Exploring factors that contribute to third-language performance anxiety in EMI contexts

Abstract

In most cases, third language performance anxiety is influenced by individual factors. Some of these factors include the level of willingness to communicate (WTC) from speakers, their self-perceived competence in English and their degree of multilingualism. The aim of this paper is, on the one hand, to determine to what extent these factors contribute to third language performance anxiety in English as a Medium of Instruction contexts, and on the other, to show the difference in anxiety levels between two separate groups of students. This study focuses on undergraduate students’ responses to a three-part questionnaire about performance anxiety. The sample consists of forty-three university students from the English Studies and Industrial Design and Product Development Engineering bachelor’s degrees. The instrument is a questionnaire which ascertains information regarding the participants’ self-perceived competence in English and information regarding their emotions and feelings towards language performance anxiety. To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the few articles comparing two different groups that takes into consideration participants’ independent variables affecting their anxiety. Results revealed that: 1) participants’ with a higher level of WTC are more likely to feel less anxious when presenting orally in English; 2) Participants with a lower self-perceived competence regarding language proficiency have a higher level of performance anxiety; 3) Multilinguals feel less anxious in language performance than monolinguals or bilinguals. However, one unexpected result was that English Studies students’ awareness about language assessment appears to make them more anxious than Engineering students.