English Language Use, Anxiety, Self-Confidence, and First Language Use Among Indonesian High School Students: A Mixed-Methods Study
Keywords:
Keywords: Foreign Language Anxiety, Self-Confidence, English as a Foreign Language, First Language, High School, Indonesia, Mixed MethodsAbstract
While national policy in Indonesia emphasizes English education, students often face psychological and sociolinguistic barriers that hinder speaking proficiency. This study explores the relationships between English language use, foreign language anxiety, self-confidence, and environmental influences among Indonesian high school students. Employing a mixed-methods design, the study integrates quantitative survey data across five regions (Ambon, Toraja, Pontianak, Bengkulu, Yogyakarta) with thematic analysis of qualitative narratives from prior research. Quantitative analysis revealed a strong, significant negative correlation between language anxiety and self-confidence (r=−0.828, p<.001). However, English usage frequency did not significantly correlate with anxiety or self-confidence, and no significant regional differences emerged. Qualitatively, three consistent themes were identified: fear of negative evaluation, low self-perception of proficiency, and a lack of supportive environments. Emotional safety and social support are more critical than mere frequency of use in shaping students' confidence and willingness to communicate. These findings underscore the need for emotionally supportive learning environments, pedagogical strategies that reduce anxiety, and recognition of the first language's role in second language acquisition. Educators and policy-makers should prioritize affective dimensions in English Foreign Language (EFL) contexts.
References
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. W.H. Freeman.
Dewaele, J.-M., & MacIntyre, P. D. (2014). The two faces of Janus? Anxiety and enjoyment in the foreign language classroom. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 4(2), 237–274. https://doi.org/10.14746/ssllt.2014.4.2.5
Fatimah, S. (2022). Students’ speaking anxiety and self-confidence in EFL classroom: A case study in senior high school. Journal of English Language Teaching and Linguistics, 7(1), 45–60.
Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M. B., & Cope, J. (1986). Foreign language classroom anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 70(2), 125–132. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1986.tb05256.x
Krashen, S. D. (1982). Principles and practice in second language acquisition. Pergamon Press.
Le, H. M. (2023). Foreign language anxiety in English-medium instruction: Evidence from undergraduate students in Vietnam. Asian EFL Journal, 25(3), 89–106.
MacIntyre, P. D., & Gardner, R. C. (1991). Methods and results in the study of anxiety and language learning: A review of the literature. Language Learning, 41(1), 85–117.
Mulyono, H., & Saskia, F. (2020). Foreign language anxiety and willingness to communicate among Indonesian EFL students: A data report. Data in Brief, 32, Article 106283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2020.106283
Rahim, A. A., Hamzah, M. H., & Alias, N. (2020). Speaking anxiety among rural ESL secondary school learners in Malaysia. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 10(2), 470–480. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v10-i2/6953
Setyono, B., & Widodo, H. P. (2019). The representation of multicultural values in the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture-endorsed EFL textbook: A critical discourse analysis. Intercultural Education, 30(4), 383–397. https://doi.org/10.1080/14675986.2019.1548102
Vacalares, G. M. (2023). Language policy in the classroom: Student anxiety and perceptions toward English-only and bilingual teaching approaches. The Philippine ESL Journal, 31(2), 395–412.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Citation Check
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Nelia Fariani Siregar
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License that allows others to share and adapt the work with an acknowledgement of the work’s authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal’s published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Upon receiving the proofs, the Author/Editor agrees to promptly check the proofs carefully, correct any errors, and authorize the publication of the corrected proofs.
