Relationship between Reading Anxiety, Reading Strategies and Language Competence of Rural ESL Secondary Learners

Abstract

Learning English as a second language (ESL) for rural secondary learners is challenging, especially related to reading skills. This challenge causes anxiety to arise among rural ESL secondary learners while reading English related reading materials, which indirectly affects their language competence. The problem is overcome as learners seek to utilise suitable strategies as they read any English reading materials. The anxiety that rural ESL secondary learners faced in their reading of English material affects their language competence which is reflected in their English paper grades and strategies employed while reading contributes to a better result which reflects their language competence. This paper discusses a survey that explores the relationship between reading anxiety, strategies and language competence among n = 139 Form 4 secondary rural ESL learners. Two instruments, namely, EFL Reading Anxiety Instrument (EFLRAI) and the Survey of Reading Strategies (SORS), were employed to measure their anxiety level and reading strategies respectively. Rural ESL learners’ language competence is based on their first examination of English grade. The result shows that there is a weak negative correlation between reading anxiety language competence and a weak positive correlation between reading strategies and language competence. This study implies that rural ESL learners experience medium level of reading anxiety when reading English materials and the use of strategies correlates positively with language competence. Although reading anxiety is not strongly experienced by rural ESL learners, yet, employing suitable reading strategies enhances learners’ language competence.