A Study of Turkish Teacher Candidates’ Language Anxiety

The main aim of the current study is to explore the foreign language anxiety and teaching foreign language anxiety of the prospective teachers at Atatürk Teacher Training Academy in Nicosia. The sample of the present study was constituted from 45 prospective teachers. Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) and Teacher Foreign Language Anxiety (TFLAS) and semi-structured interview as a mixed research method to transcribe findings. Frequency, Cronbach Alpha, Mann Whitney U test, Kruskal Wallis-H test, Tamhane and Spearman Correlation Analysis had been executed to draw findings. Findings reported that no statistical significance was existed in gender and formal years to study English Language in contexts of foreign language learning anxiety and teacher foreign language learning anxiety. However, form and department studied was found statistically significant with teacher foreign language anxiety. In addition to these, Spearman Correlation test results revealed that a significant, positive and moderate relationship was existed among teaching foreign language anxiety and learning foreign language anxiety. Besides of these, mixed minds while studying English exam, feeling to left behind as English classes moving quickly, experiencing difficulties to understand the words which mentioned by native speakers, lack of confidence while speaking were found the factors which are triggering the foreign language and teaching foreign language anxiety respectively. Qualitative findings exerted that giving oral presentation in front of crowded classes, incorrect pronunciation, failing to provide answers to students were the major ingredients of anxiety at learning and teaching contexts.