Causes of Language Anxiety in an ESL Classroom: Towards a Mentally Healthier Learning Environment

Salina Sabri (), Zulaikha Khairuddin (), Syafiqah Johan Amir Johan (), Khairunnisa Mohd Daud () and Fatin Fatinah Shamshul Bahrn ()

International Journal of Asian Social Science, 2021, vol. 11, issue 9, 452-460

Abstract: In a typical English language classroom, learners are expected to produce written sentences that are grammatically correct, and they are expected to sound native-like in their pronunciation. However, such expectations may cause anxiety and could potentially hinder the success of creating functional and successful language learners. This study aimed to understand undergraduate students’ language learning anxiety and their perceived success in an ESL classroom in the hopes of creating a mentally healthier language learning environment. Through a quantitative approach, the results of the questionnaire showed that reasons that led to undergraduate students’ anxiety in an ESL classroom were fear of tests, fear of comprehension, and fear of negative evaluation by peers. The results also showed that undergraduate students felt less anxious when lecturers provided non-threatening or mentally healthier environment for students to learn in their classroom. It can be concluded that a lecturer’s teaching styles and strategies affected students’ level of anxiety and can help ensure a mentally healthier language learning environment. From the findings, it is recommended that lecturers create a less formal and friendlier classroom atmosphere by providing psychological support and making students aware of the possible channels to seek help when needed.

Keywords: Language anxiety; Causes; Teaching style; Teaching strategies; ESL classroom; Mentally healthy learning; environment. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://archive.aessweb.com/index.php/5007/article/view/3302/5313 (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:asi:ijoass:v:11:y:2021:i:9:p:452-460:id:3302

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in International Journal of Asian Social Science from Asian Economic and Social Society
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Robert Allen ().