Writing Anxiety and Intrinsic Motivation in English as a Foreign Language of Undergraduates in Pakistan

Abstract

Research on the affective domain indicates it is a less explored area in Pakistan. The study focuses on the factors of writing anxiety and how motivation affects writing anxiety are the two affective variables associated with foreign language learning. The data was collected from 36 students from a private university in Lahore. The study's findings revealed that despite their low anxiety level, they still experience writing anxiety due to grammar, evaluation, and topical knowledge. In addition, they had a lot of instrumental and integrative motivation. They valued the English subject's instrumental function and contributions, the communicative activities, and the instructor's teaching. According to correlation and regression analyses, writing anxiety levels decrease as motivation to learn a language rises. It concluded that encouraging students to learn English can reduce writing anxiety. According to the findings, English teachers should prioritize motivation in their classrooms by serving as effective role models for their students, encouraging students to write to learn, encouraging students to write to learn, appreciating the writing they produce, and exposing them to real-world applications of the English macro skills.