Vol. 6 No.

1 2022

AN INVESTIGATION OF THE ROLE OF GENDER IN FOREIGN

LANGUAGE LEARNING ANXIETY IN STUDENTS OF DEPARTMENT
OF ENGLISH AT KUST
Iqra Rehman, Dr. Abdus Samad, Dr. Mansoor Ali

MS scholar, Department of English, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat, Pakistan
Associate Professor, Department of English, Kohsar University Murree, Pakistan (Corresponding Author)
Assistant Professor Department of English Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat
Abstract
Language anxiety has been investigated by researchers in different contexts in Pakistan. However, there has been a
lack of a systematic study on the issue of gender differences in language learning anxiety in Pakistan. This
observation motivated the researcher to address the issue of gender differences in language learning anxiety
through a systematic research in order to create awareness among university students and teachers for learning and
teaching improvements. Therefore; the purpose of the study is to investigate the student’s perception on the role of
gender in English language learning anxiety and revealed the factors behind the high level of anxiety in
undergraduate level students of Kohat University. The current study utilized quantitative and qualitative
methods,(close ended questions in questionnaire and open-ended questions in the semi-structured interviews) in
order to explore the impact of gender on Second language learning anxiety and to find out the factors behind the
high level of language anxiety by keeping into account the nature of research questions. With this view, mixed
method approach proved an accurate and thorough description of the gender based anxiety and its factors. For
quantitative data, Questionnaire is used, based on The Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS),
developed by Horwitz and Cope (1986), (consisting of 33 items) that is administered to the entire population (100
females and 100 males) of English department in kohat university of science and technology through random
sampling technique. For qualitative data, the statistics obtained from the questionnaire, a total of 10 participants
with higher level of anxiety were selected through purposive sampling technique in order to find out the factors
provoking high level of anxiety. According to the findings of the study, this study by using mixed method research
demonstrated that significant gender differences in foreign language anxiety were found and the study also revealed
that female students have higher level of language anxiety in comparison to the male students as well as the factors
that causes higher level of anxiety in these students.
Findings in this study will offer classroom instructors a rich source of data to understand the gender role in second
language learning anxiety as the study revealed that female students have higher level of language anxiety in
comparison with male students so the findings of the data will allow the instructors to provide a low-anxiety
classroom environment that will help the female students to learn the target language in a classroom without being
anxious. Consequently, instructors in the classroom can take preventive measures to alleviate or eliminate the
negative factors such as Peer pressure, social Segmentation, lack of confidence, fear of being wrong, cultural
norms, students’ pre-University English education, coeducation and students’ geographic background, that are
revealed by the researcher in the study, which trigger second language anxiety of female student.
Introduction
Anxiety
Anxiety is defined by Spielberger (1983) as “a subjective experience of tension, uncertainty,
nervousness, and worry connected with nervous system arousal”. Scovel (1978) contends that
despite the fact that we all apprehend what anxiety is and have experienced anxious feelings,
anxiety is challenging to express in a single line.

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Anxiety is linked to sentiment of unease, irritation, self-doubt, trepidation and worry. (cited in
Brown, 2000, p. 151).To put it another way, anxiety is linked to threats to self-efficacy and
perceptions of situations as threatening. (Pappamihiel, 2002, p. 331).

Language anxiety
In an attempt to characterize language anxiety, Gregersen (2005) claims that learners who are
worried while learning a foreign language will find the experience less enjoyable. Furthermore,
the issue involving speech or public speaking anxiety for students can often deteriorate when a
foreign language is introduced into the classroom; as a result, EFL students may be more
probable to feel public speech anxiety than further types of students (Hsu, 2012).
Researchers in the ground of second language learning in the classroom have been looking into
the function of anxiety in students' second language learning. Various researchers, such as
MacIntyre and Gardner (1989, 1991a, 1991c, 1994a, 1994b), conducted numerous studies to
recognize the application of anxiety in second language learning and to recognize the
consequences of anxiety on learners' language learning, while E. K. Horwitz (E. K. Horwitz, M.
Horwitz, & Cope, 1986) made significant contributions by describing the importance of anxiety
in second language learning and developing an instrument to measure FL anxiety and by
identifying the effect of anxiety on learners With more attention being paid to foreign language
learning, anxiety has been recognized as a major barrier for language learners. Anxiety,
according to Horwitz, Horwitz, and Cope (1986), demoralizes the process of learning a foreign
language.One of the most common challenges that English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners
face when learning a foreign language, according to language scholars is anxiety, caused by the
language learning process (Alrabai, 2014; Wu, 2010).
According to Horwitz (2001), the majority of EFL students suffer from varying degrees of
language anxiety. Furthermore, Horwitz and Young (1991) claims that the rising number of
language learners who are apprehensive in class is concerning.
According to Krashen (1982), anxiety about learning a foreign language might act as a barrier,
preventing information from reaching the language acquisition area of the learner's brain.
Furthermore, several studies on foreign language anxiety concluded that language learners who
experience anxiety in their foreign language learning may find it unpleasant, affecting their
performance and achievement (Maclntyre, 1999; Riasati, 2011).
Language educators frequently worry that their students are experiencing foreign language
anxiety in class, which has a negative impact on their achievement and performance. Previous
study on foreign language anxiety has meticulously identified that anxiety can affect
second/foreign language accomplishment and performance, according to Von Worde (2003).
Because anxiety poses significant problems for EFL students, these problems can impede their
performance and accomplishment. ( Elaldi, 2016).

Second language learning anxiety

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The global expansion of the English language has increased the demand for effective English
communication abilities. English communication has become a key skill that has been cultivated
by students from all academic backgrounds.
Many learners claim to have a mental barrier to learning a second language, despite the fact that
they are good learners in other settings, are highly driven, and have a genuine affection for native
speakers of the target language. So, what stands in their way of reaching their goal? In many
circumstances, people will experience nervousness, which will obstruct their capacity to perform
well in a foreign language class. Anxiety is a subjective experience of tension, uncertainty,
nervousness, and worry that occurs when the autonomic nervous system is aroused. Many people
find foreign language acquisition difficult, especially in classroom environments, just as anxiety
hinders certain people from functioning well in science or mathematics. As a result, it has been
discovered that the two core task needs of foreign language learning: listening and speaking, are
the source of stress or uneasiness (Horwitz et al., 1986: 29) because both talents are required for
interaction, they cannot be separated.

Second language anxiety and gender

A probable difference between female and male students has been suggested as one of the factors
that could influence anxiety, language anxiety and gender has progressively become a research
focus and interest for many scholars (Kitano, 2001). Several researches, including Pappamihiel
(2001) and Elkhafaifi (2003) have found that female students in foreign language classrooms had
higher levels of anxiety than male students. Other empirical research, on the other hand, has
found that males are more worried than females when learning a foreign language. Zhao (2007)
found that males are more apprehensive than females when learning a foreign language.
So in order to investigate the impact to gender on second language learning anxiety, this study
was carefully chosen by the researcher ,which has been shown to be an observable element in the
language learning process) on second language learning anxiety.
Several studies (Mendi, 2009; Csizer & Clement, 2001; Balemir, 2009; Huang, 2004) have
shown that gender has a significant impact on foreign language anxiety.
Research on language anxiety in Pakistan has been revealing in different contexts. Particular
research studies by Pakistani researchers (Adeel, 2011; Awan et al., 2010; Mari et al., 2012) have
contributed in the present literature and have flagged the way for new researchers to carry on
research on the same area of interest in different contexts.
The current study differs from other research works in a way that it is the first study to be
undertaken in the context of Kohat University in Pakistan. Second, this is the first study of its
kind conducted on students from underserved areas in KPK. On the other hand, it is still
uncommon to do study on learners' concerns in Pakistan's remote locations (Investigating
Foreign Language Learning Anxiety among Students Learning English in a Public Sector
University, Pakistan). This effort may motivate further researchers and provide scholars with
insight into the impact of gender on second language anxiety among Kohat University students.

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Statement of the problem

In Pakistani context, there has been a dearth of systematic research on the role of gender in
second language learning anxiety. As a result, the researcher set out to investigate the role of
gender in second language learning anxiety among KUST undergraduate students in order to
conduct a systematic study on gender differences in language learning anxiety as well as the
factors that contribute to a higher level of language anxiety.
Additionally, the findings of this study revealed whether male or female students in a classroom
are more anxious in language learning classrooms in the department of English at Kohat
University of Science and Technology, as well as whether mixed-gender classrooms produce
Second Language Anxiety in some students. The most language anxiety-inducing aspects in the
Pakistani and other ESL environments are also highlighted in this study.

Rationale of the study

Researchers in Pakistan have looked into language anxiety in a variety of settings. However, in
Pakistani context, there hasn't been a thorough investigation on the problem of gender disparities
in language learning anxiety. As an educator, researcher has observed and encountered the role
of gender in English language classes, where students from various cultural backgrounds avoid
attending English classes and feel apprehensive about participating in a classroom. This
discovery prompted the researcher to conduct a comprehensive study to address the topic of
gender disparities in language learning anxiety in order to raise awareness among university
students and teachers about the importance of second language learning and teaching
improvements.
Several studies (Gardner & Lambert, 1972; Mendi, 2009) have shown that gender has a
significant impact on foreign language speaking anxiety, and gender is a visible factor in the
language learning process (Batters, 1986; Clark & Trafford, 1995; Powell, 1986; Pugsley, 1991).
As a result, the researcher investigated whether male or female learners are more anxious when
speaking in English and the factors that create high level of anxiety in second language learners.

It has been investigated that for some students, mixed-gender classrooms might be stressful. In
this regard, it may be beneficial to investigate this issue further in the Pakistani context (as well
as other EFL situations). Similarly, looking at the link between gender and second language
anxiety could provide insight into how gender differences affect SLA. In this regard, the
researcher wishes to investigate the impact of gender on foreign language speaking anxiety,
which has been shown to be a noticeable element in the language learning process (Batters,
1986; Clark & Trafford, 1995; Powell, 1986; Pugsley, 1991).
(Samad, 2014) suggested that more research into the relationship between gender and language
anxiety should be conducted. As a result, the researcher set out to conduct a systematic

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investigation into the exploration of gender roles in second language learning anxiety among the
students of English department at KUST.
Several studies (Gardner & Lambert, 1972; Mendi, 2009; Csizer & Clement, 2001; Balemir,
2009; Huang, 2004) have demonstrated that gender has a significant impact on foreign language
speaking anxiety. As a result, the goal of this research was to determine if male or female
students are more anxious when speaking English, as well as the factors that contribute to this
disparity in second language anxiety.

Research questions

The study aimed to addresses the following research questions.

1: Does the level of anxiety vary between male and female students in Kohat University?
2: What are the significant factors behind the difference in second language anxiety between
male and female students at Kohat university of Science and Technology?

Significance of the study

This research contributed significantly to the understanding of the relationship between gender
and second language anxiety, as well as the factors that contribute to students' higher levels of
anxiety. One of the major outcomes of the study is that instructors in English department will be
now aware of their students language anxiety whether male learners are more anxious in their
language learning class or . As a result, the necessary precautions can be established.

Instructors in the classroom can also take preventive actions to relieve or eliminate the negative
elements identified by the researcher in the study that cause students in a language class to
experience second language anxiety. In a language classroom, the influence of gender in second
language acquisition anxiety is a crucial factor investigated by different researchers in different
contexts. As a result, the findings of this study will give classroom teachers with a wealth of
information about the role of gender in second language learning anxiety, allowing them to
create a low-anxiety learning environment.

The findings of the study will aid educational administrators, curriculum designers, and
practitioners working in the Pakistani educational second language learning system in paying
closer attention to the potential impact of gender-based discrepancies in language learning
anxiety, which can obstruct the learning and teaching process during various stages of planning,
organizing, and implementation in a language classroom. Teachers and learners may face less
ecologically-oriented affective obstacles in the provided educational settings if the regional
needs and beliefs of language learners are taken into account in this way.

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LITERATURE REVIEW

Language anxiety has long been thought to be an important affective factor in the language
learning process. Over the last three decades, a substantial quantity of material has been written
on language anxiety. Language anxiety can be caused by a variety of circumstances. Horwitz et
al. (1986) were the first to recognize foreign language anxiety as a distinct and distinct
phenomenon unique to language acquisition. Language anxiety is a kind of shyness marked by
fear of, or worry about, talking with people, according to Horwitz et al (1986) (p.127). Young
(1992) said that there are other elements that contribute to learners' linguistic anxiety, for
example Students' coping skills, self-concept, the specific teaching approach, learner experiences
and cultural influences, motivation, and attentiveness are among the determinants.

Many researches have been conducted on the role of gender in SLA; nonetheless, the results are
mixed. Adult students studying Spanish, German, Russian, and Korean at the Defense Language
Institute in California were the subjects of Campbell and Shaw's (1994) investigation. Female
students learning English in South Korea have higher levels of SLA than their male counterparts,
according to Parkand French (2013).According to the researchers, females learners have higher
levels of SLA due to sociocultural influences.. They claim that in a male-dominated society
where women are expected to play a submissive position, women are anxious when forced to
express their personal feelings.

Horwitz, Horwitz, and Cope (1986:128) examined language anxiety from the standpoint of
language acquisition, describing it as "a discrete complexity of self-perceptions, attitudes,
emotions, and actions connected to classroom language learning resulting from the
distinctiveness of the language learning process." As a result, there are two types of foreign
language anxiety: the first emerges from the contexts in which learners use and learn the
language, and the second arises from the character of the language itself.
Since a probable variation between female and male students has been regarded to be one of the
factors that could influence anxiety, language anxiety and gender has steadily become the
research focus and interest of many scholars (Kitano, 2001). As a result, numerous academics
have attempted to investigate the potential difference in anxiety between female and male
students in various parts of the world, with mixed results. Several research, including
Pappamihiel (2001) and Elkhafaifi (2003), have found that female students in foreign language
classrooms had higher anxiety than male students. Other empirical research on the other hand
has found that males are more worried than females when learning a foreign language. Zhao
(2007) found that males are more apprehensive than females when learning a foreign language.
Furthermore, Aida (1994), Batumlu, and Erden (2007) believed there was no link between
gender and foreign language anxiety. Solely a few Ethiopian scholars (Berhanu, 2005; &
Melkamu, 2008) sought to investigate the possible difference in anxiety levels between boys and

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girls only in high school. According to Berhanu (2005) and Melkamu (2008), there is no
substantial gender difference in the levels of anxiety among students.
More than 50% of all foreign language students experience anxiety during their studies As per
Worde. It goes without saying that anxiety in foreign language learning is not uncommon; in
fact, most students have experienced some level of anxiety during their studies.
Foreign Language Anxiety is among the most important and affective elements that influences
language learning (FLA). An increase in research into numerous individual learner variations
expected to affect language learning outcomes prompted the investigation of anxiety in SLA
(Toth, 2007:123).
The majority of language learners experience anxiety while learning a new language. It is
astonishing, how many students report feeling worried while learning a second or foreign
language (Riasati, 2011).
The purpose of this study is to see if there is a substantial difference in anxiety levels between
male and female students. Many studies have looked into this topic, and the findings revealed
that the association between foreign language anxiety and gender is a contentious issue.

Alrabai (2014) also investigated the extent and causes of FLA among 1389 Saudi EFL learners
(male and female). The participants ranged in age from middle school to university. The
participants' anxiety levels ranged from moderate to high, with interaction being the primary
source of linguistic anxiety. In addition, Javid (2014) found Saudi EFL learners' anxiety and its
causes in 216 freshman male students participating in Taif University's preparatory year
program. The findings show that students in Saudi Arabia's preparation year have a moderate
level of SLA. Related to communication anxiety remained the most common anxiety component,
followed by English classroom anxiety. Fear of unfavorable assessment anxiety was ranked
third, with test anxiety receiving the lowest average mean..
As a result, the goal of this study is to see if gender has an impact on the level of speaking
anxiety encountered by undergraduates at Kohat University of Science and Technology.

Methodology

The current study employed the both methods that are quantitative method and qualitative
research method (open-ended questions in the semi-structured interviews and close ended
questions in questionnaire). This study, relying solely on one method may prove to be a poor
strategy, because it will not provide a more in-depth and clear understanding of the complex
subject of anxiety Interviews alone, for example, would not have allowed for a large sample to
be collected. In the same way, questionnaires alone may give a biased representation of
participants' perspectives on a specific event (Pring, 2000). The mixed methods approach
enabled preliminary results to be obtained from questionnaire data, which were subsequently
analyzed and confirmed through interviews. As a result, combining methodologies allowed
researchers to acquire a more complete picture of the problem by examining it from multiple

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perspectives. As a result, both procedures validate one another, and a mixed method inquiry
offers a potentially more extensive means of legitimizing findings than either QUAL or QUAN
approaches alone.

Instruments

Questionnaire was used to collect data from 100 males and 100 females (close ended items using
Likert scale). The questionnaire was selected in order to provide a systematic answer that
whether male learners are more anxious while learning a second language in a classroom.
The questionnaires were filled by the male and female learners were rigorously examined in
order to maintain the study's reliability and validity. By using a purposive sampling technique,
ten most anxious language learners were highlighted and chosen for an interview, based on the
results provided by the questionnaire. These were the female L2 learners that have a higher level
of anxiety when speaking a foreign language as compare to other learners, in order to obtain the
factors that contribute to the higher level of anxiety in female students of the English department
in comparison to male students.

Research Sample

The current study's data was gathered from the English department at Kohat University of
Science and Technology. Convenience, availability, and safe access are among the
characteristics used to select Kohat University for research. The reason for selecting a public
sector university was because they are Pakistan's primary provider of higher education.

Procedure

The quantitative phase of the study was administered initially, therefore; the questionnaire was
distributed among the students at the start of the study, which appeared as an advantage to the
study and also for students participated in the research. For example, the students may get
hesitant at first, so in order to motivate them and to make them comfortable in a research
process, a questionnaire is often easier and simpler to complete, and it might encourage learners
to engage in subsequent research phases. Second and the most important reason was that the
questionnaire brought up some significant concerns that are to be discussed in further depth
during the interviews. (Cohen et al., 2007; Creswell, 2003).
Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software was used to analyze the collected data.
The information gathered from the questionnaire's closed-ended questions was carefully entered
into the SPSS program to calculate frequency and percentages of teachers' responses to each
question. Thematic content analysis was used to analyze all of the qualitative data acquired

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through interviews with teachers. Furthermore, the administration of the questionnaire was
followed by interviews with the participants.

Results
The results included the outcomes of the study conducted among English department students at
Kohat University of Science and Technology in Pakistan to determine the influence of gender in
English language learning anxiety in class.
Gardner and Maclntyre (1989) argued that the vagueness and discrepancies in FLA research
could be traced back to the instruments used to evaluate anxiety, and preferred utilizing SLA-
specific scales over generic anxiety scales. The data from the questionnaire also contributed to
the discovery of the answer to research question number two. And the interviews looked to be a
safe space for students to share their feelings and explore their perspectives on second language
anxiety.

Research Question 1: The Most Anxiety-Provoking Skill

The findings described in this section are those that help to answer the first research question of
the current study.
Does the level of anxiety vary between male and female students in Kohat University?
This research question was answered by students through the questionnaire, the close-ended
questions in the questionnaire, and in-depth semi-structured interviews of the data revealed that
there is a significant difference in foreign language anxiety between male and female students of
Kohat University in learning English as a second language. This finding agrees with those of Al-
Sibai (2005) and Kim (2009) who report that speaking skills provoke the most anxiety for
foreign language learners.

SNo Statement Gender Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

Agree Disagree
1 I never feel quite sure of myself when I am Female 30% 40% 5% 10% 5%

speaking in my foreign language class

Male 10% 5% 5% 49% 31%

I do not worry about making mistakes in Female 5% 20% 2% 57% 16%

2 language class.

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Male 23% 57% 17% 3%

I tremble when I know that I’m going to be Female 21% 44% 1% 14% 20%
3 called on in language class
Male 8% 12% 48% 32%

It frightens me when I do not understand Female 42% 33% 15% 10%

4 what the teacher is saying in foreign
Male 10% 13% 7% 41% 29%
language

5 It wouldn't bother me at all to take more Female 32% 48% 3%

foreign language classes

Male 10% 7%

During language class, I find myself Female 33% 38%

6 thinking about things that have nothing to do
Male 27% 49%
with the course.

I keep thinking that the other students are Female 19% 46%
7 better at language than I am.
Male 43% 45%

I am usually at ease during my tests in my Female 27% 23%

8 language class 28% 37% 5%
Male
I start to panic when I have to speak without Female 37% 22%
9 preparation in language class.
Male 28% 39%

I worry about the consequences of failing Female 38% 51% 49% 31%
10 my foreign language class.
Male

I don't understand why some people get so Female 36% 39%

11 upset over foreign language class
Male 25% 40%

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In language class, I can get so nervous I Female 37% 41% 23% 46%
12 forget things I know
Male

It embarrasses me to volunteer answers in Female 29% 60%

13 my language class.
Male 10% 13%

I would not be nervous speaking the foreign Female 32% 40%

14 language with native speakers.
Male 41% 35%

I get upset when I don't understand what the Female 28% 41%
15 teacher is correcting
Male 30% 41%

Even if I am well prepared for language Female 33% 35%

16 class, I feel anxious about it.
Male 27% 46%

I often feel like not going to my language Female 28% 23%

17 class
Male 37% 41%

I feel confident when I speak in foreign Female 38% 40%

18 language class.
Male 43% 38%

I am afraid that my language teacher is Female 27% 45% 19% 50%

19 ready to correct every mistake I make.
Male

I can feel my heart pounding when I'm Female 27% 44%

20 going to be called on in language class

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Male 16% 20%

The more I study for a language test, the Female 28% 53%
21 more confused I get.
Male 35% 40%

I don't feel pressure to prepare very well for Female 37% 48%
22 language class.
Male 29% 40%

I always feel that the other students speak Female 38% 45% 34% 48%
23 the foreign language better than I do.
Male

24 I feel very self-conscious about speaking the Female 39% 43%

foreign language in front of other students

Male 19% 20%

Language class moves so quickly I worry Female 29% 52% 27% 25%
25 about getting left behind.
Male

I feel more tense and nervous in my Female 35% 54% 14% 20%
26 language class than in my other classes.
Male

I get nervous and confused when I am Female 43% 41%

27 speaking in my language class.
Male 20% 18%

When I'm on my way to language class, I Female 27% 43%

28 feel very sure and relaxed.
Male 38% 35%

I get nervous when I don't understand every Female 19% 40%

29

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word the language teacher says. Male 10% 9%

30 I feel overwhelmed by the number of rules Female 19 9% 8% 30%

you have to learn to speak a foreign

Male
language

I am afraid that the other students will laugh Female 40% 39%
31 at me when I speak the foreign language
Male
18% 20%
I would probably feel comfortable around Female 28% 49%

native speakers of the foreign language.

32 Male 9% 10%

I get nervous when the language teacher Female 40% 36%

33 asks questions which I haven't prepared in
Male 34% 29%
advance.

The result is obvious in Table above, where the majority of participants endorsed items
indicative of SA. As 70% of female students either strongly agreed or agreed that they never feel
quite sure of their self when they are speaking in their foreign language class (item 1), while only
15% male students agreed or agreed to this item. The result of item 2 shows that only 25% of the
female students agreed that they do not worry about making mistakes in language class while 80
% of the male students agreed to it. 65% of female in Item no 3 agreed that they tremble when
they know that they are going to be called on in language class while 80% of the male students
disagreed to it.
Item no 4 shows that 75 % of the female students agreed that they get frighten when they do not
understand what the teacher is saying in foreign language and only 15 % of female students
disagree to it while 70% of the male students disagree to item no 4. 80 % (item 5), 50% ( item 8 )
and 75 % (item 11) of the female students disagreed that they are usually at ease to take language
learning classes or during the test in language classes while 80% (item 5),70% (item 8) and 65%
of the male students agreed to this statement.
65% (item 7), 74 % (item 23),89 % (item 10) and 59% (item 9) of female students either strongly
agreed or agreed that they the other students speak the second language better than they do and
worry about the consequences of failing their second language class and also start to panic when
they have to speak without preparation in second language class while 88% (item 7) , 82% (item
23),67% (item 9) and 80% (item 10) of the male students disagreed to it. This corresponds with

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item 6, during language class, I find myself thinking about things that have nothing to do with
the course; 69% of the female students agreed to this statement while 76 % of the male students
rejected the statement by either disagreeing or strongly disagree. Result of Item no 12 shows that
71% of the female students disagree to the statement that they don’t understand why some
people get so upset over second language class while 68% of the male students agreed to it.

On the other hand, 89% (item 13), 71.1% (item 20) and 84.1% (item 27) of female students
either strongly agreed or agreed that they can feel their heart pounding and get embarrass when
they are going to be called on in language class while only 23% (item 13), 36 % (item 20) and 28
% item 27 of male students agreed to the above statement.
Likewise, 72.3% of the female students either strongly agreed or agreed with the statement, I feel
afraid that my language teacher is ready to correct every mistake I make (Item 19) while 69 % of
the male students disagree to the above statement. Correspondingly, 69% of the female students
strongly agreed with the statement “ I get upset when I don’t understand what the teacher is
correcting”(Item 15) and 71% of the male students disagree with the above statement”.
On the other hand, 72 % (item 14), 78% (item 18) and 85% (item 22) of female students either
disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statement “I would not be nervous speaking the second
language with native speakers or I don’t feel pressure to prepare very well for second language
class”. While 76 %( item 14), 81% (item 18) and 69% of the male students agreed with the
statement. Meanwhile, 68% (item 16) of female students agreed to the statement that even if they
are well prepared for second language class, they feel anxious about it. While, 73 % of the male
students agreed to the above statement. Similarly, 51% (item 17) of the female students agreed or
strongly agreed to the statement that they often feel like not going to their language class.
And 78% of the male students disagreed to the same statement. On the other hand, 69% (item
28) of the female students disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statement “when I'm on my
way to language class, I feel very sure and relaxed”. While,73% of male students disagreed with
the similar statement. Correspondingly, 81 % (item 21) of the female students agreed or strongly
agreed that the more they study for a language test, the more confused they get.While,75% of the
male students disagreed to the above statement. 82 % (item 24) of the female students agreed to
the statement “I feel very self-conscious about speaking the foreign language in front of other
students”. On the other hand, only 39 % of the male students agreed to the above statement.

81% (item 25) of the female students agreed or strongly agreed to the statement that Language
class moves so quickly that they worry about getting left behind and on the same statement 52 %
of the male students disagreed or strongly disagreed.89% (item 26) of the female students agreed
that they feel more tensed and nervous in their language class than in any other classes and only
34 % male students disagreed to the same question. Similarly, 59% (item 29) of the female
students gets nervous when they don't understand every word the language teacher says but only
29% of the male students agreed to the above statement. 28 % (item 30) of the female students
agreed that they feel overwhelmed by the number of rules they have to learn to speak a foreign
language while 38 % of the male students disagreed to the above statement.

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Correspondingly, 89% (item 31) of the female students agreed with the statement “I am afraid
that the other students will laugh at me when I speak the foreign language” while, only 38 % of
the male students agreed to the above statement. 87% (item 32) of the female students disagreed
with the statement that they would probably feel comfortable around native speakers of the
second language and only 19 % male students agreed to the above statement.76% (item 33) of
the female students agreed to the statement that they get nervous when the language teacher asks
questions which they haven't prepared in advance, while 63% of the male students disagreed to
the above statement”.
The data obtained from the questionnaire revealed that female students are more anxious than
male students in Kohat University.

Research Question no 2: Factors that provokes language anxiety in female students

The findings of the questionnaire helped to answer the second research question of the current
study.
What are the significant factors behind the difference in second language anxiety between
male and female students at Kohat university of Science and Technology?
Students responded to this research question via semi structured interviews and open-ended
questions. As previously stated, the answer to the Research question no one was determined
through a questionnaire that determined whether or not there is a significant difference in foreign
language anxiety between male and female students of Kohat University when learning English
as a foreign language and also explored different levels of L2 anxiety between male and female
students at the university level. And the results showed that female students at Kohat University
are more worried than male pupils.
Research question no 2 explored the factors and reasons for the higher level of anxiety after
analyzing the data for the first research question. This phase of the research was decided on
qualitative data because it was felt that interviews afforded the opportunity to obtain personal
information and insights directly from the female students that would allow the researcher to
understand the student's viewpoint as they experienced FLA the most, which was revealed
through qualitative data.The ten most anxious female students who completed a questionnaire
were interviewed accordingly.

Interview findings
The Role of Gender in Second Language Learning Anxiety:

The goal of this study was to look into the role of gender in second language learning anxiety.
The quantitative data revealed that female students have a higher level of anxiety than male
students. The interview method was the second part of the research.
The following comments by Sabia are indicative of the feelings of many other students. When
asked, why speaking English as a second language inside the classroom is the biggest challenge

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that she faces, she commented: “Speaking English inside the classroom makes a very difficult
state for me, I become very nervous, the hesitation starts to engulf me, my heartbeat becomes
faster and faster and I start visibly trembling, my words do not come up with my tongue
appropriately, my ideas starts to float here and there”.
“When speaking in English in a class, I get nervous, lose all my confidence, my body trembles,
and I begin flushing”, she continued, “my heartbeat gets fast, and I use short broken phrases, and
quickly finish the topic. In this case, foreign language anxiety has an impact on students'
academic performance. Learning a language is a process. Even if I have the things I need to say
in my head, it suddenly becomes hard for me to speak all of them”.
"Grammatical mistakes are my biggest fear in speaking English in a classroom because most of
the teachers in university use communicating language teaching method in our classroom, but I
completely learned English via grammar translational method where the primary focus was on
writing in English language and not on speaking in English language, so now it is very difficult
for me to learn English through communicating language instructional strategies," another
student said in response to the same question.
According to the students' comments, grammatical translation is still the most widely used
teaching style for teaching English, although it does not provide students with experience to
English as a real-life language. As a result, they fall behind others. Furthermore, in teacher-
centered classes, students are not given the opportunity to speak, which has an impact on
students' communicative competence, resulting in an improvement in their learning. Anxiety is
exacerbated by repetitive memorizing of grammar rules and vocabulary, since students feel
pressured and overburdened.

The presence of anxiety in English classrooms, according to Wang (2003), is due to the
classroom environment. At colleges, ESL classes are teacher-centered, with the teacher
controlling the class and not allowing learners flexibility, resulting in a lack of a calm
environment for English language acquisition. As a result, most learners are apprehensive and
nervous.
According to participant Kashmala. “I find myself much behind other students (especially male
students in our class) who can speak and write English effortlessly, thus I experienced these
kinds of challenges at first.” The statements of these undergraduate students reveal a clear design
for this question.
Another participant responded to the comment by saying that whenever some of my classmates
speak frequently, it causes her worry and obstruction. She claims that she is far behind her peers
simply because they can speak boldly in front of everyone but she lacks the confidence to speak
in front of her students, particularly her male peers and teachers.

Following are the different factors that were found in the interview of these students.

Peer Pressure and Social Segmentation as anxiety provoking factor in second

language learning classroom:
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Peer pressure and social segmentation are two of the most common causes of speaking anxiety in
students while learning a language in a classroom because they compare their level of learning
with other students in the language classroom, which causes them to be more self-conscious
about themselves. Interview findings show that girls are more anxious in a classroom than their
male peers while learning a language because of social pressure and self-consciousness.

Relationship between second language anxiety and Students’ Pre-University

English Education:

One of the students Ayesha stated, “In beginning days of learning English, I find English
language extremely difficult to learn, I am from rural area, and so my background in English
language is poor, my course books in my childhood were in urdu language and I was used to
learn everything in urdu or in my mother tongue because my schooling was mostly in mother
tongue and my teachers in my village also didn’t know English language that handicaps in my
learning and I was not used to English as it is second language”.
Ayesha in her interview said , “Because of the fear of being judged by my peers and teachers,
who are very fluent in the target language in comparison to me, so in front of them I do not speak
in English even though I know the answer to the question that the teacher asked in a classroom,
but even then I do not answer it in the language learning class just because of my speaking
anxiety and the fear that my classmates who are very fluent in the target language will laugh on
me”.
It demonstrates that a student's academic background influences their speaking anxiety in the
classroom, as some students come from rural areas where they are taught in their native
language, such as Pashto or Urdu, which may result in their inability to cope with English in
higher educational institutes, despite their academic competence.

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Lack of confidence and the fear of being wrong in a language classroom:

Students learning English as a second language in a classroom can have speaking anxiety due to
a lack of confidence and a fear of being wrong, according to the interviews.
Similarly, some students may not respond to the teacher's questions in language learning class
because they are afraid of being incorrect because they cannot speak in the target language
properly; later, however, they may be disappointed that they were correct because they did not
contribute because they could not give the answer in the target language.
Amna's subsequent reply appears to indicate that learners are aware that a lack of confidence
hinders their growth. Perhaps they require some direction from the teacher as well as positive
reinforcement. "I know I should be able to speak in English in my language class, I can't learn
and progress if I don't try to speak in English in front of my male classmates, and I have to
overcome the fear of being evaluated in a classroom," she said in her interview.
This shows that a student's level of anxiety is affected by their level of self-confidence, which
can make learning a target language difficult. In an interview, Ayesha backed up her claim by
saying that if she makes a mistake while speaking, everyone in her classroom would laugh at her,
and some will even make fun of her outside of class. This fear prevents her from not
participating in her language learning classroom.

Coeducation, an anxiety provoking factor in female learners:

The information provided by the participants revealed that they experience stress and anxiety
when giving presentations, class tests, and quizzes in front of their male classmates and teachers
because they have never interacted with male students and teachers before in their academic
careers, which creates a huge barrier in their learning process in a classroom and results in their
higher level of anxiety, so male dominancy is also an important factor according to the findings
of the interview questions.
Momina said in her interview "As I have studied in a girls school and college, and now I am
studying in a coeducational university, it has greatly reduced my confidence level because I
never interacted with male students in my class and I was not familiar with speaking in target
language in front of male students in a classroom, and now I have to speak in front of male
students, which has made me very conscious of making mistakes,". She also stated , “when I
have to answer a question in front of the entire class, I get quite nervous because I'm afraid of
what my male classmates will think of me because I can't even speak English”.

Social and cultural alienation, a prominent anxiety arousing factor in

language learning classroom:

The statistics highlighted a variety of difficulties with social and cultural trends. First, Pakistani
society is split on cultural, socioeconomic, and linguistic levels (Coleman & Capstick, 2012).

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Students at the university level come from all over Pakistan and study in the same class.
According to the findings of this study, socio-cultural disparities between rural and urban
students can influence some rural students' participation in oral activities, resulting in second
language anxiety for them.”
Bushra, who was from a village located in kpk, Pakistan, stated in her interview:
“Students from cities, consider us backwards because of our cultural norms and dressings as well
as they consider that we are not competent or less competent as compare to them, they
sometimes make fun of our accents in a language classroom. Therefore their presence makes me
feel very uncomfortable and gives me anxiety and I mostly prefer to be silent in a classroom
even though I know the answer.”
Finally, certain learners may benefit from the high status of teachers in Pakistani society. In
Pakistani culture, people are trained to be courteous, obedient, and submissive in the presence of
those who are older and wiser. Similarly, debating with them is considered disrespectful, and one
is supposed to agree with anything they say. Students may hold professors in high regard because
they meet these qualities.

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS

The data presented by English department students clearly demonstrated that there is a
considerable difference in foreign language anxiety between male and female Kohat University
students when learning English as a second language. The first research question indicated, using
a quantitative technique, that female students in the Department of English at KUST have higher
levels of language anxiety than their male counterparts.
Through interviews, the qualitative technique identified the elements that explain why female
students have a higher level of language anxiety in the classroom.
Mixed-gender classes produce Second Language Anxiety for some students, according to the
findings of this study. The main anxiety-inducing elements in Pakistani and other ESL situations
were discovered, that are following.
 Peer Pressure and Social Segmentation as anxiety provoking factor in second language
learning classroom.
 Relationship between second language anxiety and Students’ Pre-University English
Education.
 Lack of confidence and the fear of being wrong in a language classroom.
 Coeducation, an anxiety provoking factor in female learners.
 Social and cultural alienation, a prominent anxiety arousing factor in language learning
classroom.

CONCLUSION

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This study concluded that there is a considerable difference between male and female language
learning anxiety, as the results demonstrated systematically through a mixed method approach
that female students in the department of English at KUST experience higher levels of Second
language learning anxiety, and the study also revealed that there are various factors that cause
higher levels of anxiety in female students in comparison to male students, which cannot be
neglected in language learning. Second language anxiety is a difficult issue in foreign language
acquisition, according to the findings of this study, and gender plays a key influence in second
language learning anxiety.
Researchers, on the other hand, should approach this problem methodically and thoroughly. A
detailed understanding of the causes of second language anxiety in female students, as identified
by the researcher in this study, would aid in the development of strategies to address this issue in
language courses. More research in this field is needed, based on this complete evaluation of the
study, to determine the factors that play a critical part in students' second language anxiety, since
they play a critical role in foreign language anxiety and have detrimental impacts on second
Language anxiety happens in English language classes regardless of their language level,
aptitude, gender, or age, therefore language anxiety is a reality.

To summarize, the purpose of this study was to look at the impact of mixed-gender EFL
classrooms on Pakistani learners' Second Language Anxiety in order to gain a better
understanding of this affective variable in the Pakistani context After gathering and analyzing the
data, the study's findings revealed some interesting findings, indicating that gender-based
heterogeneity in ESL classrooms can cause significant SL anxiety among language learners in
Pakistan, potentially leading to learning failures.

Suggestion for further research

The following useful recommendations can be made based on the findings of this study.
More emphasis should be placed on formative assessment (evaluation for learning) and feedback
rather than summative assessment (assessment of learning) and feedback to lessen students'
worry that their mistakes in front of the teachers will affect their end-of-course grades.
A fully communicative approach to language instruction should be used to give language
learners with limited exposure to English more opportunities to completely develop their second
language speaking abilities, which will help them feel less anxious. Because the teacher's
welcoming, helpful, and cooperative demeanor creates a friendly, informal, and learning-
supportive environment for language learning, making learners feel at ease when speaking in
class.
Finally, Language teachers can better interpret and comprehend anxiety-related behaviors in
some students if they are familiar with their cultural and ethnic background, as well as their past
language learning experiences of the language learners. Teachers should make a concerted effort
to instill in their students, a sense of comradeship and cooperation for each other in a language

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classroom. This will enable learners to interact in class with more confidence and less
nervousness.

Limitations of the study

The current study, like many others, has its own set of limitations. One of the limitations is the
limited sample size, which limits the generalizability of the results.
In other words, because the participants were chosen from a single institution, the findings
cannot be applied to all Pakistani EFL educational environments. As a result, future research is
required to cross-validate the findings of this study to a larger and more gender-based sample of
EFL classes in Pakistan.

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