EFL Learners’ Levels of Classroom Performance Anxieties and Their causes in Classroom Speaking Activities in Afghanistan

Abstract

Studies conducted on language anxiety have found that foreign language
anxiety (FLA) is an affecting variable in language learning. There is a negative
correlation between foreign language anxiety and learners achievements (Aida, 1994;
Horwitz, 2001; MacIntyre and Gardner, 1991). Besides, in foreign language learning
situations, speaking is one of the most anxiety-provoking skill among other language
learning skills which affects EFL learners’ language learning achievements the most
(Chang, Horwitz & Shallert,1999). This study aims to examine English as foreign
language learners’ speaking anxiety in language classrooms by measuring learners’
levels of classroom performance anxieties (Communication Apprehension, Test Anxiety
and Fear of Negative Evaluation). It also determines the reasons which cause foreign
language speaking anxiety in language learners inside language classroom. The
participants of the study are 115 first year EFL undergraduates from one university in
Afghanistan. The adapted version of (Horwitz, et al., 1986) Foreign Language
Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) is used for data collection in the study. The results
suggested that learners’ suffer from high level of all three types of performance
anxieties. Fear of negative evaluation was the highest one which causes speaking
anxiety in learners. Other sources that cause classroom speaking anxiety in learners
are also discussed.