A qualitative study of question-posing anxiety in Chinese postgraduates in UK TESOL programs

Abstract

In English-medium postgraduate classrooms, particularly within MSc/MA TESOL programs in the UK, many Chinese students hesitate to pose questions despite possessing advanced English proficiency. This qualitative study aims to address three critical gaps in the literature: (1) the underexploration of postgraduate learners' affective experiences in immersive English-speaking contexts, (2) the neglect of routine classroom interactions such as question-posing compared to formal speaking tasks, and (3) the limited understanding of how cultural and educational traditions shape anxiety in graduate-level TESOL programs. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with five Chinese postgraduates, the research investigates the psychological, cultural, and contextual dimensions of question-posing anxiety. Findings highlight key contributing factors-including linguistic insecurity, fear of negative evaluation, perceived inadequacy of questions, cross-cultural classroom norms, and the legacy of prior educational socialization-manifesting in both cognitive and physiological symptoms. Students also reported employing adaptive strategies such as self-talk, peer rehearsal, and deliberate body language to navigate these challenges.