English Learning Anxiety: A Case Study of a Female Chinese Graduate Studying in UK

Abstract

Anxiety is a complex psychological phenomenon peculiar to language learners, and it is also one of the affective factors that affect second language acquisition. This study aims to explore the English learning anxiety of a female Chinese graduate student studying in the UK under the environment of taking English as a foreign language. This paper summarizes the causes of the anxiety of the production student from both inside and outside the classroom, and draws a conclusion after qualitative analysis of the learner’s interview. This study further shows that foreign language learning anxiety of foreign students is widespread. Communication apprehension, fear of negative evaluation, and test anxiety are the three factors that cause the participant’s classroom anxiety, and extracurricular learning anxiety is related to the English level of peers and the foreign language learning environment of the learner. At the end of the study, the author provides two pedagogical implications for teachers and students on how to reduce anxiety. The researcher suggested that teachers and students should cooperate to create a relaxing learning environment. And foreign language learners should improve their self-confidence.