Measurement Instrument: EFL Writing Anxiety Scale (Based on SLWAI)

Here’s a detailed measurement instrument based on the Second Language Writing Anxiety Inventory (SLWAI) by Cheng (2004), tailored for use in EFL Writing Classes. This includes the instrument structure, dimensions, item list, and scoring system, with additional explanation for use in an Indonesian EFL university context.

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Measurement Instrument: EFL Writing Anxiety Scale (Based on SLWAI)

Purpose

To measure second language writing anxiety among EFL university students, especially in writing classes that apply Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL).

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Instrument Overview

• Number of Items: 22

• Format: 5-point Likert scale

• Dimensions:

  1. Somatic Anxiety – physiological effects (e.g., tension, nervousness)

  2. Cognitive Anxiety – negative expectations, worry, fear of evaluation

  3. Avoidance Behavior – tendency to avoid writing in L2

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Response Scale

Scale	Description
1	Strongly Disagree
2	Disagree
3	Neutral
4	Agree
5	Strongly Agree

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Item Distribution by Category

Dimension	Item Numbers	Number of Items
Somatic Anxiety	1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19	7
Cognitive Anxiety	2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20	7
Avoidance Behavior	3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 22	8

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Instrument Items

Somatic Anxiety

1. I feel my heart pounding when I write in English.

2. My hands tremble when I write assignments in English.

3. I often feel physically tense when I have to write in English.

4. I perspire when I write in English under time pressure.

5. I experience a lot of bodily discomfort when writing in English.

6. I get nervous when my English writing is being read by others.

7. I feel overwhelmed by physical stress when I write in English.

Cognitive Anxiety

2. I worry about making grammatical errors when writing in English.

3. I fear that my English writing is not good enough for academic standards.

4. I am afraid that my writing will be judged negatively by the teacher.

5. I worry a lot before starting an English writing task.

6. I often doubt my ideas when writing in English.

7. I think others can write in English better than I can.

8. I constantly think that I will fail in English writing tasks.

Avoidance Behavior

3. I avoid writing in English whenever possible.

4. I postpone English writing assignments until the last minute.

5. I try to avoid classes where I have to do a lot of writing in English.

6. I prefer multiple-choice exams over essay writing in English.

7. I often skip English writing tasks.

8. I use translation tools to avoid writing directly in English.

9. I rarely revise my English writing because I feel it won’t help.

10. I choose topics that require less writing in English.

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Scoring Procedure

• Total Score Range: 22 (minimum) – 110 (maximum)

• Interpretation:

  • 22–43: Low writing anxiety

  • 44–76: Moderate writing anxiety

  • 77–110: High writing anxiety

• Subscale Scores:

  • Each subscale can be scored separately to identify the dominant type of anxiety.

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Instructions for Use

• Administer at the start and/or end of the semester to assess changes.

• Use results to tailor instruction and support (e.g., addressing cognitive stress or increasing scaffolding for those with high avoidance).