ANXIETY FACTORS AFFECTING EFL STUDENTS' LISTENING COMPREHENSION

The mixed-method study sheds light on the factors influencing 84 non-English major sophomores’ listening anxieties in a public university in Vietnam. The questionnaire adapted from Kim (2000) and semi-structured interviews were employed to discover students’ anxiety levels related to teacher factors, student factors, and materials during their listening process. The findings show a high frequency of anxiety experienced by many students when they were distracted during the listening process. Secondly, the concern emerges from unfamiliar English pronunciation and accents, which led to students’ difficulty understanding English audio recordings. As a third obstacle, the speaker may experience discomfort if they speak at a fast speed, which pertains to the second concern of being overworked. Lastly, students' nervousness during listening sessions was worsened by instructor-related worries. Though there was still restraint, several pedagogical implications were additionally presented in the field to help increase students’ anxiety in EFL listening classes.