1.1 Introduction
Language Anxiety can be defined as a mental and physical state characterized by specific emotional, physical, cognitive and behavioral symptoms. It is an adaptive reaction which mobilizes the organism and helps it defend, attact or avoid an anxiety stimulus. The stimulus can be a previous external or internal antecedent or trigger. To state the definite causes of anxiety can be rather complicated as it is influenced by many factors – biological, psychological, social or other (Doubek, & Anders, 2013). Test anxiety, arises out of the fear of failing to perform. It can be explained through the high demands that learners put on themselves to be perfect masters of the foreign language. Fear of negative evaluation is explained as the learners’ expectation to be evaluated negatively by others in any kind of situation (Wörde, 2003).
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
In an earlier study, Liu (2010) found that motivation and anxiety were moderately correlated; motivation can serve as a significant predictor of language anxiety. Two motivation components, the desire to learn a language and motivational intensity, contributed to the prediction of language anxiety. She also pointed out that anxious learners tended to be “more susceptible to lower motivation, which can relate to lower proficiency” (p. 120).
Exploring the association between language anxiety and motivation among Taiwan junior high school students, Liu (2011) concluded that students with more English learning experience were less likely to feel anxious when learning the target language. Although these students tended to be subject to apprehension over negative evaluation from their peers and to have low confidence in their own ability, learner anxiety did not seem to influence the learning motivation and language performance of these young learners yet. A longitudinal study on foreign language anxiety among the EFL students was suggested for further research.
English is the major language of science and the professions and the official language of many international and professional organizations. Almost every second, a prospective international student who wants to engage himself in further studies has to learn and attain a certain level of English proficiency as English is the medium of instruction and assessment in class in almost every university worldwide. However, for many learners there is a genuine fear of performing in the second language, a phenomenon known as (foreign or second) language anxiety which can hinder performance and achievement. Due to the huge sums of money and energy invested on studying and researching abroad, classroom anxiety as an obvious factor that can hinder students’ performance and achievement and decrease their willingness to participate in learning activities, is an issue deserving more investigation.
Although a growing body of research on major causes of anxiety in class has been conducted from the mid-1970s, there is a lack of investigation into cultural backgrounds as a possible factor that can contribute to anxiety when speaking in class and teachers’ perspectives of students’ anxiety is also another factor that few investigations have undertaken. The current study aims to seek the reasons for international students’ anxiety and explore how they cope with their fear and anxiety of speaking English in class. Furthermore, this study examines teachers’ perspectives and reactions towards learners’ anxiety and investigates the students’ perspectives of teachers’ reactions to their feelings of anxiety.
Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to carry out a comparative analysis of Language Anxiety among Lagos State University Language Students.
1.3 Statement of Problems
The obstacle that language anxiety poses is an additional trial to both language learners and their teachers/educators. The increasing modern-day pressure to communicate ‘only in English’ in language classes leads to anxiety in some student, since, for them, it exposes their weaknesses in front of their fellow learners. Therefore, in order to support learners to develop their communication skills in the target language effectively, it is essential to take learner anxiety into particular consideration in modern language classroom settings.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to carry out a comparative Analysis of Language Anxiety among Lagos State University Language Students. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To find out the relationship between motivation and language anxiety among Lagos State University Language Students
- To investigate the factors militating language anxiety among Lagos State University Language Students
- To examine teachers’ perspectives and reactions towards students' anxiety
- To investigate the students’ perspectives of teachers’ reaction towards their feelings of anxiety.
- To explore how language students manage with their fear and anxiety when speaking English in Lagos State University.
1.5 Research Questions
The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:
- Is there any relationship between motivation and language anxiety among Lagos State University Language Students?
- What are the factors militating language anxiety among Lagos State University Language Students?
- What is the reaction of teachers’ perspectives towards students' anxiety?
- What are the students’ perspectives of teachers’ reaction towards their feelings of anxiety?
- How do language students manage with their fear and anxiety when speaking English in Lagos State University?
