EFL Islamic Elementary Students’ Anxiety in Learning English

Authors

  • Leffi Noviyenti Institut Agama Islam Negeri Curup, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35445/alishlah.v13i1.406

Keywords:

Anxiety, EFL elementary students, English learning

Abstract

This study investigates elementary school students’ anxiety over learning English, the influential factors of their anxiety, and the teacher’s strategies to reduce their anxiety. Anchored in a mixed research method, 75 fifth grade students at SDIT Robbi Rodhiyah in Curup, Bengkulu, Indonesia were involved as the sample for quantitative investigations into their learning anxiety levels and the influential factors of their anxiety. In addition, one English teacher was recruited as the qualitative subject to be interviewed on the teacher’s strategies to reduce students’ anxiety. The quantitative investigations deployed the FLCAS questionnaire developed by Horwitz, and the qualitative investigation conducted interviews with the English teacher. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyze questionnaire data, and an interactive model was undertaken to analyze interview data. The results revealed that the students were at a high level of English learning anxiety. Their anxiety stemmed from some factors such as anxiety over tests, fear of negative evaluation, and communication apprehension. In efforts to help students cope with and reduce their English learning anxiety, the teacher applied some strategies such as relaxation, music and laughter, self-encouragement, and additional considerations resting upon students’ to help them reduce their anxiety.

References

Aisyah, N., Akib, I., & Syamsuddin, A. (2020). dentifying The Influence Of Anxiety And Self- Reliance In Learning Towards Mathematics Learning Performance Of Elementary School’s Students Grade V. International Journal of Scientific & Technology Research, 9(2), 3238–3242.

Alnatour, A. (2018). Students’ Level of Anxiety Towards Learning English s a Foreign Language: Students’ perspectives. US-China ForeignLanguage, 16(3), 131–140. https://doi.org/10.17265/1539-8080/2018.03.001

Amiruddin, M., & Suparti, T. (2018). Madurese Millennial Students’ Anxiety in Learning English. ISLLAC : Journal of Intensive Studies on Language, Literature, Art, and Culture, 2(2), 34–41. https://doi.org/10.17977/um006v2i22018p034

Aslan, E., & Thompson, A. S. (2018). The interplay between learner beliefs and foreign language anxiety: insights from the Turkish EFL context. Language Learning Journal. https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2018.1540649

Benati, A., & Batziou, M. (2019). Discourse and long-term effects of isolated and combined structured input and structured output on the acquisition of the English causative form. Language Awareness, 28(2), 77–96. https://doi.org/10.1080/09658416.2019.1604721

Chen, M. A., & Hwang, G. (2020). Effects of experiencing authentic contexts on English speaking performances, anxiety and motivation of EFL students with different cognitive styles. Interactive Learning Environments, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2020.1734626

Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2011). Research Methods in Education. In Research methods in education. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8527.2007.00388_4.x

Coohey, C., & Cummings, S. P. (2019). Evaluation of an Online Group Intervention to Improve Test-Taking Self-Efficacy and Reduce Licensure Test Anxiety. Journal of Social Work Education, 55(2), 376–388. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2018.1520668

Cox, J. A., Christensen, B. K., & Goodhew, S. C. (2018). Temporal dynamics of anxiety-related attentional bias: is affective context a missing piece of the puzzle? Cognition and Emotion, 32(6), 1329–1338. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2017.1386619

Dewaele, J., & Pavelescu, L. M. (2019). The relationship between incommensurable emotions and willingness to communicate in English as a foreign language: a multiple case study. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/17501229.2019.1675667

Efl, D. A. N. A., Joko, T., & Sembodo, P. (2018). DALAM PEMBELAJARAN BAHASA INGGRIS SEBAGAI BAHASA KE-2 ( ESL ) Pendahuluan Para ahli bahasa sejak lama tertarik. 2.

El-sakka, S. M. F. (2016). Self-Regulated Strategy Instruction for Developing Speaking Proficiency and Reducing Speaking Anxiety of Egyptian University Students. English Language Teaching, 9(12), 22–33. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v9n12p22

Fraenkel, J. R., Wallen, N. E., & Hyun, H. H. (2012). How to design and evaluate research in education. McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781107415324.004

García-Pastor, M. D., & Miller, R. (2019). Unveiling the needs of students who stutter in the language skills - a study on anxiety and stuttering in EFL learning. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 34(2), 172–188. https://doi.org/10.1080/08856257.2019.1581400

Hamzaoğlu, H., & Koçoğlu, Z. (2016). The application of podcasting as an instructional tool to improve Turkish EFL learners’ speaking anxiety. Educational Media International, 53(4), 313–326. https://doi.org/10.1080/09523987.2016.1254889

Hidayati, T. (2018). Students’ Language Anxiety in Learning English (A Survey to Non-English Major Students in Rural Area). IJELTAL, 2(2). https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.21093/ijeltel.v2i2.55

Horwitz, E.K., Horwitz, M. . & C. . (2011). Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety. Modern Language Journal, 70(2).

Istikomah, E., & Wahyuni, A. (2018). Student’s Mathematics Anxiety on The Use of Technology in Mathematics Learning. JRAMathEdu (Journal of Research and Advances in Mathematics Education), 3(2), 69. https://doi.org/10.23917/jramathedu.v3i2.6364

Jarret, M. . (2014). Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Younger and Older Children: Implications for Learning and School Functioning. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 24(4). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-014-9910-y

Jeong, K. O. (2017). Preparing EFL student teachers with new technologies in the Korean context. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 30(6), 488–509. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2017.1321554

Kirkpatrick, A. (2018). The development of English as a lingua franca in ASEAN. In J. Jenkins, W. Baker, & M. Dewey (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of English as a Lingua Franca (pp. 138–150). Routlage.

Kirkpatrick, A., & Liddicoat, A. J. (2017). Language education policy and practice in East and Southeast Asia. Languange Teaching, 50(2), 155–188. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444817000027

Krashen, S. D. (2004). The power of reading: insights from the research. Heinemann Publishers Ltd.

Kruk, M. (2019). Dynamicity of perceived willingness to communicate, motivation , boredom and anxiety in Second Life: the case of two advanced learners of. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 1–27. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2019.1677722

Letzring, T. D., Rone, C. C., & Colman, D. E. (2016). Implications of fear of negative evaluation, state anxiety, and implied level of target-dominance on perceptions of personality traits. Journal of Social Psychology, 156(6), 581–593. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224545.2016.1140117

Liu, K. L. (2019). Student perspectives on language and culture Teaching in EFL: Implications for intercultural approach. Journal of Studies in Education, 9(2), 1–20.

Matt, L. M., Fresco, D. M., & Coifman, K. G. (2016). Trait anxiety and attenuated negative affect differentiation: a vulnerability factor to consider? Anxiety, Stress and Coping, 29(6), 685–698. https://doi.org/10.1080/10615806.2016.1163544

Mauranen, A. (2018). Conceptualising ELF. In J. Jenkins, W. Baker, & D. Martin (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of English as a Lingua Franca (pp. 7–24). Routlage.

Mella, N., Vallet, F., Beaudoin, M., Fagot, D., Baeriswyl, M., Ballhausen, N., Métral, G., Sauter, J., Ihle, A., Gabriel, R., Oris, M., Kliegel, M., & Desrichard, O. (2020). Distinct effects of cognitive versus somatic anxiety on cognitive performance in old age: the role of working memory capacity. Aging and Mental Health, 24(4), 604–610. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2018.1548566

Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldana, J. (2014). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook. SAGE Publications, Inc.

Moxnes, P. (2018). Anxiety and organization: what I learned about anxiety in a psychiatric ward in the 70s that turned out to be useful for managers in daily practice. Culture and Organization, 24(2), 100–113. https://doi.org/10.1080/14759551.2017.1379011

Murrough, J. W., Yaqubi, S., Sayed, S., & Charney, D. S. (2015). Emerging drugs for the treatment of anxiety. Expert Opinion on Emerging Drugs, 20(3), 393–406. https://doi.org/10.1517/14728214.2015.1049996

Nilsson, M. (2019). Foreign language anxiety. In Apples - Journal of Applied Language Studies (Vol. 13, Issue 2). https://doi.org/10.17011/apples/urn.201902191584

Noviyenty, L. (2020). The aradigms of Teaching English Across Cultures: EFL Teacheres’ Perspectives. IJCI, 12.

Phongsa, M., Mohamed Ismail, S. A. M., & Low, H. M. (2018). Multilingual effects on EFL learning: a comparison of foreign language anxiety experienced by monolingual and bilingual tertiary students in the Lao PDR. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 39(3), 271–282. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2017.1371723

Poulin, L. E., Button, M. L., Westra, H. A., Constantino, M. J., & Antony, M. M. (2019). The predictive capacity of self-reported motivation vs. early observed motivational language in cognitive behavioural therapy for generalized anxiety disorder. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 48(5), 369–384. https://doi.org/10.1080/16506073.2018.1517390

Putwain, D. W., & von der Embse, N. P. (2021). Cognitive–behavioral intervention for test anxiety in adolescent students: do benefits extend to school-related wellbeing and clinical anxiety. Anxiety, Stress and Coping, 34(1), 22–36. https://doi.org/10.1080/10615806.2020.1800656

Renner, K. H., Hock, M., Bergner-Köther, R., & Laux, L. (2018). Differentiating anxiety and depression: the State-Trait Anxiety-Depression Inventory. Cognition and Emotion, 32(7), 1409–1423. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2016.1266306

Saadatnia, M., Tavakoli, M., & Ketabi, S. (2016). EFL learners’ levels of comprehension across text structures: A comparison of literal and inferential comprehension of descriptive and enumerative expository texts. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10936-016-9414-6

Saghafi, K., Adel, S. M. R., & Zareian, G. (2017). An Ecological Study of Foreign Language Writing Anxiety in English as a Foreign Language Classroom. Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, 46(5), 424–440. https://doi.org/10.1080/17475759.2017.1367954

Sato, R. (2019). Fluctuations in an EFL teacher’s willingness to communicate in an English-medium lesson: an observational case study in Japan. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 13(2), 105–117. https://doi.org/10.1080/17501229.2017.1375506

Sherman, T. (2018). ELF and the EU/wider Europe. In J. Jenkins, W. Baker, & M. Dewey (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of English as a Lingua Franca (pp. 115–125). Routlage.

Sheybani, M. (2019). The relationship between EFL Learners’ Willingness to Communicate (WTC) and their teacher immediacy attributes: A structural equation modelling. Cogent Psychology, 6(1), 1607051. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311908.2019.1607051

Sugiyono, P. D. (2011). Metode Penelitian Kuantitatif, Kualitatif dan R & D. Alfabeta, Cv.

Sung, C. C. M. (2017). Investigating perceptions of English as a lingua franca in Hong Kong: The case of university students. English Today, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266078417000293

Teale Sapach, M. J. N., Carleton, R. N., Mulvogue, M. K., Weeks, J. W., & Heimberg, R. G. (2015). Cognitive Constructs and Social Anxiety Disorder: Beyond Fearing Negative Evaluation. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 44(1), 63–73. https://doi.org/10.1080/16506073.2014.961539

Thompson, A. S., & Khawaja, A. J. (2016). Foreign language anxiety in Turkey: the role of multilingualism. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 37(2), 115–130. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2015.1031136

Toyama, M., & Yamazaki, Y. (2019). Anxiety reduction sessions in foreign language classrooms. Language Learning Journal. https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2019.1598474

Tsekova, V., Lenton-Brym, A. P., Rogojanski, J., Hood, H. K., Vorstenbosch, V., McCabe, R. E., & Antony, M. M. (2021). Psychometric properties of the Ryerson Social Anxiety Scales in individuals with social anxiety disorder. Anxiety, Stress and Coping. https://doi.org/10.1080/10615806.2020.1870108

Twivy, E., Grol, M., & Fox, E. (2020). Individual differences in affective flexibility predict future anxiety and worry. Cognition and Emotion. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2020.1843407

Zhou, L., Xi, Y., & Lochtman, K. (2020). The relationship between second language competence and willingness to communicate: the moderating effect of foreign language anxiety. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2020.1801697

Downloads

Published

2021-04-13

How to Cite

Noviyenti, L. (2021). EFL Islamic Elementary Students’ Anxiety in Learning English. AL-ISHLAH: Jurnal Pendidikan, 13(1), 209–219. https://doi.org/10.35445/alishlah.v13i1.406

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 1 (2021): AL-ISHLAH: JURNAL PENDIDIKAN

Section

Articles

Citation Check

License

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
  3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.