VietTESOL International Convention 2026

Language acquisition is a complex process, incorporating both objective and affective factors. EFL to ESL transition is not possible without overcoming and embracing English as a part of one’s identity. However, affective factors can hinder this process. One of such known affective factors is usually referred to as foreign language anxiety (FLA). Iizuka (2011, p.11) discussed three dimensions or aspects of foreign language socially-based anxiety: linguistic anxiety, content anxiety, and cultural anxiety. Thus, it has been established that FLA is a multi-dimensional issue. While there are individual differences between learners experiencing FLA, there are also noticeable differences motivated by learners’ cultural communicative styles and traditions.
This study introduces the results of a survey investigating different expressions that Japanese students use to describe their language-related anxiety. Students were asked if they feel 不安 “anxiety”, 心配 “worry”, 緊張 “nervousness”, 違和感 “discomfort”, and/or 抵抗 “resistance” when speaking English in general, with other Japanese people, and with “foreigners”. The data were collected among first-year students at a private university in Tokyo, Japan. The results demonstrated that students use the above-mentioned expressions to refer to different aspects of anxiety they experience in communicative situations and how some of those dimensions were affecting embracing their English language identity. More research is needed to identify and differentiate dimensions of anxiety Japanese language learners experience in order to adequately address affective factors impacting their language acquisition and embracing English as second, not foreign language.