Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety in the English-Medium Instruction (EMI) Program in a Japanese University

Abstract

With a growing number of English Medium Instruction (EMI) programs in Japanese universities, it is necessary to grasp learners’ perceptions about such programs for future program improvement. This research measured the levels of foreign language speaking anxiety of Japanese students in a university EMI program and investigated whether the anxiety levels changed during one academic semester. The result showed that the Japanese students generally felt foreign language speaking anxiety in April but anxiety levels became lower in June. A statistical difference was found between April and June. However, the highly anxious students tended to remain anxious throughout the semester. The content analysis of the answers of an open-ended questionnaire revealed that students used various coping strategies. This study obtained meaningful results that contribute to the understanding of Japanese students’ states-of-mind in EMI programs.