety experiences. The p value: P < 0.05 was considered statistically to determine the significant difference between the male and female groups. The results are as according to Table 4.
Table 4: Independent sample t-test analysis based on responses given by the participants for each question items in FLCAS
Items Gender N Mean Std.
Deviation
Std. Error Mean
F Sig.
5. It would not bother me at all to take more English classes.
15. I get upset when I do not understand what the teacher is correcting.
32. I would probably feel comfortable around native speakers of English language.
Male Female
Male Female
Male Female
40 40 40 40
40 40
3.15 2.80 2.80 3.08
3.25 3.05
1.406 1.091 1.400 1.095
1.373 1.197
.222 .172 .221 .173
.217 .189
6.469
7.213
4.980
.013
.009
.029
Based on the results from Table 4, only three items were identified to be significantly related to gender factors and anxiety experiences in language learning among the participants. The first item; “It would not bother me at all to take more English classes” which is focusing on participants’ state of mind during teaching and learning activities related to participating in English lessons p < 0.05 level (p=0.013). The mean scores for this item revealed that male pupils more likely to be panic in joining more English lessons compared to female pupils (3.15
> 2.80).
As for the second item, “I get upset when I do not understand what the teacher is correcting”
revealed a significant difference between genders in how the participants react to teacher feedback in English sessions at the 0.05 level (p=0.009). According to the mean scores, female students are more open to hearing criticism from teachers in English classrooms than male students (3.08 > 2.80). Finally, the third item, “I would probably feel comfortable around native speakers of English language” highlighted how relaxed the participants are working with native speakers in the English classroom, with significant differences between genders at the 0.05 level (p=0.029). According to the mean scores, male students are more comfortable participating in English classrooms with native speakers than female students (3.25 > 3.05).
Besides these three items, other items indicated that commonly there was no significant difference between males and females in English language learning. Learners are having distinct and various experiences during learning the English language as a second language based on their individually but not based on their gender. Consequently, the outcomes of this study can be a significant feedback in identifying the reasons affecting English language learning performance to support productive learning. The results provide information on the experiences that have been encountered by the young learners in English classes and what needs to be improved. It also provided pieces of evidence on gender factors in learning a second language. Thus, this research will prove useful for reimagining and redesigning English classroom practices to bring out the best in young learners.
5. Discussion
From the findings, two conclusions were gained as the outcome of this research. Learning a language and the way an individual reflects about the learning may vary widely. Some pupils tend to experience enjoyment and satisfaction when acquiring a second language. At the same time, some pupils tend to face anxious reactions at different levels throughout the learning process taking place. Experiences such as being frightened to talk in English with others worry about not understanding the meaning in English language, worrying about being judged by others while making any errors, making mistakes when using the English language, and fear of forgetting learning topics in English classes (Liu & Chen 2013; Park 2014; Woodrow 2006;
Yih et al. 2017 & Young 1994) are mainly addressed as roots of anxiety among the English language learners.
Those who are experiencing second language learning anxiety at a moderate level may portray minimal rebellions in the classroom by avoiding speaking activities, not completing given homework, or sitting at a corner of the class. Whereas those who are experiencing anxiety at a much higher level tend to skip the lesson or even be absent from school. The consequences of language learning nervousness may develop within the learners’, develops to the learning space, and move to the outside of the school environment which is closely related to the learners’ motivation on learning a language (Thacker 2020). Pupils are carrying the anxious feeling within them will have the fear to face the real world especially in English-speaking surroundings. Instead of overcoming the fear within themselves, they might try to run away from reality by avoiding such settings (Alnatour 2018; Bensalem 2017 & Hidayati 2018). The second conclusion was that gender factor does not contribute in any manner to anxiety experiences that occur in English language learning among young learners which is contrary to some of the related previous studies (Ezzi 2012; Marwan 2007). Someone’s anxiety experiences may be caused by their family background, their surroundings, past teaching, and learning experiences, and their own learning experience and personal interest in English subject but not because of gender factor which was also supported by Yih et al. (2017) and Kersten &
Rohde (2013).
Therefore, based on the findings, the researcher has made some recommendations. Firstly, teachers must acknowledge the issue of anxiety that occurs among their learners in a learning environment especially during English language learning a second language. This is critical for teachers to reach out to students who are suffering silently from language learning anxiety.
Secondly, teachers are also can create a stress-free environment in the English classroom. The focus of a learning process should not be directed to examinations but focusing on the learners’
future preparation. Directly or indirectly, it has the potential to alleviate young learners' anxiety while learning a language. Aside from that, teachers can collaborate with parents to plan outdoor activities. Supporters who are close to the learners will create a terrific environment for them to practice the language effectively.
At the same time, school administration should establish a welcoming learning environment for students learning a language, particularly a second language. Simultaneously, the Ministry of Education should offer additional English language learning programmes, with learners being able to choose whatever ones they want. With these, studying the English language will be much easier for young students, and more students will thrive in the subject. The fundamental drawback of this study is, of course, the ethnographic inquiry's limitation. It is believed that a greater number of participants will allow for a more thorough analysis of the participants' anxiety levels when learning English, as well as the possibility that the results will
be generalizable to the entire community. Nonetheless, the study's findings were instructive in that it provided insight into the students' attitudes and passion for studying English as a second language, as well as a practical conclusion.
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