Contributing factors to communication anxiety in English among ESL learners and the effects on communication styles and patterns / Kamisah Ariffin, Misyana Susanti Husin and Maizatulliza Muhammad

As teachers, we have observed that communication anxiety can affect learners’ communication styles and patterns in the classroom. They may choose to take part in the classroom communication activities as minimal as they could, or may decide to withdraw totally. The development of anxiety scales to measure language anxiety such as Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) and the French Class Anxiety Scale have helped to identify the sources of anxiety among foreign language learners and offered suggestions to lower the learners’ level of anxiety. This paper offers more detailed factors contributing to communication anxiety by using in-depth interview as a means of data collection. Interview data of 8 reticent learners highlight perceived low level of English Language competence, low vocabulary level, little background knowledge of the topics discussed, shyness and confidence level and fear of teachers as the major contributing factors to communication anxiety. In addition, the anxiety has also affected their language use and styles in communication. The findings call for teachers’ attention not only in improving the students’ linguistic skills but also their affective domains especially their self-confidence so as to encourage them to communicate more in English.