Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety: A Case Study Of Anxiety Faced By IELTS Preparatory Learners In Writing English Text

Abstract

An individual may face anxiety in the process of learning English as a foreign language. This paper is set to bring into focus anxiety that affects the English writing skills of IELTS preparatory learners at International Islamic University, Islamabad and Oxbridge Institute of English Language, Rawalpindi. This paper collects data from 40 learners of the aforementioned institutions through close-ended questionnaire adapting Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) by Horwitz et al. (1986), for investigating the anxiety that is being faced by these learners in writing English. These learners were selected through simple random sampling. The data is represented quantitatively in terms of frequency (percentage) through column charts. The findings of this study reveal that these learners feel anxious while writing in English as they face the fear of negative evaluation and test anxiety. It is also noted that the academic reasons causing anxiety for these learners in writing English text include insufficient knowledge about the topic and lacking vocabulary. The anxiety can be minimized if the teacher plays the role of facilitator more than an instructor, gives these learners enough time to prepare before writing task, and provides them an intimate environment. This paper could help the IELTS trainers not only at the aforementioned institutions but working anywhere, to bring such an environment in classroom that helps the IELTS preparatory learners to cope with anxiety.  However, there is a need to explore further studies by increasing the number of students, considering both male and female, adapting other FLCAS, and focusing on skills other than writing.