Second Language Writing Anxiety of Thai EFL Undergraduate Students: Dominant Cause, Levels and Coping Strategies

Abstract

The study aimed to investigate the dominant cause, levels, and coping strategies of second language writing anxiety among 55 second-year Thai EFL undergraduate students studying for their bachelor’s degree in English for International Communication (international programme). This study used a mixed-methods design, which included a questionnaire and a stimulated recall interview. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data obtained from the questionnaire. Content analysis was used to look for themes that emerged from the data obtained from the stimulated recall interview. The finding indicated that the high frequency of writing assignments is the dominant cause of second language writing anxiety for Thai EFL undergraduate students. And this study also found that the overall mean score of the 55 Thai EFL undergraduate students who participated in the survey was 40 out of 55 for writing anxiety, which indicated that Thai EFL undergraduate students experienced high levels of writing anxiety. Furthermore, the results of how they coped with their anxiety in the stimulated recall interview can be divided into five themes, including positive self-talk, starting with a plan, relaxation techniques, goal setting, and social support.

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