Perceived Psychological, Linguistic and Socio-Cultural Obstacles: An Investigation of English Communication Apprehension in EFL Learners

Abstract

Speaking and communicating in English language can be a traumatic experience for many Chinese EFL university learners in class and in public.In many situations, they prefer to remain silent and passive listeners.This study aims to detect linguistic, psychological, socio-cultural hindrances and lends a sympathetic ear to Chinese university EFL learners enrolled in a public sector university in Wuhan and sheds light on their perspective that cause apprehension in communicating English as a FL/SL.Horwitz's FLA, Krashen's input hypothesis, affective filter hypothesis, Tanveer's learners' perspective, Vygotsky's and Feuerstein's social constructivism have been used as theoretical frameworks.The present study employed a qualitative method for collecting data and directed content analysis was conducted with deductive and inductive approach.Focus group discussion and semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight Chinese EFL university students within an academic and social context.The respondents were from social sciences discipline and had enrolled in fall semester for attending one course of English oral communication skills in the department of FL.The results of the directed content analysis indicated that respondents experienced communication apprehension and anxiety due to their own self-related psychological, cognitive, linguistic, academic, social and cultural aspects.They felt anxiety due to personality traits, low language proficiency, perceived academic issues, scholastic competence, poor pronunciation, and above all lack of lexical knowledge in TL.

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