A Thematic Analysis of Young Learners’ Foreign Language Anxiety

Abstract

Foreign language anxiety has become one of the most widely discussed affective variables in second and foreign language learning. Young learners, particularly those in elementary school settings, frequently experience emotional and psychological barriers while learning English as a foreign language (EFL). These barriers may influence learners’ classroom participation, confidence, communication, and academic achievement. This study investigates the themes of foreign language anxiety experienced by young learners through a thematic analysis approach. The research utilized qualitative thematic analysis based on questionnaire data adapted from the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS). The data consisted of thematic categorizations related to students’ emotional experiences in learning English. The findings revealed six dominant themes: Foreign Language Learning Experience, Fear of Mistakes, Self-confidence, Language Anxiety, Avoidance Behavior, and Speaking Nervousness. Among these themes, Foreign Language Learning Experience emerged as the dominant category with a percentage of 68.18%, indicating that learners’ general classroom experiences strongly shaped their emotional responses to English learning. Fear of Mistakes represented 13.64% of the data, while Self-confidence, Language Anxiety, Avoidance Behavior, and Speaking Nervousness each accounted for 4.55%. The findings demonstrate that young learners experience anxiety not only from linguistic difficulty but also from classroom interaction, peer comparison, fear of evaluation, and communication pressure. The study emphasizes the importance of supportive classroom environments, positive teacher feedback, and anxiety-reducing instructional strategies to improve students’ emotional well-being and language learning outcomes.