Examining First-Year Japanese University Students’ Anxiety in the English Communication Classroom – An Exploratory Study

Several studies regarding English education in Japan highlight the challenges of transitioning from high school to university English classes, where students must adopt more active learning roles, often increasing classroom anxiety. Research has also examined how teaching methodologies can alleviate this anxiety. Building on studies of foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA) and foreign language enjoyment (FLE), this article presents initial findings from an exploratory study on the effects of student-centred classrooms in reducing anxiety and enhancing enjoyment. The study involved 372 first-year students in 15-week elective English communication courses at two northeastern Japanese universities. A Pearson bivariate correlation conducted early in the courses examined the relationship between self-perceived English ability and both classroom anxiety and enjoyment. Results showed that higher- perceived English ability correlated with lower anxiety and greater enjoyment (r = -.307), while lower-perceived English ability was linked to higher anxiety and reduced enjoyment (r = .152). Student remarks collected after several weeks of student-centred instruction highlighted the appeal of this approach for both groups. Comments focused on classroom and teacher behaviours that effectively reduced anxiety and promoted enjoyment, indicating that a student- centred classroom methodology benefited students regardless of their perceived English ability or anxiety levels.