A Study on the Nature of Writing Apprehension among Saudi Undergraduate EFL Students

Writing apprehension is an overwhelming feeling of stress and anxiety when writing in a foreign language. In the past ten years, it has been a hot topic of debate. Due to its influence on writing quality, this study aimed to investigate this topic among a group of university EFL students, measuring the level of this apprehension and identifying its main factors. To accomplish this objective, 137 Saudi EFL students were given a questionnaire containing 26 statements spanning four essential writing apprehension factors on a five-point Likert scale. The results indicated that Saudi EFL students generally received moderate writing apprehension. Negativity towards writing was the furthermost common factor of writing apprehension. Self-efficacy in writing was regarded as the least apprehensive factor compared to other writing apprehension factors. The potential causes of this apprehension in each factor were addressed. Statistically significant gender and university level differences were found favouring males and beginner university levels for negativity towards writing. Based on these findings, limitations and future study recommendations are suggested.