Second Language Learning Anxiety of Korean Students: A Multiple Case Analysis

The main purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the language learning anxieties experienced by Korean English learners. It also investigated how these anxieties are developed and their bearing on their English language learning. Five Koreans from Davao City were selected through purposive sampling. This study employed a qualitative – multiple-research design with five cases. An in-depth interview was the tool used to gather the necessary information. Concerning their language anxieties, themes generated include language learning insecurities, frustration, jitters, stress, and self-consciousness. These anxieties were developed due to experiences from embarrassment, helplessness, disappointment, uncertainty, lack of confidence, and teachers’ insensitivity. The impact of these language anxieties on their English learning includes loss of drive and motivation, intensified effort, and diminished self-confidence.