THE TEACHING STRATEGY FOR ENGLISH FOR PERFORMING ARTS SUBJECT UNDER THE INTRICACY OF STUDENTS’ ANXIETY

English for Performing Arts subject becomes an elective subject for Performing Arts students of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Phranakhon Si Ayutthaya Rajabhat University after the students of academic year 2018 requested lecturer Potchanan, a Performing Arts lecturer, to open the subject in the 2nd semester of academic year 2020. This integrated subject of linguistic and artistic principles focuses on developing English skills of communicating, listening, speaking, reading and writing in relation to performing arts since the pre-class survey shows that 50 percent of students have level 5 (highest) anxiety about English subject. The survey also indicates the level of those students’ basic language skills in each area: 66.7 percent have level 2 (low/poor) listening skill; 58.3 percent have level 2 (low/poor) speaking and reading skills; and 50 percent have level 1 (lowest/poorest) writing skill. Moreover, it reports that 41.7 percent of students have level 3 (medium) interest in English/awareness of the importance of English to their profession. Consequently, there has been an attempt to introduce solutions and attitude adjustments through basic English for performing arts activities: “the Basic Improvement – A-Z Gesture activity”, “the Khon Listening – Vocabulary Learning – Thai Heritage in Global Heritage activity” (basic listening skill), “the Knowing Me – Knowing You activity” (basic speaking skill), “the Rereading – Readable by Phonics activity” (basic reading skill), and “the Voice-following Writing activity” (basic writing skill). Then, there are further activities such as “the A-Z Gesture Creating – Adapting activity”, “the Foreign Reporter Role Playing in English activity”, “the Fill in the Blank Game (body parts category) activity”, “the Word Search Puzzle (direction and movement category) activity”, “the Integration of Vocabulary of Body Parts and the Movement of Thai Classical Dancing Art activity”, “the Posture Describing and the Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing Skills in English activity”, etc. In regard to the quantitative and qualitative outcome, the post-assessment shows that students in the class acquired grade A to C (60-100 scores) from accumulations and examinations while students’ satisfaction assessment indicates that 58.3 percent of the students have less anxiety about English subject at level 4 (high/good); 66.7 percent have more interest in English subject at level 4 (high/good); and 58.3 percent have more awareness of the importance of English to their daily life and their profession at level 5 (highest/best).