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Culture and Cross-Cultural Issues | Academic Culture | Second Language Anxiety | Communication Skills
Second Language Anxiety
I really think that international instructors have much more exposure to world affairs. When I talk to my students, it opens up their eyes to see a little bit beyond the U.S. in terms of cultural aspects and in terms of social, political aspects. I think that exposure is extremely important.
– Faculty member, EngineeringI got lots of confidence from knowing that even though I have problems in language, I can still teach.
– Zhongxian Han, ITA, Mathematics, the People's Republic of China
What is Second Language Anxiety?
Anxiety is "the subjective feeling of tension, apprehension, nervousness, and worry associated with an arousal of the autonomic nervous system" (Horwitz, 1996). Second language anxiety is defined here as a distinct complex of self-perceptions, beliefs, feelings, and behaviors related to using a foreign/second language for communication beyond the language classroom.No matter how accomplished you are as a second language speaker, you are likely to experience at least some degree of anxiety over your own levels of language proficiency. Many new international instructors report having had some level of nervousness when they first started teaching in an English-speaking country. Second language anxiety could be worse for those who still have difficulties expressing themselves in English, which they learned as a foreign or second language.
Possible symptoms caused by second language anxiety include forgetfulness, avoidance of speaking the language, less interaction with people, negative self-image, lack of confidence, and feeling unsure of one's ability. Possible physical symptoms are sweaty palms, nervous stomachs, increased heartbeat and pulse rates, distortion of sounds, inability to reproduce the intonation and rhythm of the language, and avoiding eye contact. It is important to anticipate the symptoms you may experience to help you know how to cope with them.
Anxiety does not necessarily affect you negatively, but excessive levels of anxiety can have a negative effect on you and your teaching. It can inhibit your ability to teach effectively. Sometimes you may even forget things you do know. Consequently, it causes you emotional stress and lower self-esteem and self-confidence. This lack of confidence is damaging because it sometimes prevents you from using your current ability and discovering your full potential. You may avoid eye contact with the students and have less interaction with them because of your nervousness. Your unnecessary level of anxiety can have a negative impact on your teaching, which in turn is detrimental to students' learning.
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