EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF MULTILINGUAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT ON LANGUAGE ANXIETY AMONG ESL LEARNERS AT BZU MULTAN

Abstract

The paper explores the impact of a multilingual classroom environment on language anxiety among ESL students at Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU) in Multan. It helps us to understand how linguistic diversity affects the emotional and communicative experiences of learners through the perspectives of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) theories, including Horwitz's (1986) foreign language anxiety model and Krashen's (1985) affective filter hypothesis. However, diversity in language may be a source of anxiety as well as teaching materials (Dewaele, 2013). A quantitative study involving 80 ESL participants was conducted, and the participants were subjected to a structured questionnaire consisting of a dichotomous scale, which was a modification of the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS).  The results indicated that over 70 percent of the respondents experienced severe language anxiety, mainly due to poor pronunciation, lack of confidence when interacting with peers who have a different linguistic background, and the fear of getting poor grades. This study also helps us understand that by using friendly teaching strategies, group interactions, and allowing students to use their native languages, we can improve the learning experience. These methods can help us in reducing anxiety, stress, shyness, and fear in multilingual classrooms.  By revealing the significance of inclusive and emotionally supportive practices in multilingual ESL classrooms, the research has valuable implications to guide teachers and organisations seeking to improve the outcomes of language learning among individuals.