Postgraduate students are mainly required to comprehend academic writing. This is because they are expected to conduct research based on a specific topic and later publish it in the form of journal articles. As such, it is quite expected of them to constantly read academic materials on a daily basis. Yet, some may struggle at committing themselves to it, especially those whose mother tongue is not English. This study aims to find out the factors, challenges, and solutions of the language reading anxiety faced by Indonesian postgraduate students in Malaysian universities. This qualitative study involved 7 postgraduate students chosen from various departments in Malaysian universities. The data were collected by using a semi-structured interview, where Braun and Clark’s thematic analysis was later used to analyze the data. Based on the findings, it was found that there are three factors affecting the students’ reading anxiety: vocabulary and grammatical problems, interest in reading topics, and difficulty in understanding texts. It was also found that there are three challenges faced: pronunciation, keeping motivation in reading, and understanding the indirect meaning. These students also suggested some suggestions which are to do reading practices and use Google features regularly. Thus, it can be concluded that Indonesian postgraduate students must practice reading different academic texts more and gain their vocabulary to ease them to understand and comprehend any kind of reading texts, especially in English.
Aisyah, J. (2017). Students' reading anxiety in English foreign language classrooms. Journal of English and Education, 5(1), 56-63.
Ali, B. J., & Anwar, G. (2021). Anxiety and foreign language learning: analysis of students’ language anxiety towards foreign language learning. International Journal of Language Studies and Social Sciences, 6(3), 234-244.
Al Faruq, A. Z. (2019). Reading anxiety in English as a foreign language for undergraduate students in Indonesia. TLEMC (Teaching and Learning English in Multicultural Contexts), 3(2), 88-95.
Alsowat H. H. (2016). Foreign language anxiety in higher education: a practical framework reducing FLA. European Scientific Journal, 12(7), 193-220.
Anderson, N. J. (2004). Metacognitive reading strategy awareness of ESL and EFL learners. The CATESOL journal, 16(1), 11-27.
Anwar, K. & Louis, R. (2017). Factors affecting students’ anxiety in language learning: a study of private universities in Erbil Kurdistan. International Journal of Social Sciences and Educational Studies, 4(3), 160-174.
Astika, G. (1992). Development of materials for reading comprehension: An interactive model. TEFLIN Journal, 5(1): 95-114.
Badan Pusat Statistik. (2018). Proporsi penduduk berumur 10 tahun ke atas yang menonton acara televisi selama seminggu terakhir menurut provinsi, tipe daerah dan jenis kelamin. https://www.bps.go.id/indicator/27/660/1/proporsi-penduduk-berumur-10-tahun-ke-atas-yang-membaca-surat-kabar-majalah-selama-seminggu-terakhir-menurut-provinsi-dan-jenis-kelamin.html
Badan Pusat Statistik. (2018). Statistics Indonesia. Jakarta: Statistics Indonesia.
Bernhardt, E. (2010). Understanding advanced second-language reading. Routledge.
Bharuthram, S. (2012). Making a case for the teaching of reading across the curriculum in higher education. South African Journal of Education, 32(2), 205-214.
Brown, H. D. (2007). Principles of language learning and teaching. Pearson-Longman.
Chen, J., & Intaraprasert, C. (2014). Reading Strategies Employed by University Business English Majors with Different Levels of Reading Proficiency. English Language Teaching, 7(4), 25-37.
Clapham, C. (1996). The development of IELTS: A study of the effect of background on reading comprehension (Vol. 4). Cambridge University Press.
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method approaches. SAGE Publications.
Faruq, A. Z. (2019). Reading anxiety in English as a foreign language for undergraduate students in Indonesia. TLEMC (Teaching and Learning English in Multicultural Contexts), 3:(2), 88- 95.
Gay, L.R., Mills, G. E., & Airasian, P. (2012). Educational research. New Jersey: Pearson Education.
Genç, G. (2016). Can ambiguity tolerance, success in reading, and gender predict the foreign language reading anxiety? Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 12(2), 135–151.
Guimba, W. D., & Alico, J. C. (2015). Reading anxiety and comprehension of grade 8 Filipino learners. International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, Special Volume, 44-59.
Gunawan, I. (2016). Metode Penelitian Kualitatif Teori dan Praktik (Keempat). Jakarta: PT Bumi Aksara.
Haja Mohideen, M.S., Ismail, H.H., Rashid, R.A. (2020). The Use of Local Literary Texts as Reading Materials in English Language Classrooms: An Analysis of Teachers’ Perspectives. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 19(11), 127-144. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.19.11.8
Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M. B., & Cope, J. (1986). Foreign language classroom anxiety. The Modern language journal, 70(2), 125-132.
Jalongo, M. R., & Hirsh, R. A. (2010). Understanding reading anxiety: new insights from neuroscience. Early Childhood Education Journal, 37(6), 431-435.
Ko-Yin, S & Xiaoshi, L. (2019). Factors’ influencing Chinese language learning anxiety in the classroom setting. New Waves Educational Research and Development, 22(2), 1-15.
Krashen, S. (1982). Principles and practice in second language acquisition. Prantice-Hall: University of California
Kulsum, E. M. (2018). The Students' Reading Anxiety and Reading Strategies in EFL Learning. Thesis. School of Postgraduate Studies. Indonesia University of Education: Bandung.
Linse, C. T., & Nunan, D. (2005). Practical English language teaching. Young Learners (McGrawHill, 2006), 47.
MacIntyre, P. D., & Gardner, R. C. (1994). The subtle effects of language anxiety on cognitive processing in the second language. Language learning, 44(2), 283-305.
MacIntyre, P.D., & Gardner, R.C. (1991a). Methods and results in the study of anxiety and language learning. A view of literature. Language Learning, 4(85), 117.
MacIntyre, P.D., & Gardner, R.C. (1994). The subtle effects of language anxiety on cognitive processing. International Education Studies, 14(3), 283-305.
Miao, Q. Q., & Vibulphol, J. (2021). English as a Foreign Language Reading Anxiety of Chinese University Students. International Education Studies, 14(3), 64-71.
Muhlis, A. (2017). Foreign language reading anxiety among Indonesian EFL senior high school students. ENGLISH FRANCA: Academic Journal of English Language and Education, 1(1), 19-44.
Rahmat, N. H. (2020). The cycle of academic reading fear among undergraduates. Asian Journal of University Education, 16:(3), 265-274.
Rajab, A., Zakaria, W. Z. W., Rahman, H. A., Hosni, A. D., & Hassani, S. (2012). Reading anxiety among second language learners. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 66, 362-369.
Razak, N. A., Yassin, A. A., & Moqbel, M. S. S. (2019). Investigating foreign language reading anxiety among Yemeni International students in Malaysian Universities. International Journal of English Linguistics, 9(4), 83-92.
Saito, Y., Garza, T. J., & Horwitz, E. K. (1999). Foreign language reading anxiety. The modern language journal, 83(2), 202-218.
Sellers, V. D. (2000). Anxiety and reading comprehension in Spanish as a foreign language. Foreign Language Annals, 33(5), 512-520.
Shri, R. (2010). Anxiety: causes and management. The Journal of Behavioral Science, 5(1), 100-118.
Spielberger, C. D., Gorsuch, R. L., Lushene, R., Vagg, P. R., & Jacobs, G. A. (1983). Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
Trisnayanti, N. L. P. D., Agustini, D. A. E., & Tantra, D. K. (2020) Relationship among reading anxiety, reading self-efficacy, and reading competency in the vocational high school in Singaraja. International Journal of Language and Literature, 4(1), 33-46.
Tupan, A. (2004). Improving Learners Reading Skill Through Advertisements. Palembang: Paper presented at the 52nd TEFLIN Conference.
Zhao, A., Guo, Y., & Dynia, J. (2013). Foreign language reading anxiety: Chinese as a foreign language in the United States. The Modern Language Journal, 97(3), 764–778. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.2013.12032.x
Zoghi, M., & Alivandivafa, M. (2014). EFL Reading Anxiety Inventory (EFLRAI) factorial validity and reliability. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 32(4), 318-329.
