Sources of Teaching Anxiety Among Indonesian Pre-Service English Teachers during an International Internship in Thailand

Abstract

English language learning in non-native English-speaking countries, such as Thailand, presents unique linguistic and cultural challenges for pre-service teachers, which often contribute to foreign language teaching anxiety (FLTA). Although FLTA has been extensively studied, most previous research has focused on teaching practices within the home country, leaving a gap in our understanding of the anxiety experienced by Indonesian pre-service teachers in an international context. This qualitative descriptive study aims to explain the factors causing the anxiety experienced by English teacher candidates at Muria Kudus University while participating in a teaching internship program in Southern Thailand, specifically at Santi Witya Serong School and the Institute of Al-Abdia. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with six prospective teachers and supported by reflective journals in the participants’ internship reports. Data analysis was conducted using thematic analysis. The findings indicate three interrelated sources of anxiety, there are linguistic competence including insecurity about grammar, pronunciation, and in more serve cases, cognitive blocking. Anxiety related to teaching readiness stemmed from limited teaching resources, unfamiliar school regulations, classroom management, mixed-ability instruction, and the pressure of representing their university and country. The language and cultural gap were the most consistently reported source, arising from the two-way limitation in shared language between the participants and their students also from differences in classroom culture. This study concludes that teaching anxiety in international teaching placements arises from the interplay of these three sources.