Foreign Language Teaching Anxiety (FLTA) in Non-Native Pre-Service English Teachers: A Phenomenological Study in Kazakhstan

Abstract

This qualitative phenomenological study was conducted to investigate the phenomenon of foreign language teaching anxiety (FLTA) for non-native pre-service English teachers in Kazakhstan by answering the research question “How is FLTA experienced by non-native pre-service English teachers?” According to the State Program for the Development and Functioning of Languages in the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2011-2020, plans were implemented to increase the share of the population speaking English to 20% by 2020. To reach this goal, the government started paying attention to teaching English at schools and training English language teachers. However, the language learning process cannot be successful if students feel stress and anxiety while learning it. Therefore, numerous studies have been conducted to identify causes of foreign language anxiety, its impact on students’ academic achievement, and ways to overcome it. Still, the research on FLTA has remained limited, even though teachers are also susceptible to the feeling of anxiety, especially pre-service teachers who lack experience in teaching. Data was collected through one-to-one interviews including visual data elicitation to enhance understanding (CohenMiller, 2018). Additional data sources included a demographic questionnaire and document analysis. Using Moustakas’s (1994) framework for phenomenological analysis, three invariant themes with eight sub-themes were identified. Combined, the resultant essence of FLTA for pre-service teachers was found to be feeling insecure about teaching, worrying about proficiency in English and experiencing a fear of negative evaluation. This study contributes to expanding research related to FLTA, especially in Kazakhstan, where there are no studies focused on teaching anxiety. Moreover, by investigating how teaching anxiety is experienced by prospective teachers, several factors engendering anxiety were identified. Future research is suggested to focus on the ways of alleviating FLTA for pre-service teachers.