Foreign Language Anxiety in Listening and Speaking English in a Thai EFL Classroom

Abstract

This current research study is an exploratory study which has the aim to investigate language anxiety experienced by students majoring in English for International Communication (EIC) at the college in a university in the southern part of Thailand. This study adopted an interpretive methodology that used a sequential mixed methods approach for data collection. There were 42 students participating in the quantitative study whilst 6 students in qualitative study. The data, both quantitative and qualitative, were collected through questionnaire, diary and semi-structured interview. Data were analysed quantitatively using SPSS descriptive statistics and Factor Analysis while the thematic analysis was used as qualitative method. The findings revealed that all participants experienced language anxiety in class. Their sources of anxiety mostly were from the students themselves. Diary writing activity—one of the research instruments—had a very positive effect as it enabled students to deal with their anxiety and improved the situation.