scholarly journals The effect of anxiety on foreign language academic achievement

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tóth Andrea
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
Language Class ◽  
Anxiety Levels ◽  
The University ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Anxiety has commonly been regarded as one of the most significant affective obstacles in language learning achievement, and has been the subject matter of many second language researches (MacIntyre & Gregersen, 2012; Huang, 2012; Hewitt & Stefenson, 2011; Riasati, 2011; Horwitz, 2001). The primary purpose of the present study is to explore the anxiety levels of a class of students studying at the University of Dunaújváros and to investigate their attitude towards acquiring a second/foreign language. On the basis of the information gained the study is aiming at revealing some degree of correlation between students’ anxiety and their academic achievement. Responses to the Foreign Language Anxiety Scale show that the relatively high levels of anxiety among these participants are related to the worry about (1) the consequences of failing their foreign language class, (2) thinking that the others are better at languages and (3) communication with native speakers of the foreign language. However, the results on the relationship between anxiety levels and academic achievements show no significant correlation between these two variables, which leads us to the conclusion that the participants’ anxiety levels do not exceed the level which would have a negative impact on their academic results.

scholarly journals FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANXIETY IN STUDENT LEARNING

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (102) ◽  
pp. 18-23
Author(s):  
Asta Lileikienė ◽  
Lina Danilevičienė
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Anxiety ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
Low Achievement ◽  
Language Class ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom ◽  
The University ◽  
Research Analysis

Background. Anxiety includes uncomfortable feelings when learning or using the new language. It continues to exist in the university foreign language classroom as well. A number of foreign language students report feeling anxious about language learning. Research aim was to investigate the foreign language anxiety (in our case, English as a foreign language, EFL) in the classroom context at tertiary level in relation to its effect on foreign language acquisition as well as to design recommendations of how to reduce or exclude foreign language anxiety from the university foreign language classroom. Methods. The Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale developed by E. K. Horwitz, M. B. Horwitz, and Cope (1986) was used. The questionnaire consisted of 5 statements about the respondents’ general background and 33 statements which were evaluated on the Likert scale from 1 to 5 by the research participants. The research sample involved 200 first and second year students of Lithuanian Sports University . Results. The research analysis revealed that the respondents generally felt anxious speaking in the language class, making mistakes and being corrected by the teacher, worrying about the consequences of failing foreign language class and speaking with native speakers. The correlation between the students’ level of knowledge and their feeling of anxiety was established: students of lower level (A2 and B1) tended to feel higher levels of anxiety. Moreover, female participants of this study exhibited higher levels of foreign language anxiety. Conclusions. Foreign language anxiety proved to be a powerful predictor for demotivation in foreign language learning and impeded the acquisition of foreign languages. The research analysis revealed that the majority of younger respondents demonstrated a higher degree of anxiety. The more mature the students were, the more confident they felt in EFL classes. It was found that female students felt higher level of anxiety in learning English as a foreign language than male students. They were more inclined to hesitate and felt anxious in the language classroom, while male undergraduates were more confident and had a greater ability to cope with the feelings of anxiety and nervousness. Students with higher knowledge of English language (level B2) showed lower levels of anxiety and felt more confident in language class. A large number of failures was observed at the pre-intermediate and lower intermediate (A2/B1) levels. Therefore, the learners with high anxiety often got low achievement and low achievement made them more anxious about learning.

EXAMINING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANXIETY AND STUDENTS’ LEARNING MOTIVATION TO FILIPINO FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNERS

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 645-658
Author(s):  
Sherrilyn B. Quintos
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Learning Motivation ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Filipino Students ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
The Relationship

This quantitative research study investigated the relationship between anxiety acquired through foreign language learning and learning motivation of Filipino students in Bataan Peninsula State University. Participants were identified through stratified random sampling. It adapted two sets of questionnaires: Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale by Horwitz, et al. (1986) and Foreign Language Learning Motivation Questionnaire developed by Gonzales (2006). Results showed that anxiety and motivation have a significant relationship with each other. Higher level of learning motivations students set for themselves manifest higher chances for them to develop consciousness and anxiety over their academic performance. They see L2 learning essential in employment opportunities, effective communication, and exploring foreign culture. However, their sense of interest to the course is primarily driven by extrinsic motivations which are only influenced by external factors such as the need to take the subject to pass a requirement. In return, they grow anxious and fearful of the possible consequences of being unable to achieve learning expectations and self-goals. While it is true that age does not significantly affect the relationship of the two variables under examination, it was found that females are more likely to exemplify a receptive behavior in learning than males. It is of high suggestion to integrate different strategies in teaching foreign language to minimize anxiety tendencies and maximize students’ engagement in learning. Also, it is recommended to devise or adapt a more context-specific questionnaire that will deeply explore on the intrinsic and extrinsic motivations of students and the anxiety concomitant to it. Finally, further studies are highly encouraged to be conducted to further navigate the interplay of other contributing variables in their foreign language learning experiences.

Foreign and second language anxiety

2010 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 154-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elaine K. Horwitz
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Language Anxiety ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
Anxiety State ◽  
Unique Form ◽  
The Relationship

The possibility that anxiety interferes with language learning has long interested scholars, language teachers, and language learners themselves. It is intuitive that anxiety would inhibit the learning and/or production of a second language (L2). The important term in the last sentence is ‘anxiety’. The concept of anxiety is itself multi-faceted, and psychologists have differentiated a number of types of anxiety including trait anxiety, state anxiety, achievement anxiety, and facilitative-debilitative anxiety. With such a wide variety of anxiety-types, it is not surprising that early studies on the relationship between ‘anxiety’ and achievement provided mixed and confusing results, and Scovel (1978 – this timeline) rightly noted that anxiety is ‘not a simple, unitary construct that can be comfortably quantified into ‘high’ or ‘low’ amounts’ (p. 137). Scovel did not, however, anticipate the identification in the mid-1980s of a unique form of anxiety that some people experience in response to learning and/or using an L2. Typically referred to as language anxiety or foreign language anxiety (FLA), this anxiety is categorized as a situation-specific anxiety, similar in type to other familiar manifestations of anxiety such as stage fright or test anxiety.

Foreign language anxiety of an Ecuadorian polytechnic university’s English undergraduate students during the COVID-19 pandemic

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Estrella
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Language Anxiety ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Anxiety Levels ◽  
Clear Idea ◽  
Teaching Learning ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThis research aimed to identify the levels of stress students experience, the different sources that generate them and the relationship between the stress levels and the students' gender.Design/methodology/approachA mixed-methods design was used, focusing on the quantitative stage. The qualitative section was designed to obtain supporting information. 86 Ecuadorian undergraduate polytechnic students enrolled in an English course took part in this study. Quantitative data are obtained using the Telecollaborative Foreign Language Anxiety Scale (T-FLAS), while online interviews supply insight from students.FindingsThe present research identified four types of anxiety related to emergency remote teaching (ERT). Communication anxiety is one of them that has also been found in regular foreign language classes (Horowitz et al., 1986). However, the actual contribution is regarding the other three sources of ERT-related anxiety: Online interaction anxiety, ERT anxiety and technology anxiety. Also, it was identified that girls experience higher anixety levels than men do.Research limitations/implicationsA limitation of this study is the T-FLAS, a tool that has not been widely used. However, as Fondo and Jacobetty (2020) reported, other papers have made use of this novel tool. Another limitation to this research is the number of participants; although it is not very small, it might not be considered large enough for generalization purposes. Also, this study was limited by its scope, which only looked at the relationship between the students' genders and anxiety levels.Practical implicationsFirst, this researcher recommends that language departments use the survey at the beginning of each semester. That way, there will be a clear idea of the sources of anxiety students are experiencing, and measures can be taken to lower those anxiety-causing factors. Also, this study shows students experiencing a high level of anxiety when they are required to interact with their peers using a foreign language. Thus, supplying practice through guided discussions and role-plays should allow learners to reduce their anxiety levels and perform better during these kinds of exchanges in the short term.Social implicationsAnother issue reported by this study is the feelings of uneasiness when turning cameras on to do an exercise or taking quizzes and exams, as learners feel like their classmates and teachers are invading their homes. It is recommended that the Student Welfare Department of the educational institutions deal with this and other issues. They can design intervention, relaxation and yoga programs for students who are feeling anxious to help them lower those feeling and allow them to have better interactions in class during these times of remote learning.Originality/valueThis paper's originality lies in the fact that it looks at anxiety from the point of view of the COVID-19 pandemic and the move it had to be made to the digital realm. It identifies three factors that are new and related 100% to emergency remote teaching–learning. It is also valuable as it is looking at data emerging for a South American country, as data are scarce from this continent and especially from Ecuador.

scholarly journals The Relationship between Self-esteem and Second Language Anxiety among Hashemite University Students in Jordan

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
The Self ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Language Anxiety ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Hashemite University ◽  
The Relationship

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between self-esteem and second foreign language. A random sample of 258 students Hashemite University participated in the current study. The foreign language classroom anxiety scale which was developed by horwitz and others and the self-esteem scale which was developed by Rosenberg were used to measure two variables, the self-esteem and foreign language anxiety consequently. The findings of this study revealed a strong negative correlation between self-esteem and foreign language anxiety and the study also revealed that self-esteem good predictor of foreign language anxiety. The findings also showed that there is a statically significant differences in the correlation between self-esteem and foreign language anxiety refer to faculty and academic year and there is no a statistically significant differences in the correlation between self-esteem and foreign language anxiety refer to gender. Many researchers refer to importance of affect in the language classroom. Language learning is an anxiety-provoking experience for many students. Affective factors which may have impacts on foreign language learning have been studied since past two decades. The most important affective e factors that have been received considerable attention and widely studied in educational context are language and self-esteem [1]. Self-esteem is one of the central drives in human beings. When the level of the self -esteem is low, the psychological homeostasis is unbalanced, creating insecurity, fear and other negative situations. In the context of language learning, low self-esteem can have serious consequences, student may avoid taking the necessary risks to acquire communicative competence in the target language, they may feel deeply insecure and even drop out of the class [2].

scholarly journals Insignificant Relationship Between Speaking Self-Efficacy and Language Learning Anxiety of English Department Students at The University of Riau, Indonesia

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 34-46
Author(s):  
Hadriana
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Language Anxiety ◽  
English Department ◽  
Efl Context ◽  
Learning Anxiety ◽  
Anxiety Levels ◽  
Second Year ◽  
The University ◽  
The Relationship

Many studies have delved into the connection between self-efficacy and language anxiety. However, the findings are somewhat inconsistent: self-efficacy has either positive, negative or no relationship at all with language anxiety. Therefore, this research aims to examine the relationship between students’ self-efficacy and language anxiety in learning speaking in EFL classroom. The subjects of this study were second-year English Department students at the University of Riau, Indonesia taking Speaking subject (N = 40). Data on their self-efficacy and language anxiety were collected through the questionnaire. The data analysis results reveal that the students have very good self-efficacy in speaking. They also show a moderate level of anxiety. However, statistical analysis reveals that there is no relationship between the two variables. Despite the limited number of participant, this finding is expected to shed a light on the contribution of self-efficacy and anxiety on learning speaking in EFL context. This finding suggests that although the self-efficacy and anxiety levels were similar with previous studies, there might be different patterns of relationship between these variables depending on the context. This implies that teachers should be aware of this before taking any measure to improve students speaking skills.

scholarly journals Indonesian pre-service teachers’ mindfulness, social emotional competence, and academic achievement

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 1176
Author(s):  
Pudja Hermana ◽  
Zuraida Zuraida ◽  
Lingga Agustina Suganda
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Emotional Competence ◽  
Social Emotional ◽  
Training And Education ◽  
Social Emotional Competence ◽  
Adequate Knowledge ◽  
High Level ◽  
The University ◽  
The Relationship

<span>Pre-service teachers must be able to fulfill the standards of having teachers’ competencies and more than adequate knowledge to teach the future generations. In relation to this, mindfulness, social emotional competence, and academic ability become crucial reasons they need in perceiving the quality to become professional teachers. The respondents of this study were 68 students who were English as a Foreign Language (EFL) pre-service teachers ranging from the age of 19-22 from the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education at one of the university in South Sumatra, Indonesia. The aims of this study were to find out the relationship among these pre-service teachers’ mindfulness, social emotional competence and academic achievement. The instruments of this study were the five-facet mindfulness and social emotional competence questionnaires. The documentation of their GPA which were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Test. The results of this study showed that pre-service teachers had high level of mindfulness and social emotional competence. It also highlighted that there were significant weak correlation between their five facet mindfulness and academic achievement, and their five facet mindfulness and social emotional competence toward academic achievement. Specifically, the non-judging dimension from the five-facet mindfulness and self-management from social emotional competence also correlated significantly to academic achievements. In conclusion, the pre-service teachers’ mindfulness, social emotional competence, and academic achievement had beneficial relationship one another.</span>

Edmodo as an Assessment Tool in the Foreign Language Learning Process

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 210-215
Author(s):  
Flavia Kaba
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Modern Technology ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
Learning Platform ◽  
Secure Learning ◽  
Innovative Techniques

Abstract Due to the rapid developments in educational technology, today’s professors are in search of exploring innovative techniques in order to promote involvement of students in the learning process in general and in the foreign language learning process in particular. This is why today’s students are seen as digital-natives and being motivated for the learning process is very difficult if the modern technology they are familiar with is not utilized effectively in the classroom. When it comes to the assessment part of this process, the situation may become worse, as most of the students feel unwilling due to anxiety problems in general and foreign language anxiety in particular. This study presents an innovative way of assessing students’ skills that they gain during foreign language learning process introducing Edmodo, which is an educational social network that provides a secure learning platform for students and educators. This study is a descriptive one, based on the analyses, surveys, and opinions of different researchers that have implemented this platform in their teaching process. The main objective is to introduce the implementation of various assessment applications through Edmodo.

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