Asian Journal for Public Opinion Research

Center for Asian Public Opinion Research & Collaboration Initiative (충남대학교 아시아여론조사학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

English Anxiety among Thai Nursing Students of Boromarajonani College of Nursing, Nakhon Lampang, Thailand

  • Received : 2018.01.15
  • Accepted : 2018.05.10
  • Published : 2018.05.31
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

Thailand is one of the ASEAN countries and is said to be the most visited country in Southeast Asia. Despite its development, Thailand falls as one of the countries with the lowest rates of English proficiency. This article is written to describe one of the possible factors of Thailand's low English proficiency, which is the foreign language anxiety of students. This article outlines references regarding the English language anxiety of Thai students and uses them as a basis in distinguishing English language anxiety among nursing students in Boromarajonani College of Nursing Nakhon Lampang, Thailand (BCNLP). A survey was conducted using a questionnaire based on the FLCA Scale by Horwitz, Horwitz, and Cope, (1986) with a focus group consisting of 80 participants randomly selected from $1^{st}$ year to $4^{th}$ year nursing students of BCNLP. As found in the survey there were two sources of English language anxiety among nursing students: 1. Fear of negative evaluation due to unpreparedness, and feeling and thinking that others are better in language learning as the main factors; and 2. Communicating apprehension, where in speaking without preparation, speaking in the foreign language in front of other students, and self-doubt about one's ability to speak in the foreign language are the highest ranked causes of anxiety. The results indicate two main problems: unpreparedness and self-concept. Therefore, it is recommended that English Language classes should be taught with the learner-centered approach and that instructors should put importance in preparing the students during class, and encouraging them to increase a positive self-concept towards English language learning.

Keywords

References

  1. Anyadubalu, C. (2010). Self-efficacy, anxiety, and performance in the English language among middle-school students in English language program in Satri Si Suriyothai, Bangkok. International Journal of Social Science, 5(3), 193-198.
  2. Association of Southeast Asian Nation. (2017). The Founding of Asean. Retrieved from http://asean.org/asean/about-asean/history/
  3. Bandura, A. (1994). Self-efficacy. In. V. S. Ramachaudran. Encyclopedia of human behavior, 4, 71-81.
  4. Booth-Butterfield, M., & Booth-Butterfield, S. (1992). Communication apprehension and avoidance in the classroom. Edina, MN: Burgess.
  5. Chinpakdee, M. (2015). Thai EFL university students' perspectives on foreign language anxiety. Silpakorn University Journal of Social Sciences, Humanities, and Arts, 15(3), 61-90.
  6. Coconuts Bangkok. (2016). Education Minister says Thai students lack critical thinking and English language skills. Coconuts Bangkok. Retrieved from https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/education-minister-says-thai-students-lackcritical-thinking-and-english-language-skills/
  7. Du, M. (2012). A study of the relationship between English self-concept and language learning strategies. Retrieved from http://www.academypublication.com/issues/past/jltr/vol03/03/21.pdf
  8. EF English Proficiency Index. (2017). The world's largest ranking of countries by English Skills (6th ed.). Retrieved from http://www.ef.edu/epi/
  9. Hamilton, C. (2011). Communicating for results a guide for business and the professions. Boston, MA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.
  10. Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M. B., & Cope, J. (1986). Foreign language classroom anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 70(2), 125-132. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1986.tb05256.x
  11. Horwitz, E. K. (1986). Preliminary evidence for the reliability and validity of a foreign language anxiety scale. TESOL Quarterly, 20(3), 559-562. https://doi.org/10.2307/3586302
  12. Krashen, S. (2013). Second language acquisition. Cambridge University Press.
  13. Lane, S. D. (2010). Interpersonal communication: Competence and contexts. Pearson Education, Inc.
  14. Lao, R. (2017). Educational inequality in Thailand: The challenge. Retrieved from http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/advanced/1259777/educationalinequality-in-thai land-the-challenge
  15. Key Competence Network on School Education (n.d.). Learing to learn. Retrieved from http://keyconet.eun.org/learning-to-learn
  16. Maierbrugger, A. (2016). Thailand's English proficiency still among the lowest in Asia. Retrieved from http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/learningnews/756536/thai-eng lish-proficiency-drops-now-3rd-worst-in-asia-ef
  17. McCombs, B. L. & Whistler, J. S. (1997). The learner-centered classroom and school: Strategies for increasing student motivation and achievement. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass Publishers.
  18. McCroskey, J. C. (1993). An introduction to rhetorical communication (6th ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
  19. Mezirow, J. (1991). Transformative dimensions of adult learning. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
  20. Morreale, S. P., Spitzberg, B. H., & Barge, J. K. (2007). Human communication: Motivation, knowledge, and skills. . Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.
  21. Motley, M. T. (1995). Overcoming your fear of public speaking: A proven method. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
  22. Namsang, T. (2011). English language anxiety among Thai undergraduate students: A study at Dhonburi Rajabhat University. Language Institute, Thammasat University.
  23. Nonkukhetkhong, K., Baldauf, R. B., Jr., & Moni, K. (2006). Learner centeredness in teaching English as a foreign language: Teachers' voices. In 26th Annual Thai TESOL International Conference: Teaching, Learning, Researching: Three Pillars of TESOL (pp. 1-9). Thailand TESOL.
  24. Pappamihiel, N. E. (2002). English as a second language students and English language anxiety: Issues in the mainstream classroom. Research in the Teaching of English, 36(3), 327-355.
  25. Phungphol, Y. (2005). Learner-centered teaching approach: A paradigm shift in Thai education. ABAC Journal, 25(2), 5-16.
  26. Schutz, R. (2017). Stephen Krashen's theory of second language acquisition. Retrieved from http://www.sk.com.br/sk-krash.html