TEST-TAKING ANXIETY AMONG EFL UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN TOEFL TEST: A CASE STUDY FROM INDONESIAN CONTEXT

Abstract

Purpose of the study: This research aimed at investigating the extent of anxiety experienced by TOEFL test-takers in the Indonesian context as EFL learners. Methodology: The participants of this study were 50 university students from various non-English majors. They were selected by using purposive sampling. The research design was descriptive quantitative method, in which a 10-question questionnaire was used as the research instrument. The questions were scored by using a five-point scale and the data were analyzed by using the three steps of data analysis. Main Findings: The result of the data analysis showed that more than 80%percent of students experienced moderate anxiety before and during the TOEFL test-taking while the rest (20%) suffered from mild anxiety. Applications of this study: The research findings can benefit TOEFL Preparation classes’ instructors, by which they can take the anxiety variable into account when teaching TOEFL so that the level of students’ anxiety before and during the test can be minimized. Novelty/Originality of this study: Relatively little research examined EFL students’ anxiety in the TOEFL test. Others are much devoted to the anxiety aspects within English classroom contexts such as in anxiety in reading, writing, and speaking skills, the relationship between anxiety and motivation, as well as intelligence dominance among non-low proficiency students. Therefore, this research is devoted to a high-stake test (TOEFL test), which has not been studied previously by any researchers.