English Language Learning Anxiety of Filipino ESL Learners: Towards a Proposed Remediation Program
Language Learning Anxiety of Filipino Students
Abstract
Despite the extensive use of English as a medium of instruction in the Philippines, Filipino ESL learners continue to experience significant gaps in their language skills. Recent studies have documented a decline in English proficiency and have highlighted that language anxiety plays a critical role in impeding effective language acquisition and use. Addressing this anxiety is essential for improving English language outcomes especially among high school students. This study was conducted to explore the impact of language learning anxiety on Filipino ESL learners at the junior high school level. Specifically, it aimed to identify and describe the anxieties these learners face and how they manage them. Utilizing a qualitative descriptive research method, the study involved focus group interviews with 23 high school learners, and data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s seven-step method. The results revealed that learners experience various anxieties, including [English] language knowledge deficiency, psycholinguistic factors, fear of judgment, sociolinguistic factors, learner-induced anxiety, and anxiety in English class. Additionally, the study found that learners employ strategies to cope with anxiety, such as avoidance, seeking help from others, self-coping, and self-directed learning. Hence, the findings informed the development of a remedial intervention program designed to address and alleviate the difficulties and anxieties associated with learning English as a second language.
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