Second language anxiety among Latino American immigrants in Australia

ABSTRACT

Research into second language anxiety (SLA) has largely focused on second language learners rather than immigrants. However, living in an environment where the target language (TL) is the language of everyday communication may constitute a significant source of anxiety that generalises beyond the language classroom [Pappamihiel, N. E. 2001. “Moving from the ESL Classroom into the Mainstream: An Investigation of English Language Anxiety in Mexican Girls.” Bilingual Research Journal 25: 31–39. doi:10.1080/15235882.2001.10162783; Rose, Glenda. 2008. “Language Acculturation Anxiety in Spanish Apeaking Adult Immigrants Learning English in the United States.” PhD diss., University of Texas. Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database (UMI No. 3315370); Woodrow, L. 2006. “Anxiety and Speaking English as a Second Language.” RELC Journal 37: 308–328. doi:10.1177/0033688206071315]. This study explored SLA across different social contexts in a sample of 190 adult immigrants from Latin America to Australia who spoke Spanish as their first language (L1) and English as their second language (L2). The aims were to (a) investigate the presence and severity of SLA among L2 long-term immigrants, and (b) examine sources of individual differences in SLA. Results indicated that SLA exists among L2 immigrants at moderate, high and very high levels, and that levels of anxiety vary significantly across social contexts. Self-perceived L2 proficiency was found to be the strongest predictor of SLA followed by extroversion and age, with higher scores on all three variables associated with lower SLA. Gender, education level, duration of residency in Australia, and emotional stability did not predict SLA in any of the contexts. These findings suggest that SLA is a significant problem for adult immigrants, permeating most aspects of their everyday lives. Practical implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Anxiety
• second language
• foreign language
• bilingualism
• immigrant

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge Mr Alex Sentana from New South Wales Spanish and Latin American Association for Social Assistance for his support and contribution to this project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.