Students’ Anxiety Levels in Interpretation Courses at a Tertiary Institution: How Teachers’ Intervention Helps

At a Vietnamese tertiary institution, this study examines students’ anxiety in interpretation classes and how teacher intervention can help reduce it. Due to time constraints, difficulties with lexical retrieval, and the fear of performing poorly, interpretation is a cognitively and emotionally taxing task that frequently results in stress. Through questionnaires and interviews, the study gathered data from two teachers and sixty-three students using a mixed-methods approach. Results show that students often experience anxiety when interpreting under pressure, particularly when performing live and taking official tests. According to qualitative data, anxiety is considerably decreased by teacher support, especially modelling, scaffolding, positive reinforcement, and emotional support. These findings highlight the effects of emotional barriers and cognitive overload on interpreting performance, which is consistent with Krashen’s Affective Filter Hypothesis and Gile’s Effort Models. The study suggests teaching strategies that help students emotionally while progressively increasing their interpreting proficiency. In addition to reducing anxiety, an effective intervention improves learners’ accuracy, fluency, and confidence in their interpretation.