Foreign language anxiety in middle school students: a case study

Abstract

The research aims to understand and analyse foreign language anxiety in secondary school students from both student and teacher perspectives across various dimensions. The research was designed as a case study involving a research group of 35 secondary students and 13 English teachers from the same state school in Istanbul during the 2021-2022 academic year. Data were collected through semi-structured interview forms and observation notes taken by the researcher and were analysed using the descriptive content analysis method. The results indicate that students exhibit physical symptoms (such as stuttering, trembling, and freezing), psychological symptoms (including nervousness and fear), and cognitive symptoms (such as forgetfulness and lack of motivation) associated with foreign language anxiety. The causes of this anxiety are related to the learner, the teacher, and the teaching system. Student-related causes include peer pressure, fear of making mistakes, insufficient knowledge, challenges in learning vocabulary, and an authoritarian family attitude, among others. Teacher-related factors causing foreign language anxiety include strict teacher attitudes, the provision of immediate and continuous feedback, and inadequate teacher qualifications. Factors related to the teaching system encompass an exam oriented approach, grammar-focused instruction, limited teaching hours, and insufficient textbook coverage. The consequences of foreign language anxiety experienced by students include academic failure, learned helplessness, and a decline in interest and participation in the classroom. Both students and teachers employ various strategies to cope with foreign language anxiety, such as utilizing technology, promoting peer learning, and fostering a positive learning environment. The results show that although all students acknowledge the necessity of foreign language learning in their social lives and education, recognize its potential to facilitate their career choices, and agree that English is a universal language, every student in the study group, which included both students with and without foreign language anxiety, has experienced foreign language anxiety.

Keywords

• foreign language anxiety
• teaching English as a foreign language
• secondary school students

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