Understanding Anxiety in Literature Classes.

Abstract

The paper deals with the understanding of human emotions, specifically the anxiety of the literature student, which is basically a factor in the success or failure of the teaching-learning process of literature. The study was conducted at the Nueva Vizcaya State University (NVSU) which was participated in by seventy students taking up Philippine Literature subject. Using the mixed method, results of the study showed the presence of anxiety in Philippine literature classes. Findings of the study could also be assumed to be true in other literature classes in our multilingual and culturally-diverse literature classrooms in the Philippines. Thus, this paper is primarily aimed to discuss the significance of anxiety in literature classes; instill awareness of the existence of anxiety to both the teacher and the students; identify the factors contributing to students' anxiety, and propose possible ways to alleviate anxiety in literature classes. The study conducted acknowledged Krashen's framework on the Affective Filter Hypothesis which explains the significant intervention of anxiety and its effects to learning in general.