Secondary students' language anxiety
Read about a study on how fear and self-doubt affect Secondary 3 students learning English, and what teachers can do to help.
Last updated 8 September 2026
Han, L. Y. (2003). A study of secondary three students' language anxiety (Master’s thesis). Retrieved from http://libris.nie.edu.sg/
Background
Research showed that the language learning anxieties of students who did not speak English as their dominant language were often misinterpreted as a lack of ability or motivation.
Aims
The study investigated (1) if Secondary 3 students experienced anxiety while learning English, (2) the aspect of English language that caused most anxiety, (3) the sources of the anxiety, and (4) if English language anxiety was related to their sense of self-efficacy (i.e. their opinions on their ability to learn English).
Sample
Three classes of Secondary 3 students (n=56) – one Express, one Normal (Academic), and one Normal (Technical) – participated in the study. Most of the students did not speak English as their dominant language.
Method
A questionnaire was used to examine the extent to which students experienced anxiety, the most anxiety-arousing aspect of language learning, and the relationship between language anxiety and their sense of self-efficacy. Sixteen students who were experiencing higher anxiety were selected for interviews.
Findings
The findings showed that, while all students experienced anxiety while learning English, there was little difference between the levels of anxiety experienced by students from the three streams. A higher proportion of NT students (>50%) suffered low anxiety, which the author attributed to a less demanding syllabus, a slower teaching pace, and less worry about failure.
Most of the students revealed in the interviews that intrapersonal and interpersonal anxieties were the main sources of their language anxiety. The most frequently mentioned factor was the fear of negative social evaluation (more than 20%). The students with high self-efficacy beliefs tended to experience lower levels of language learning anxiety.
Implications
The author concluded that English Language teachers should acknowledge the existence of language anxiety in students and help them cope with it by building an atmosphere of success that focuses on accomplishment and not mistakes.
Original article retrieved from NIE Digital Repository (opens in new tab).