The Relationship Between Anxiety, Identity and The Environment Towards the Willingness to Communicate in English For Non- Native Speakers.
Year: 2024
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The study aims to: (1) identify communication challenges among university students in English, (2) assess the frequency ofEnglish language usage among students, and (3) determine motivating factors for English language communication amonguniversity students. This study employed a quantitative approach utilizing SPSS for data analysis. Statistical techniques suchas summary statistics, frequency analysis, descriptive analysis, reliability analysis (Cronbach's Alpha), transformation ofvariables, and correlation were utilized. Convenience sampling, a non-probability sampling method, was chosen due to timeand resource constraints, involving the collection of data from accessible members of the population. Questionnaires wereutilized as the primary data collection instrument, comprising four sections of close-ended questions. A total of 23questionnaires were distributed to 31 respondents. The data collected were then analyzed using SPSS to explore relationshipsand patterns within the dataset. Section 1 was constructed to identify the student's demographic information, which is relatedto their gender, age, race, previous school, and mode of study. Section A was constructed to identify the willingness of nonnativespeakers to speak English. Section B was constructed to identify attributes that cause anxiety among non-nativespeakers. The scale of the items used in this section is Strongly Agree (1), Agree (2), Neutral (3), Disagree (4), StronglyDisagree (5). Section C was constructed to identify what are the effects of environment among the non-native speakerstowards their willingness to speak English. The scale of the items used in this section is Strongly Disagree (1), Disagree (2),Neutral (3), Agree (4), Strongly Agree (5). Meanwhile, Section D was constructed to identify what are the effects ofenvironment among the non-native speakers towards their willingness to speak English. The scale of the items used in thissection is Strongly Agree (1), Agree (2), Neutral (3), Disagree (4), Strongly Disagree (5). Descriptive analysis was used toidentify, describe and explore the relationship between anxiety, identity and the environment towards the willingness tocommunicate in English for non-native speakers among the students. The analysis of the relationship between anxiety andwillingness to speak English reveals a Pearson Correlation value of -.320. With this value being less than -1, the researchconfirms the hypothesis. Consequently, it is concluded that there exists a negative relationship between anxiety andwillingness to speak English. This implies that as anxiety decreases, the willingness to speak English increases [r=-.320].Similarly, when exploring the relationship between identity and willingness to speak English, a Pearson Correlation value of -.046 was obtained. Despite being less than -1, the hypothesis was accepted. As a result, it is concluded that there is a negativecorrelation between identity and willingness to speak English. This indicates that as identity decreases, the willingness tospeak English increases [r=-.046]. Furthermore, the investigation into the relationship between willingness to speak Englishand the environment revealed a Pearson Correlation of 0.38. Since this value is less than 1, the hypothesis is confirmed. Thus,it is concluded that there exists a positive correlation between the environment and willingness to speak English. This suggeststhat as the environment becomes more conducive, the willingness to speak English increases [r=0.38]. This study reveals thatanxiety significantly impacts students' willingness to speak English, often leading to decreased confidence and nervousnessduring communication. To support anxious individuals, fostering friendships and providing a supportive environment can mitigate communication fears. Additionally, identity plays a crucial role; their environment and cultural ties influencestudents' willingness to speak English. Lastly, the proficiency level of students in English is influenced by educational systemsand teaching methods, suggesting a need for improvement in English language education to enhance students' languageproficiency from an early age.
Authors: Adin bin Jarun, Celestina Kundayis, Jizianna bt Michael, Joyce Marlyn M.Yahya, Sharul Nizam bin Damit, Ainul Syafiyn Chew bt Mohamad Safwan Chew
Institution: North Borneo University College
Language: English
Subfield: Language and Linguistics
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4413961911