Practical Task 3: Interview Questions + Transcript + Reflection +

Information Sheet + Consent Form

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Research Question: What are learners’ perceptions of the causes, manifestations, and ways
of alleviating language anxiety among L2 learners?

Intro Question: Can you tell me a bit about your experience with learning a second
language?
● Probe: What motivated you to start learning?
1. Main Question: What specific situations in your language classes make you feel
anxious?
○ Probe Question: Could you give examples of activities or moments that have
made you particularly anxious?
2. Main Question: How do you perceive the role of your teacher in contributing to your
anxiety?
○ Probe Question: In what ways do you think the teaching methods or
classroom environment influence your feelings of anxiety?
3. Main Question: What personal factors (e.g., previous experiences, self-confidence)
do you think contribute to your language anxiety?
○ Probe Question: How do past learning experiences or your own self-
perception affect your anxiety in language learning?
4. Main Question: Can you describe any physical sensations or emotional reactions you
experience when feeling anxious in class?
○ Probe Question: What specific symptoms or feelings do you notice when
anxiety hits during your language classes?
5. Main Question: Have you noticed any changes in your behaviour during language
lessons when you feel anxious?
○ Probe Question: What different actions or reactions do you find yourself
exhibiting in response to anxiety in the classroom?
6. Main Question: What strategies do you use to cope with your language anxiety?
 ○ Probe Question: Can you share which of these strategies you feel have been
effective, and in what situations they help the most?
7. Main Question: How do you think your teacher could help reduce anxiety in the
classroom?
○ Probe Question: What specific changes or approaches would you suggest to
make the learning environment less anxiety-inducing?
8. Main Question: What advice would you give to other learners who might be
struggling with language anxiety?
○ Probe Question: What tips or insights have you found useful that you believe
could help others facing similar challenges?

Closing Question: Is there anything we have not discussed that you think is important to
mention regarding your experience with language anxiety?
INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

Interviewer: OK I think I'm starting to record yes. Hi how are you.

Interviewee: I'm good how about you.

Interviewer: I'm fine thank you first of all I won't really thank you for to be a part of this
project.

Interviewee: Thank you so much.

Interviewer: I'm really happy to see you again and always like your smile make me happy.

Interviewee: Me too oh thank you Felicia.

Interviewer: So. If you are ready we can start with this interview?

Interviewee: Yes.

Interviewer: OK. Can you tell me about a bit of your experience with the learning a second
language?

Interviewee: Growing up learning a language has been I would say a very difficult journey
the reason why is 'cause I came from multiple areas from Sri Lanka being my ethnic
background and then Switzerland being my birth country and then England being a country
that I raised in there are multiple sectors that I have to go through in order to learn the
language. But my journey in learning a language I would say is inspiring but then also
chaotic. The reason why is because when you're brought up in one country. And you're then
trying to communicate with someone else who speaks differently it puts you on the spot it
you won't you know really you lose a sense of confidence in yourself because you don't know
whether you're saying the right thing and then also when you try to translate whatever you're
saying it tends to be wrong or it can be wrong or there is a possibility of you saying
something wrong. By mistaken so I would say my journey broke up through learning
languages would be more on the negative side. There are potentially a few positives to it but I
haven't seen it myself being you know in that positive field like at the moment I'm doing you
know teaching and stuff like that I still tend to forget certain tenses or like which verbs I'm
putting modal verbs and stuff like that so it gets really confusing and then a child puts you on
the spot saying miss you spelt it wrong you said it wrong. But it gets very difficult at that
point but yeah.

Interviewer: OK thank you can you what motivated you to Start learning a second language.

Interviewee: I would say there are a few. I wouldn't say there are a lot of. How would I say
points of me learning a language but there are a few reasons as to why it's because I want to
communicate with my loved one? That's something I'm at the moment I'm learning another
language but communicating communicating to my loved ones is something that I really put
as a priority in learning a new language at the same time travelling a lot is something that's
very.

Interviewer: What?

Interviewee: The key is significant in learning a language as well. So trying to communicate

across different countries and stuff like that.

Interviewer: OK good thank you so much and what specific situation in your language
classes make you feel a bit anxious.

Interviewee: Can you repeat that for me?

Interviewer: Yes of course what specific situation in your language classes make you feel
anxious.

Interviewee: Mm hmm. OK I would I would put this context into an experience that I had in
secondary school is that we were in classes that were you know had a range of different
levels so from ranging from beginners to intermediates to advanced and I was a beginner
learning French and it put me on the spot because there are people around me who are
advanced and. Not many people were beginners and when the teach teach the lessons she
doesn't fully focus on you know the beginner itself. And when she's communicating she's
normally focusing on the advanced student 'cause they know what to say and then when they
ask me questions I'm just like oh sorry I don't know what it means like you know I get
confused anxious and it also brings down your self esteem in the class as well because you
you know you don't want to feel like oh you're going to say something wrong and stuff like
that you're a bit agitated so that's one of the experience and it puts you it just gives you so
much negative experience throughout your learning curve it also.
Interviewer: I see.

Interviewee: You know. You can misinterpret it or miscommunicate with your teacher or
your the person who's guiding you through the you know teaching thing as well so yeah.

Interviewer: Alright perfect thank you so much how do you perceive the rule of your teacher
contributing into your anxiety you did this example do you remember any specific situation.

Interviewee: Of my teacher not teaching me properly.

Interviewer: Yes I yeah I can repeat the question for you how do you perceive the rule of
your teacher in contributing to your anxiety in what way do you think the teaching methods
or the classroom environment can influence your feelings anxiety.

Interviewee: Mm hmm. That's what I said paying attention being more aware of what
students you know their weaknesses are is one thing that the teacher should be focusing on.

Interviewer: Alright.

Interviewee: Yeah the reason why is 'cause it can put you on the spot another thing is. The
way it worked was just working with just mainly advanced students and rather than not
working with the beginner students so she could have potentially you know gave that
freedom gave that space for the beginner students to learn the language also answer the
questions and stuff like that because at that time I did not have the support. And I was not
being asked questions the reason why is because I was a beginner student and I wouldn't
know what to say so yeah.

Interviewer: You OK. What personal factors do you think can contribute to your language
anxiety?

Interviewee: Give me an example.

Interviewer: For example like a previous experiences a self-confidence what do you think is
your personal factors can contribute to your language and society because you are shy or I
don't know anything is related to your personal feelings.

Interviewee: Hmm.

Interviewer: Self perception OK can you tell me something more.

Interviewee: Miscommunication. Miscommunication is something that I've recognised
myself when learning a language. It's when when you're trying to explain something or when
you're trying to. Spain or say something or ask the question you get misinterpretated very
easily.

Interviewer: Mm hmm.

Interviewee: And that also puts you in an anxious state. You know, you don't know what
you're saying, and the teacher can also, you know, be. I wouldn't say very unbothered, but she
wouldn't be relying on you much because you don't understand. Understanding can also be a
personal fact as well, because when someone misinterpretates or misunderstands you, it can
put you in a unstable or a pedestal. Really.

Interviewer: Oh, I see. Thank you can you describe any physical sensations or emotions
reaction when you experience like feeling anxious in a class.

Interviewee: This is a really good question because this recently happened to me. I started
shaking. And. When I'm not listened to? Or when I am not understood properly or you know
just not taking into consideration I just start a fear of wish of shakingness and stuff like that
and it happens to me from time to time I'm not sure why but the nervousness kicks in like
almost your body 's just trying to release its tension that's one thing that I realised. I did
recently happen to me because I was trying to communicate to a loved one about certain
things and they misinterpreted it thinking it was something else that's not what I was trying to
perceive and your body just puts you in a whole shock system.

Interviewer: I hope he's getting better with the time of course.

Interviewee: Yes.

Interviewer: Have you noticed any change in your behaviours during the language lessons
when you feel anxious?

Interviewee: I would say I tend to become more quieter. So if you see me in like break or in
English or maths lesson I would be fun speaking around to you know the peers around me
and stuff like that but when it comes to English I mean a language lesson I tend to become
more quieter and sometimes I will zone out the reason why is because I'm just not in that
setting I tend to dislike it. And it puts you off as well so that's why.
Interviewer: Alright did you do you remember any specific moment any specific day or
situation.

Interviewee: Any specific I would say it's tend to be majority when I was in secondary
learning French and Spanish I just hate I did disliked going into the classroom and stuff like
that and also there was A at some point I used Google Translate for my you know for my
homework and stuff like that and the teacher would know whether you use Google Translate
or stuff like that and she would also she's a straight up person so she will say everything up
front?

Interviewer: Mm hmm.

Interviewee: To everyone in the class so if you use Google Translate she's gonna you know
embarrass you so because of that that also puts you on the spot as well and I just did not like
communicating. Or speaking about certain things I would just tend to zone out and become
quiet.

Interviewer: OK. What do you think are the best strategy to cope with your language anxiety
so can you share any strategies make you feel have an an effective solutions they can help me
you most?

Interviewee: I think including so you know how when you learn a language they tend to
learn about more about modal verbs and it just becomes so unnecessary I feel like they should
just focus on mainly communication and speaking skills I feel like this is the most effective
way to learn a language the reason why is because if you're in a class full of mixed ability
students. You're not going to be, you know, interrupting with each other just by focusing on
modal verbs or something like that. By communicating and including that speaking skill or
even a listening skill something that includes speaking it enhances like the way you. The way
you can progress in learning a language in my times in secondary we never have that we did
have certain things but it would just be you know for one minute it wouldn't be like the whole
session whole one hour and 30 minute session it would just be for one minute you just speak
and the rest will be focusing on grandma for modal verbs this that this that. I just feel like
that's not really fair because what from what I'm from my experience of learning languages
like for instance Switzerland France for example my dad has a restaurant in Switzerland and I
learned by the way they speak so they say oh one cafe would be like iron mile coffee and I
would understand that but when you're trying to tell me all all of these the way here things
have to be fixated and stuff I'm not going to understand. So I just feel like they should include
some type of communication based lesson for the whole one hour and that will still get into
your head that's what I that's what I think is good.

Interviewer: Do you have any personal strategy when there are this situation make you
anxious in a class keep you a bit calm do you have any strategies to suggest?

Interviewee: And one thing that I used to do I would tend to communicate with my peer next
to me. And they would tend to like because I you know the teacher don't get along with
because she just doesn't focus on the beginning students so I tend to focus on the peer next to
me and we would tend to work together or something like that and another way is because
this is not in class but I would go home and just listen to certain things one thing that I used
to do was I used to listen to French music rap music. And that would help me as well but it's
looking at the lyrics and stuff like that but in class setting I would say I'm drawn out I don't
pay attention to attend to communicate to the peer next to me. Or I would look through or we
we can walk around and get dictionaries and stuff like that. I would tend to get a dictionary
when we're doing a task so that it makes me much better because I know what I'm doing. I'm
just looking at the words and I would understand it myself rather than the teacher coming up
to me and trying to embarrass me in front of the class.

Interviewer: So you suggest already do you think like when you a teacher is teaching your
second language is the best way to do it? It's like be more commutative and less traditional.

Interviewee: Mm hmm.

Interviewer: So this is one of the the way do you think a teacher could help to students be
less anxious do you have any other suggestions like.

Interviewee: Yes. Yes.

Interviewer: How the teacher can help the student to reduce language anxiety I don't know
anythings you are like could be like personal things environment anything you have in your
mind?

Interviewee: I don't 'cause I do tutoring myself with languages as well I I teach these 2 girls
and one thing that I recognise how when they get a question wrong and I tell them
immediately that it's wrong they tend to be put off and they wouldn't speak at all. So the way
the teacher corrects you. Communication and also. Not putting words that look too hard to
understand. I can also put them on the spot so one thing that I do with the children I teach is
that I tend to do word class games so like synonyms or anonyms so they would know the
difference between the words and stuff like that rather than you know putting them on the
spot and saying that no that's not what it means and this is not what the word actually actually
is you know when you put them on the spot and you don't correct them well. Not correcting
them on the spot it can put them down it can make them feel embarrassed but then.

Interviewer: Of course.

Interviewee: Communication is the second thing I already spoke about that you know just
including thing. In terms of teaching wise not to focus more on writing. Something else as
well. That's all I can think of on the top of my head.

Interviewer: It's OK don't worry don't worry it's fine thank you.

Interviewee: OK.

Interviewer: What advice do you want to give to other learners as you might be struggling
with the language anxiety?

Interviewee: OK basing this with my personal experience. Never let yourself down because
the teacher 's putting you on the spot. Or, you know, even if you can't focus or understand
something that's in within the lesson, make sure you go back and do something fun with that
language. Or you can use, you know, you can use Duolingo or like boosty or something like
that to learn the language. You don't need a whole teacher to be teaching you something and
you're not going to focus for the one hour. So make sure you try and do some integrate some
extra activity. After school but you know never let yourself down over someone else who's
telling you you're doing something wrong because by the end of the day you're going to at
some point get. Language you're gonna speak the language and stuff like that. And another
thing is. Don't don't be too hard on yourself. That's all I can think of.

Interviewer: OK thank you so much last things is there is there anything we have not
discussed that you think is important to mention regarding your experience with the language
anxiety.
Interviewee: I was thinking of something but then because I was speaking I forgot but hold
on hold on.

Interviewer: Don't worry take your time we are not rushing so if you can think something
we didn't discuss it and do you think it's important regarding your personal experience about
language anxiety.

Interviewee: Add it on the top of my head but I forgot I don't.

Interviewer: Do you have a time for reflect about that you need to be like spontaneous don't
worry we're not rushing so I'm here to listen you so you can take your time?

Interviewee: Yeah. To think.

Interviewer: Anyway if you don't have it you don't need to add nothing it's up to you.

Interviewee: It's it's it's yeah oh I forgot Oh yeah.

Interviewer: No worry it's OK it's fine so now this is the hand of the interview I want to
thank you so much for to be a part of this interview and this project to help me you are
always there for me so thank you so much so now I will interrupt the the the recording OK
give me a second.

Interviewee: Yes. Yeah thank you.

REFLECTION

Reflecting on the interview I conducted for the seminar, I found the experience both
challenging and profoundly enriching. Initially, I was concerned about how well I could
engage with the interviewee, aiming not just to elicit responses but to dive deeper into the
meaningful discourse about learning a second language—a topic ripe with emotional and
cognitive complexities.

My approach was to foster a conversational atmosphere, where the interviewee could feel
comfortable sharing personal anecdotes and reflections. This strategy proved effective. As we
progressed, the interviewee opened up about their language learning journey's various
difficulties and nuances. Their candidness about the challenges of adjusting to different
linguistic environments provided valuable insights into the emotional aspects of language
acquisition.

The task of keeping the interview focused while allowing for an organic flow of conversation
required a delicate balance. There were moments when the discussion veered slightly off the
anticipated path, which tested my ability to gently guide the conversation back to the core
questions without disrupting the rapport that we had built. These moments were learning
opportunities in themselves, teaching me the importance of flexibility and active listening in
the context of qualitative research.