The Investigation of How Anxiety Never Stops Me from Learning English: An Autoethnography Research

Afifah Marshalina

doi:10.31002/metathesis.v8i2.1979

Authors

Afifah Marshalina Universitas Negeri Malang

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31002/metathesis.v8i2.1979

Keywords:

Foreign Language Anxiety, Learning Experience, English Classroom, Autoethnography

Abstract

As one of the most crucial affective variables, anxiety is a highly significant predictor of EFL, which may hinder the learning process. This paper presents an autoethnography qualitative investigation of the journey of learning English, which has been dominated by anxiety. The researcher’s learning experiences since secondary school were discovered. This paper aimed to explore central research questions of the cause of anxiety and the strategy to cope with anxiety in learning English. In this autoethnography, personal memories served as the primary instrument for data collection, supplemented by visual data such as pictures, a drawing, diary snippet, and screenshots. Finding crucial moments and doing in-depth analysis become considerably important in using autoethnography. Furthermore, this paper employed a narrative approach to describe personal experiences and used thematic analysis to categorize data based on key themes in findings. The study findings indicated that lack of teacher encouragement, unpleasant classroom atmosphere, lack of vocabulary mastery, and fear of negative evaluation became the causes of anxiety. In addition, several ways to cope with anxiety done through keeping a positive mindset, improving self-motivation to learn more, and involving in the English community. Implications and suggestions for potential further study are also addressed.

References

Ahmad, A., Rao, I. S., & Rao, M. S. (2023). ESL Students Anxiety in English as a Second Language Learning from The Perspective of Linguistic Skills. Pakistan Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 11(4), 3943–3951. https://doi.org/10.52131/pjhss.2023.1104.0663

Ai, B. (2015). A Study of the EFL Writing of Chinese Learners: A Critical Narrative. Changing English, 22(3), 294–306. https://doi.org/10.1080/1358684X.2015.1056091

Alrabai, F. (2014). A Model of Foreign Language Anxiety in the Saudi EFL Context. English Language Teaching, 7(7), 82–101. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v7n7p82

Bintang Zul Hulaifah, N., & F. B. Sibuea, T. (2023). Language Anxiety Among English Foreign Language Learners. KnE Social Sciences, 8(12), 377–386. https://doi.org/10.18502/kss.v8i12.13686

Botes, E., Dewaele, J.-M., & Greiff, S. (2020). The Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale and Academic Achievement: An Overview of the Prevailing Literature and a Meta-analysis. Journal for the Psychology of Language Learning, 2(1), 26–56. https://doi.org/10.52598/jpll/2/1/3

Brown, H. D. (2007). Principles of Language Learning and Teaching. Pearson Longman.

Canagarajah, A. S. (2012). Teacher Development in a Global Profession: An Autoethnography. TESOL Quarterly, 46(2), 258–279. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.18

Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Random House Publishing Group.

Febriyanti, E. R. (2018). Investigating English Department Students Perception about a Good English Language Teacher. International Journal of Language Education, 2(2), 83–95. https://doi.org/10.26858/ijole.v2i2.6378

Foster, K., McAllister, M., & O’Brien, L. (2005). Coming to Autoethnography: A Mental Health Nurse’s Experience. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 4(4), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1177/160940690500400401

Haliani, H. (2013). Teacher’s Questioning Strategies and Students’ Responses in Young Learners’ Classroom Interaction. Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia.

Harms, P. D. (2016). Angela Duckworth. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. New York, NY: Scribner, 2016, 352 pages, $28.00 hardcover. Personnel Psychology, 69(4), 1021–1024. https://doi.org/10.1111/peps.12198

Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M. B., & Cope, J. (1986). Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 70(2), 125–132. https://doi.org/10.2307/327317

Jiang, H. (2015). A Chinese Learner and Her Self-Regulated Learning: An Autoethnography. Frontiers of Education in China, 10(1), 132–152. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03397056

Khodadady, E. (2013). Exploring the role of anxiety and motivation in foreign language achievement: a structural equation modeling approach. Porta Linguarum Revista Interuniversitaria de Didáctica de Las Lenguas Extranjeras, 20, 269–286. https://doi.org/10.30827/Digibug.20240

Krashen, S. (2007). Stephen Krashen’s Theory of Second Language Acquisition. Stephen D Krashen.

Lewis, K. (2018). A Digital Immigrant Venture into Teaching Online: An Autoethnographic Account of a Classroom Teacher Transformed. The Qualitative Report, 23(7), 1752–1772. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2018.3036

Magvira, P. (2019). Teacher-pupil Interaction in English Classroom. Universitas Islam Negeri Ar-Raniry.

Manggolo, N. S. K. H., Nugrahaeni, D. A., Normawati, A., & Khusniyati, N. N. (2023). SVR (Self-Video Recording) Technique to Enhance Self-Confidence in English Speaking Proficiency. Metathesis: Journal of English Language, Literature, and Teaching, 7(2), 161–173. https://doi.org/10.31002/metathesis.v7i2.1124

Mulyani, S. (2018). Investigating Factors Causing Students’ Anxiety in Speaking English. International Journal in Applied Linguistics of Parahikma, 1(1), 85–99. https://sys.parahikma.ac.id/journal/index.php/ijalparahikma/article/view/7

Nugroho, A. S., Sari, R. T., Cahyono, H., Siswanto, P., & Jambari, O. (2023). Investigating Causing Factors of Speaking Anxiety. EDUKASIA: Jurnal Pendidikan Dan Pembelajaran, 4(2), 1289–1294. https://doi.org/10.62775/edukasia.v4i2.435

Ormrod, J. E. (2011). Educational Psychology: Developing Learner (7th ed.). Pearson/Allyn & Bacon.

Pei-Shi, W. (2012). The Effect of Learning Styles on Learning Strategy Use by EFL Learners. Journal of Social Sciences, 8(2), 230–234. https://doi.org/10.3844/jssp.2012.230.234

Purnama, N. A., Rahayu, N. S., & Yugafiati, R. (2019). Students’ Motivation in Learning English. PROJECT (Professional Journal of English Education), 2(4), 539–544. https://doi.org/10.22460/project.v2i4.p539-544

Rasool, U., Qian, J., & Aslam, M. Z. (2023). An Investigation of Foreign Language Writing Anxiety and Its Reasons among Pre-service EFL Teachers in Pakistan. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.947867

Rizkiya, A., & Pratolo, B. W. (2023). Students’ Strategies to Overcome English Speaking Anxiety. Premise: Journal of English Education, 12(2), 660–679. https://doi.org/10.24127/pj.v12i2.7417

Safotso, G. T., & Tompte, N. (2018). Attitudes and Motivation of Chadian Learners of English. World Journal of Education, 8(2), 174–180. https://doi.org/10.5430/wje.v8n2p174

Saputra, D. B., Saputra, E., Haryana, L., & Puspa, A. (2023). Students’ Difficulties in Speaking English as a Foreign Language: Undergraduate Students’ Voices. Metathesis: Journal of English Language, Literature, and Teaching, 7(1), 110–120. https://doi.org/10.31002/metathesis.v7i1.369

Suriyah, E., & Adisti, A. R. (2024). Correlation of Growth Mindset and Speaking Ability. Metathesis: Journal of English Language, Literature, and Teaching, 8(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.31002/metathesis.v8i1.377

Susanto, A., A Malik, A. M., & Mitrayati, M. (2020). The Challenges of Learning English as a Foreign Language among Undergraduate Students. Inovish Journal, 5(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.35314/inovish.v5i1.1341

Tzoannopoulou, M. (2016). Foreign Language Anxiety and Fear of Negative Evaluation in the Greek University Classroom. Selected Papers on Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, 21, 823–838.

Wardhani, A. (2019). Exploring Fear of Negative Evaluation in Foreign Language Anxiety: Photovoice of Undergraduates in Speaking Class. JSSH (Jurnal Sains Sosial Dan Humaniora), 3(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.30595/jssh.v3i1.3843

Wilson, L. O. (2016). The Three Domains of Learning: Cognitive, Affective, and Psychomotor/Kinesthetic. In The Second Principle. The Second Principle.

Zahid, Z. (2021). Impact of Classroom Environment on Second Language Learning Anxiety. Journal of Development and Social Sciences, 2(IV), 485–497. https://doi.org/10.47205/jdss.2021(2-IV)45