Reading Anxiety among Second Language Learners

Many people assumed reading as an easy process. Not many know that reading process is not just one person understanding of each word and the surface structure represented in the reading text, but it also involves the comprehension process and the ability of the reader to actually interact with the reading text by making its own interpretation on the meaning of the text. Most people also do not realize that during this progression, anxiety has been stated as one of the factors which could impede the reading process. In fact, factors such as linguistic factor, cultural and the curricular content have been identified as some contributing factors to the further development of the reading anxiety. Thus, this study intends to identify the level of reading anxiety among 91 final year Science and Non-Science undergraduates in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru Campus. Questionnaire was adapted from Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scale (FLRAS) [1] using a five point Likert Scale. This paper intends to present and highlight the results of this study as knowing the results may be critical in reviewing or revising some of the reading subjects in the university in order to suit the needs of the second language learners. (C) 2012 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of the LSP 2012 Committee, Language Academy, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.