An investigation into foreign language teaching anxiety

Abstract

This study investigated classroom teacher anxiety with respect to teaching foreign languages in Korea, and sought to identify sources and symptoms of this anxiety. The subjects` anxiety was measured using the Foreign Language Teaching Anxiety Scale (FLTAS), a scale that was developed for this study. A number of participants acknowledged that they had experienced teaching anxiety in foreign-language classrooms. These results provide evidence for the construct of foreign language teaching anxiety, the existence of which was suggested by Horwitz (1996). However, ANOVA failed to identify the effects of background factors on foreign language teaching anxiety. The results of the open-ended survey generally supported the quantitative findings related to teaching anxiety, providing more specific data about how language teachers feel about their teaching anxiety. The results also provide a potential explanation of anxiety-provoking situations in foreign language classrooms, the causes of that anxiety, and coping strategies that teachers use to alleviate their anxiety.