Towards an Ecological Understanding of University Studentsâ¿¿ Anxiety in English as a General Course in Light of Sociocultural Perspectiveâ¿¿

A large number of research studies have been carried out focusing on the role of anxiety in the process of English language learnersâ¿¿ development. However, the multifaceted nature of anxiety needs to be explored from an ecological perspective which can shed more lights and provide a better understanding of the different aspects influencing English language learnersâ¿¿ anxiety. This paper takes advantage of Vygotskian sociocultural theory, and activity theory in particular, as a conceptual framework to explore university studentsâ¿¿ anxiety in English course in the classroom. To do so, data from 21 university students at University of Bojnord, Iran, were collected via semi-structured interviews, classroom observations over three months, and journals recorded by the students. The results of qualitative content analysis based on sociocultural theory indicated that, micro-genetically, the types of activities, assignments, teachersâ¿¿ behaviours and peersâ¿¿ effect influence studentsâ¿¿ anxiety in the community of classroom. In addition, rules, rooted at the cultural-historic span, in terms of the assessment criteria, curriculum development and classroom syllabus underpin the anxiety experiences of the students. The functions of mediators and the objectives of the classroom regarding the ebbs and tides of studentsâ¿¿ anxiety are also discussed.