VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES
********* NGUYỄN THỊ THU HẰNG

AN INVESTIGATION INTO FACTORS CAUSING THE NON-ENGLISH-
MAJOR FRESHMEN’S ANXIETY IN SPEAKING AT BROADCASTING


VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES
*********

NGUYỄN THỊ THU HẰNG

AN INVESTIGATION INTO FACTORS CAUSING THE NON-ENGLISH-
MAJOR FRESHMEN’S ANXIETY IN SPEAKING AT BROADCASTING
COLLEGE I, PHU LY CITY, HA NAM PROVINCE
AND SOME SOLUTIONS
(Tìm hiểu những yếu tố gây sự lo lắng khi học nói của sinh viên
không chuyên tiếng Anh năm thứ nhất ở trường Cao đẳng Phát
thanh - Truyền hình I, thành phố Phủ Lý, tỉnh Hà Nam và một số
giải pháp khắc phục)

M.A. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology
Code: 60140111
Supervisor: TRẦN THỊ TUYẾT, PhD.
Ha Noi, 2014 i


and International Studies of Vietnam National University, Hanoi for their
useful lessons and assistance during my course from which I have benefited
a lot for the accomplishment of this study.
I also wish to send my special thanks to my students, especially the
first year students in 10 classes of the college of Broadcasting I. Without
their willingness to complete the questionnaires and participate in the
interviews, this study could not have been conducted.
Last but not least, I would like to express my special thanks to my
beloved extended family for their love and understanding, their constant
encouragement and immeasurable support in the completion of this thesis.

iii

ABSTRACT
Anxiety is a common feeling experienced by foreign language
learners, especially in learning to speak a foreign language. This study was
conducted with the aim to investigate main causes of speaking anxiety
experienced by the non-English-major freshmen at Broadcasting College I.
The study involved 200 non-English-major students from 10 first-year
classes at Broadcasting College I. Both quantitative (questionnaires) and
qualitative (semi-structured interviews) methods were applied in the study.
The findings showed that speaking anxiety did exist among the surveyed
students. Besides, it was revealed that the factors related to teachers‟ beliefs
and teacher-student interactions appeared not to be major reasons for

PART TWO: DEVELOPMENT 5
CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 5
1.1. Definition of anxiety 5
1.2. Types of anxiety 6
1.3. Foreign language anxiety 6
1.4. Effects of anxiety on learning 7
1.5. Possible causes of learning anxiety 9
1.5.1. Communication apprehension (CA) 10
1.5.2. Test anxiety 11
1.5.4 Learner‟s negative self-perception of English ability 12
1.5.5. Teacher beliefs 13
1.5.6. Teacher-student interactions 13
2.1. Setting 15
v

2.2. Participants 15
2.3. Data collection 16
2.3.1. Instruments 16
2.3.1.1. Survey questionnaire 16
2.3.1.2. Semi-structured interview 17
2.3.2. Data collection procedure 17
2.4. Data analysis 18
CHAPTER 3: DATA ANALYSIS 19
3.1. Communication apprehension 19
3.2. Test anxiety 21
3.3. Fear of negative evaluation 22
3.4. Learner‟s negative self-perception of English ability 25
3.5. Teacher‟s beliefs about language teaching 27
3.6. Teacher-student interactions 29
4.1. Recommendations for the teachers 33

1
PART ONE: INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale
Speaking is one of the four required skills in learning English, however a
lot of students are not able to speak English, even though many of them
have learned English for seven years. It is believed that there are affective
or emotional factors influencing the foreign language learning process.
Among various affective variables, such as attitude, anxiety, interest,
motivation, inhibition, and self-esteem, “anxiety is quite possibly the
affective factor that most pervasively obstructs the learning process”
(Arnold & Brown, 1999, cited in Dornyei, 2005, p. 198). Anxiety is defined
as a feeling of uneasy suspense (Krashen, 1985). As a teacher of English at
Broadcasting college I, from my own observations and experiences, I have
noticed that the feeling of anxiety, apprehension and nervousness are
common phenomena expressed by my first-year students in speaking
classes. Actually, many students keep silence in speaking classes and they
are usually reluctant to take part in class activities. Some students may be
very good at writing or reading English but they fail to speak English
fluently and naturally. Some students state that they forget words when
speaking in front of the class, and some claim that they do not often speak
in class as they are afraid of being evaluated by the teachers and their
friends. Some frankly admit that they feel stressful and anxious when
speaking English. These negative emotional factors seem to be a barrier
that prevents students from actively participating in speaking activities and
accordingly, make the outcome of oral English speaking unsatisfactory.
Anxiety has been a focus in research in foreign language learning since
early 1970s with the ground-breaking research by the Canadian

3
since speaking is the best in expressing the students‟ participation as well as
their feelings. Besides, due to the time constraints, this study only involves
two hundred Broadcasting students of non-English major in their first
academic year.
5. Method of the study
Both quantitative and qualitative methods are applied to collect the data
serving the research analysis. A survey questionnaire for participants of 200
first-year non-English majors at Broadcasting college I was employed to
gather information and evidence for the study. In addition, to gain more in-
depth information of the issue, semi-structured interviews with the students
were also used.
All the comments, remarks, recommendations and conclusion provided in
the study were based on the data analysis of the study.

6. Design of the study
This study is divided into three parts:
Part one – Introduction presents the rationale, the aims, the research
questions, scope, methods as well as the design of the study.
Part two – Development contains four chapters.
Chapter 1: Literature Review
This chapter provides the basic theoretical background from
literature in terms of foreign language anxiety in general and speaking
anxiety in particular. Especially, the possible causes of foreign language
anxiety are discussed thoroughly in this chapter.
Chapter 2: Methodology
4
This chapter addresses the setting, the participants, the instruments
which are used to collect data, and data collection procedure.
Chapter 3: Data analysis

and worry consisted of an arousal of the autonomic nervous system”. In
addition, “anxiety is a psychological construct, commonly described by
psychologists as a state of apprehension, a vague fear that is only indirectly
associated with an object” (Hilgard, Atkinson, & Atkinson, 1971 cited in
Scovel, 1991, p.18). Anxiety, as perceived intuitively by many language
learners, negatively influences language learning and has been found to be
one of the most highly examined variables in all of psychology and
education (adapted from Horwitz, 2001, p.113).
In summary, we can see that anxiety is a complex psychological
construct, difficult to precisely define since it arises from many sources.
Generally, it can have physical, emotional, and behavioral manifestations
and these manifestations can differ with each individual.
6
1.2. Types of anxiety
According to MacIntyre and Gadner (1991b), anxiety in general can be
experienced at three perspectives: trait anxiety, state anxiety, and situation
specific anxiety.
The first perspective - trait anxiety, according to Spielberger (1966, p. 16),
is relatively permanent and steady personality feature, referring to a motive
or acquired behavioral disposition that predisposes an individual to perceive
a wide range of objectively non-dangerous circumstances as threatening,
and to respond to these circumstances with anxiety state reactions
disproportionate in intensity to the magnitude of the objective danger.
MacIntyre and Gadner (1991b) consider trait anxiety as "a constant
condition without a time limitation". Based on Ying‟s point of view (2008,
p.2), trait anxiety is related to a generally stable predisposition to be
nervous in a wide range of situations.
The second perspective - state anxiety, on the other hand, is fleeting and not
an enduring characteristic of an individual's personality (Speilberger, 1966,
p.12). It is apprehension experienced at particular moment in time. This

reticence about entering the classroom were also observed in their language
learners. The researchers discovered that these learners "experience
apprehension, worry, even dread. They have difficulty concentrating,
become forgetful, sweat, and have palpitations. They exhibit avoidance
behavior such as missing class and postponing homework" (p.126). From
their observations and discussions, the authors give a definition of foreign
language classroom anxiety as "a distinct complex of self-perceptions,
beliefs, feelings, and behaviors related to classroom language learning
arising from the uniqueness of the language learning process" (p.128).
1.4. Effects of anxiety on learning
Most language researchers have focused on exploring the relationship
between anxiety and language learning. Although the results are
8
inconsistent, language anxiety presents the negative effects in most cases
(Chan and Wu, 2004, p. 291). Anxiety, in a variety of studies, has been
found to negatively correlate with grades in language courses, self-
confidence in language learning, performance and participation in learning
activities (Krashen, 1985; Horwitz, Horwitz, & Cope, 1986; Aida, 1994;
Liao, 1999; Oxford, 1999; MacIntyre and Gardener, 1991b; Oda, 2011).
Andrade & Williams (2009) claim that “foreign language learning anxiety
has been associated with a large number of negative outcomes” and point
out some physical symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, muscle tension, dry
mouth, and excessive perspiration, as well as some psychological
symptoms like embarrassment, feelings of helplessness, fear, going blank,
and poor memory recall and retention among others. The researchers also
report “negative social behaviors may be manifested in such ways as
inappropriate silence, unwillingness to participate, absenteeism, and
withdrawal from the course. These effects can lead to poor performance
and low achievement” (Andrade & Williams, 2009). According to Ying
(2008), learners with higher language anxiety have the tendency to avoid

Through a review of the literature on language anxiety, Young (1991) also
offers an extensive list of six potential sources of language anxiety:
personal and interpersonal anxiety (including communication apprehension,
fear of negative evaluation, negative self-perception of English ability,
etc.), learner beliefs about language learning, teacher beliefs about language
teaching, teacher-learner interactions, classroom procedures, and language
testing. Young (1991) and Horwitz et al. (1986) share some similar
suggestions about the common anxiety-provoking factors that students
often cope with: communication apprehension, test anxiety, fear of negative
evaluation, learner‟s negative self-perception of English ability, teacher
beliefs, and teacher-student interactions. These factors will also the focus of
discussion and the base of research framework for this study.
10
1.5.1. Communication apprehension (CA)
Horwitz et al. (1986, p.128) define CA as “a type of shyness characterized
by fear or anxiety about communicating with people”. Similarly,
McCroskey (1997) refers CA to "an individual's level of fear or anxiety
associated with either real or anticipated communication with another
person or persons". There are a number of factors associated with such
feelings of apprehension that second language communicative contexts
induce. Buss (1984) points out novelty, formality, subordinate status,
unfamiliarity, dissimilarity and degree of attention as the major sources of
CA. According to Horwitz Et al. (1986), CA is closely related to learners‟
personality traits such as shyness, quietness and reticent, the embarrassment
about their language imperfections in front of others, and the fear of
negative evaluation from the others.
CA obviously plays an important part in second/ foreign language anxiety.
Learners who are apprehensive speaking in group or in front of the public
are likely to be more anxious when expressing ideas in second/ foreign
language class, where “in addition to feeling less in control of the

negative evaluation as the apprehension about other's evaluation, avoidance
of evaluative situation, and the expectation that others would evaluate one
negatively. Horwitz et al. (1986, p.128) also claim that "the evaluation
from the only fluent speaker in the room, the teacher, is crucial to a second
language student" and students are also sensitive to the evaluations – real or
imagined – of their peers. According to Ohata (2005), speaking in a foreign
language is disturbing because of the fear that it might lead to the loss of
one‟s positive self-image or self-identity. In other words, students fear of
experience of “losing oneself” in the target culture; i.e they want to save
face. In a language classroom, students with these feelings are likely to over
concern with academic and personal evaluation of his performance and
competence in the target language (MacIntyre & Gardner, 1989). In other
12
words, students tend to worry about what their classmates think about their
performance, and tend to be so scared of their peers‟ responses or
evaluation when they express their self image through a foreign language
(Bailey, 1983; Price, 1991; Young, 1991). Accordingly, students who
experience this anxiety rarely initiate conversation and often avoid
interacting with others. They have a tendency to sit passively in the classes,
retire from activities that could increase their language skills and may even
avoid class entirely (Ely, 1986; Horwitz, et al., 1986).
1.5.4 Learner’s negative self-perception of English ability
Several researchers argue that learners‟ self-perception of low ability in
English is a significant source caused learners‟ anxiety. Young (1991)
claims that learners who start out with a self-perceived low ability level in a
foreign or second language are more likely to feel language anxiety. In her
study, many of her students often compared themselves to others and
believed their language skills to be weaker, and everyone else looked down
on them. Similarly, Daly, J., Cauhlin, J. & Stafford, L. (1997a) state that
anxious learners tend to have a more negative self perception and tend to

should do most of the talking; and the teacher‟s role is that of a drill-
sergeant .These beliefs are not likely to create a good learning environment
for foreign language learners, especially for the fresh men, since these
beliefs may make the students become more nervous in a such highly-
anxious-causing subject.
1.5.6. Teacher-student interactions
Another factor claimed to be a cause of anxiety is associated with the
relationship between teachers and learners. Palacios (1998) states that the
following teacher characteristics are related to students‟ anxiety: absence of
teacher support, unsympathetic personalities, lack of time for personal
attention, favoritism – that is in the classroom, teachers often concentrate
on proficient students as a priority; spend time supporting these learners as
14
the way to avoid wasting time. Besides, a harsh manner of mistake
correction is often cited as provoking anxiety. According to Koch & Terrell
(1991) and Horwitz (1988), many learners feel that some error correction is
necessary. However, Young (1991, p.429) argues that students more
concern about how (where, what, when, how often) their mistakes are
corrected rather than whether error correction could be administered in
class. In addition, Koch & Terrell (1991) state that “learners consistently
report anxiety over responding incorrectly, being incorrect in front of their
peers, and looking or sounding „dumb‟". Obviously, students become
anxious and they are afraid of losing face in front of the class through the
way their mistakes are treated.
These six sources of language anxiety discussed above are
interrelated (Young, 1991; Horwitz et al., 1986). Therefore, language
teachers should be fully aware of these sources to lessen foreign language
anxiety in their students
2.2. Participants
200 first-year students from 10 classes in all four faculties in the
school participated in the study. The students were chosen randomly among
the students in each class. 16 No and percentage of
students
Age
18-20
190
95%
21 – 22
8
4%
More than 22
2
1%
Sex
Female
120
60%
Male
80
40%
Length of
English

2.3.1.2. Semi-structured interview
Semi-structured interview was the second research tool used in this
study. The major concern was students‟ opinion of why each problem in
speaking classes made them nervous and stressful in speaking classes. 10
items for the interview had been prepared in advance in light of the
potential sources of anxiety in the literature review. These questions were
open to allow the interviewees to express their opinions freely.
The interview consists of three parts. For the first part, question 1
was related to the participant‟s personality. The main purposes of this part
were to find out whether they were nervous in speaking classes or not and
to get some reasons for their anxious feelings. The second part with 7
questions focused on seeking deeper understanding of the sources of
anxiety on speaking classes: student‟s communication apprehension, test
anxiety, fear of negative evaluation, negative self-perception of English
ability, teacher‟s beliefs about language teaching, teacher-learner
interactions. The third part of the interview (questions 9 and 10) asked the
students to give recommendations for alleviating speaking anxiety
concerning both sides of teachers and students. The data obtained from the
informal interviews will be transcribed and analyzed so that the researcher
of this study can gain a deep understanding of the problems. Based on the
findings, possible solutions will be given to help students overcome their
anxiety.
2.3.2. Data collection procedure
In the first phase, the questionnaire was administered when students had
completed the second-term of the first year 2013-2014. The questionnaires
were delivered to the students who were in the class in the break time. They