The Differences in EFL Students’ Reading Anxiety in Academic Reading

Abstract

Abstract : This study aims to determine the anxiety level and investigate the differences between female and male reading anxiety in the academic reading of EFL students, especially reading English in TOEFL material. This research used a mixed-method design. The data of this study were collected by using a questionnaire that adopted the Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scale (FLRAS) and using semi-structured interviews with questions that an expert has validated. The findings showed that most students identified anxiety at a medium level. Moreover, the researcher found that female students were nervous, anxious, and panicked when encountering unfamiliar vocabulary, topics, and grammar in TOEFL reading. Male students did not feel anxious even though they had difficulty encountering unfamiliar vocabulary, topics, and long texts.

 

Keywords: Reading anxiety, EFL, academic reading