The Causes of English Language Learning Anxiety among English Major Seniors at a Vietnamese University
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54855/ijli.25445Keywords:
English language learning anxiety, foreign language anxiety, English majorsAbstract
Foreign language anxiety has long been recognized as a significant factor affecting learners’ performance and motivation in second language acquisition. However, limited research has examined this phenomenon among English majors who are expected to be highly proficient English users in non-native contexts. To address this paucity, this paper explores the causes of English language learning anxiety (ELLA) among English majors at a Vietnamese university. Drawing on mixed data from 103 questionnaire respondents and eight follow-up interviews, four major causes were identified: students’ difficulties with English vocabulary learning, misconceptions about English language learning, test anxiety, and lack of preparation. The findings indicate anxiety as an existence and a challenge that instructors and learners ought to anticipate, acknowledge, and take notice of. The study also brings new insights into how anxiety might tend to derive internally from students themselves and suggests that language educators should incorporate supportive strategies to mitigate these causes in English learning settings.
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