Factors Causing Language Anxiety among Arab PhD Holders and Candidates: A Cultural Dimension?

Asmaa AlSaqqaf^1, , Suyansah Swanto¹, Wardatul Akmam Din², Siti Jamilah Bidin³ and Ahmad Affendi Shabdin³

¹Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL), Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

²Centre for Internationalization and Global Engagement, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

³Language Studies, Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), Sintok, Malaysia

Cite this paper:
Asmaa AlSaqqaf, Suyansah Swanto, Wardatul Akmam Din, Siti Jamilah Bidin and Ahmad Affendi Shabdin. Factors Causing Language Anxiety among Arab PhD Holders and Candidates: A Cultural Dimension?. American Journal of Educational Research. 2017; 5(12):1208-1211. doi: 10.12691/education-5-12-6

Abstract

Much research has investigated foreign/second language (FL/SL) anxiety among learners belonging to various demographic backgrounds. However, very limited studies have explored this phenomenon among FL/SL users, more specifically from females’ perspectives. Additionally, the vast majority of this research has adopted quantitative techniques to identify the factors causing language anxiety. Therefore, this paper attempts to reduce this gap perceived in the literature by exploring the factors causing language anxiety among ESL users (English as a second language). A qualitative approach was adopted to collect data by conducting a focus group interview with four females, two PhD holders and PhD candidates. Remarkably, new findings were obtained by this research, where the cultural perception about women within the participants’ society was found out to be one of the reasons provoking language anxiety. Furthermore, a common belief about PhD candidates/holders to be highly proficient speakers of English and also the level of English proficiency of the listeners/interlocutors were two other interesting findings reported by the participants to increase their language anxiety. The research results are discussed and recommendations for further research are suggested.

Keywords:
ESL language anxiety PhD holders and candidates females Arab culture

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