An AN ANALYSIS OF STUDENTS’ READING ANXIETY LEVEL IN ENGLISH READING CLASS

Abstract

This qualitative research attempts to find out the levels of reading anxiety experienced by the students and the strategies they used to reduce the anxiety. In collecting the data, the English Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Inventory (EFLRAI) questionnaire was used to investigate the level and potential causes of reading anxiety among 36 second semester students of English Education Study Program of Bale Bandung University. Moreover, in assembling students’ strategies in reducing the reading anxiety data, the researcher constructed a semi-structured interview for 12 students of them. Based on the study results, the students belong to moderate level in the overall top-down, bottom-up, and classroom reading anxiety, revealed students experienced feelings of discomfort or nervousness in reading English text, yet continue to complete reading tasks, which indicating they managed it with sufficient strategies to reduce the anxiety, such as rereading, scanning, vocabulary guessing, memorizing vocabulary, breathing, prayer, and affirmations. Thus, although the students experienced feelings of discomfort or anxiety in reading English text, they could manage their anxiety effectively that allow them to persist and accomplish the reading tasks.

Keywords: Reading anxiety level, Top-down reading anxiety, Bottom-up reading anxiety, Classroom reading anxiety