The Anxiety-Motivation Relationship in Oral English Communication among Assamese-medium Higher Secondary Students

Learners of English in multilingual contexts, particularly in regional-medium institutions, commonly experience anxiety while using English for oral communications. On the other hand, English has remained an aspirational language for many of them. The current study examines the association between two variables, anxiety and motivation, among Assamese-medium higher secondary students. This study uses a descriptive–correlational mixed-method design to find out how the two affective variables interact. Data were collected from 78 students through a 15-item Likert-scale questionnaire and an open-ended prompt. The findings presented a significant positive correlation, indicating that learners with strong motivation also experienced greater anxiety while speaking English, reflecting a possible tension between aspiration and performance. The study highlights the need for using multilingual and pedagogically responsive classroom practices that normalise oral English use, reduce affective barriers, and support learners’ motivation in Assamese-medium settings.