Foreign Language Writing Anxiety: An Attitude to Change into Relish.

Abstract

Writing anxiety is a psychological phenomenon that takes place in every educational setting. In the Algerian EFL classes, English Writing is affected negatively by anxiety. Thus, the purpose of this research work is to investigate the issue of writing apprehension from different perspectives taking into account its main variables. Indeed, going through this process is helpful to suggest some coping strategies that either helps the students overcome their writing anxiety and change the attitude towards writing into relish. To reach this end, a case study research has been conducted at the English Department of Ibn Khaldoun University (Tiaret) relying on a number of research instruments for data collection. A questionnaire for 30 of third-year License students of both genders (male and female) and an interview with 03 teachers were used. The data collected are analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The results of the study reveal that half of third-year EFL students enjoy writing but experience a certain level of writing anxiety. In addition, females are more anxious to write than male students. In this regard, students experience writing anxiety due to many reasons including fear of inability to choose a good topic, fear of inability to generate ideas, insufficient English, fear of teachers’ insult, fear of peers’ insult and as a result of many other personal and interpersonal causes. Accordingly, this research work emphasizes that EFL students can overcome their writing anxiety if the recommended learning and teaching strategies are put into practice by both students and teachers to improve the writing skill within the Algerian EFL classroom.