This study aims to examine Malaysia Form 6 students’ level of learning anxiety in learning Mandarin and identify the factors contribute to such anxiety. An online survey namely Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) which was developed by Horwitz et al. (1986) were adapted. Five points Likert Scale was adapted in this study to measure anxiety among Form 6 students in learning Mandarin. 227 students who currently studying Form 6 Mandarin in Malaysia were invited to participate in this study. The survey consists of two sections which are demographic profile of respondent and 31-item related to learning anxiety. SPSS 26 were employed to analyze data collected from online survey. Findings revealed that majority of Form 6 students experienced a moderate level of anxiety when learning Mandarin. The factors that contribute to Form 6 students’ anxiety while learning Mandarin were “Test Anxiety” which ranked the highest, followed by “Fear of Negative Evaluation”, “Anxiety of Mandarin Classroom”, and “Communication Apprehension”. The findings from this study serve as a base for Mandarin teachers as it could assist Mandarin teachers to have a better grasp of how they could help students to alleviate and debilitate anxiety in learning Mandarin.
Basith, A., Musyafak, N., Ichwanto, M. A., & Syahputra, A. (2019). Chinese learning anxiety on foreign students. European Journal of Educational Research, 8(4), 1193-1200.
Darmi, R., & Albion, P. (2012). Exploring language anxiety of Malaysian learners [Paper presentation]. 2nd Malaysian Postgraduate Conference, 7, Queensland, Australia.
Sun, M. C. (2017). Educationists worried over declining interest in STPM Chinese paper, The Sun Daily. Retrieved from https://www.thesundaily.my/ archive/educationists-worried-over-declining-interest-stpm-chinese-paper-HTARCH481303.
Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M. B., & Cope, J. A. (1986). Foreign language classroom anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 70(2), 125-132.
Hu, S. X. (2020). An investigation on Chinese Learning Anxiety of Myanmar Students at Universities in Kunming [Master thesis, Yunnan Normal University]. China Academic Journals (CNKI) database.
Liu, M. (2006). Anxiety in EFL classrooms: Causes and consequences. TESL reporter, 39, 20-20.
Liu, M. (2007). Anxiety in oral English classroom: A case study in China. Indonesian Journal of English Language Teaching, 3(1), 119-137.
Liu, M., & Jackson, J. (2008). An exploration of Chinese EFL learners’ unwillingness to communicate and foreign language anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 92(1), 71-86.
Luo, H. (2015). Chinese language learning anxiety: A study of heritage learners. Heritage Language Journal, 12(1), 22-47.
MacIntyre, P. D. (1995). How does anxiety affect second language learniply to Sparks and Ganschow, The Modern Language Journal, 79(1), 90-99.
Xie, Z. T. (2022). Mah Hang Soon: The number of students’ registered for STPM Mandarin language subject is only half of the Tamil language. Oriental Daily News. Retrieved from: https://www.orientaldaily.com.my/news/nation/2022/04/23/482080.
Ohata, K. (2005). Potential sources of anxiety for Japanese learners of English: Preliminary case interviews with five Japanese college students in the U.S. Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language E-Journal, 9(3), 1-21.
Peng, H. (2012). Study of the conditions and causes of Thai junior high school students’ anxiety learning Chinese [Master thesis, Guangxi University]. China Academic Journals (CNKI) database.
Scovel, T. (1978). The effect of affect on foreign language learning: A review of the anxiety research. Language Learning, 28, 129-142.
Spielberger, C. D. (1983). Manual for the state-trait-anxiety inventory: STAI (form Y). Consulting Psychologists Press.
Sun, W. R. (2022). A study on the anxiety of online Chinese listening and speaking classes for high school students in Thailand [Master thesis, Lanzhou Jiaotong University]. China Academic Journals (CNKI) database.
Sung, K-Y., & Li, X. (2019). Factors Influencing Chinese language learning anxiety in the classroom setting. New Waves-Educational Research and Development Journal, 22(2), 1-15.
Ting, H. L., & Sunarti. (2022). Language learning anxiety in Mandarin as Foreign Language Classroom. Asian Pendidikan, 2(1), 26-32. https: doi.org/10.53797/aspen.v2il.4.2022.
Ting, H. L., Yeo, J. Y., & Chin, V. (2016). Mandarin language learning anxiety among non-Chinese learners: A case of Universiti Teknologi MARA. Issues in Language Studies (ILS), 5(2), 19-27.
Wolman, B. B. (1973). Dictionary of behavioral science. New York, Van Nostrand Reinhold Co.
Zhang., W. (2016). The study of Chinese learning anxiety of Malaysian College Students [Master thesis, Beijing Foreign Studies University]. China Academic Journals (CNKI) database.
Zhao, N. (2007). A study of high school students’ English learning anxiety. The Asian EFL Journal Quarterly, 9(3), 22-34.
Zhu, F. J. (2022). Study on learning anxiety of Chinese learners in Confucius [Master thesis, Dalian University of Foreign Languages]. China Academic Journals (CNKI) database.