Abstract

This study explored the effect of introducing Global Englishes perspectives into a semester-long course on English communication anxiety. It involved 13 second-year university students using the Japanese version of the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) (Yashima et al., 2009); anxiety levels were measured at three intervals. A within-subjects ANOVA revealed that overall anxiety among the students significantly decreased as the course progressed. Furthermore, focus groups and open-ended questionnaires conducted in Japanese were analyzed using in vivo coding and pattern coding. This analysis demonstrated that a deepening understanding of Global Englishes and exposure to diverse English listening experiences reduced students' communication anxiety and enhanced their confidence, leading to a positive perception of their English ("My English"). These findings suggest that integrating Global Englishes perspectives into English education can alleviate student anxiety and enhance confidence, offering valuable insights for educational practices in English language teaching.