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.