Examining Language Anxiety on the Performance of English as Second Language Learners

Abstract

Second language anxiety is a prevalent phenomenon that creates negative impact on the performance of learners who learn English as second language. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of anxiety on the performance of ESL learners in the context of learning English as a Second Language (ESL). Moreover, this research identifies the causes of anxiety among students to learn English as a second language in the class room. This study also examines whether learners’ perception and behaviors contribute to become a cause of anxiety in second language learning in the class room. The model and framework FLCAS that was introduced by Horwitz and Cope, was applied in this study. Hundred females and hundred males of first semester undergraduate students, aged 19 to 23 from the classroom of English Department at Lahore Leads University were selected for this research. Two hundred participants were selected for structured questionnaire to gain further insights into their English language learning experiences.In this study quantitative approach was applied that utilized data analysis techniques through Statistical package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software to obtain the result. This study revealed no significant gender differences in anxiety levels. It was observed that both male and female participants experience increasing anxiety during writing assignments, oral presentations, and in exams as well. However, both male and female respondents showed different results in regards to other factors such as high level of confidence in writing, comfortable level in listening skill, peer judgment in speaking tasks, motivation, teachers’ support, lack of awareness of institutional resources and stressful assessment