EFL Test Anxiety: Sources and Supervisions

Abstract

Test anxiety is one of the assessment-related emotions. It refers to the individual differences to the extent to which assessments are appraised as threatening multidimensional constructs (Putwain and Daniels, 2010). Philips et al. (1972) describe two factors called Distal Antecedents and Proximal Antecedents displaying development of test anxiety. Distal Antecedents include organismic and environmental factors such as specific patterns of the parent-child relationship, pre-school and early school experiences, and cumulative academic failure experiences which contribute more indirectly to anxiety reactions as responses to evaluate conditions. On the other hand, Proximal Antecedents are immediately and directly responsible for anxiety reactions in evaluative test atmosphere or a difficult and very important exam. Zeinder (1998) states that distal factors are to shape test anxiety, whereas proximal factors are believed to impact on test anxiety. Extensive studies reveal that foreign language testing is more ‘anxiety-provoking’ than other tests. This article attempts to explore the perceived test-anxiety level which might be influenced by the level of instruction, gender, academic achievement and the nature of course work of the students of an EFL Program at a university in Bangladesh. Besides, this study investigates the traits, sources and effects of their foreign language test anxiety. Data gathered from the sample groups using a test anxiety scale and survey questions were analyzed both statistically and descriptively. Finally, following a discussion based on the existing findings, it has been recommended that the teachers' awareness of the causes and impacts of anxiety factors may have a positive effect on the process and outcome of testing English as a Foreign Language.