Motivation and anxiety in studying English as a foreign language. A study in a junior high school in the province of Venice

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore foreign language anxiety and motivation of EFL junior high school students located in the province of Venice. Data was collected through online questionnaires and interviews. The former included both closed as well as open-ended questions and were addressed to students, whereas the latter were designed for the respondents' teachers. Overall, the results revealed a quite positive view. In fact, the majority of the respondents seemed to be interested in English and to be aware of its importance especially in relation to their future. Moreover, their perception as foreign language learners was mainly positive and therefore appeared to contribute favorably to their motivation, which was mostly extrinsic. Nevertheless, some slightly negative aspects were also observed. Over half of the participants admitted to feeling anxious during English classes and perceived test anxiety, communication apprehension and fear of peers' negative evaluation as the main causes for their anxiety. Furthermore, meaningful differences between genders, years and school buildings were detected.