International Journal of Humanities and Social Science

ISSN 2220-8488 (Print), 2221-0989 (Online) 10.30845/ijhss

Anxiety amongst Learners of English as a Second Language: An Examination of Motivational Patterns in the Pakistani Context
Filza Waseem, Tahira Jibeen

Abstract
The study examines the interrelatedness of the two affective factors of anxiety and motivation in English learning of Pakistani university students, in the context of its being the official language and an economic guarantor. Based on two scales of motivation and anxiety, data from 170 male and female undergraduates, aged between 19- 20 years, studying in COMSATS, where English is the medium of instruction, the study revealed that instrumental motivation is a significant contributor towards second language anxiety, including fear of negative evaluation, speech apprehension, fear of tests and anxiety of English classes, whereas integrative motivation only contributed towards fear of negative evaluation. The study replicates previous research in revealing that there is more instrumental motivation than integrative motivation in learners in situations where English is a prerequisite for progress and economic benefits. The study points out future directions for educators, researchers, language planners and policy makers.

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