The Foreign Language Anxiety of Japanese EFL Learners

Focusing on Anxiety When Speaking English

Abstract

Foreign language anxiety (FLA) is a key to affective factors related to language learning. Although previous studies have elucidated multiple facets of FLA of learners in both EFL and ESL settings for the past decades, not so much research has highlighted the importance of FLA in Japan. This study aims at investigating FLA in speaking English among 338 Japanese EFL learners at three different institutions, employing a six-point Likert scale questionnaire. The data were factor-analyzed and the mean scores of four factors extracted were compared (ANOVA). The results indicated that the participants were moderately to highly anxious about speaking English both in and out of class. The senior high-school students reported lower pressure than the university students. One implication would be that educators should provide continuous support to their students at various stages of learning to minimize the level of FLA when speaking English while maximizing that of confidence.