Formative Assessment in Oral English Classroom and Alleviation of Speaking Apprehension

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 751 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lingying Tang
Keyword(s):  
Formative Assessment ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Language Anxiety ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Speaking Anxiety ◽  
English Class ◽  
Post Test ◽  
English Classroom

Researches on Language Anxiety have aroused public concern around/ the world, most of which suggest that language anxiety exerts a detrimental influence to language learners in their process of language learning. Chinese English learners usually do a good job in passing all kinds of English test while are poor at oral English referred as “dumb English”. It is safe to conclude that “dumb English” is the best manifestation of foreign language anxiety. Formative assessment characterized by being interactive among students themselves, peers, and teacher, highlights the immediate and effective feedback to learners, which is in accordance with the nature of student-centered approach. This study aims to explore the effectiveness of applying formative assessment in oral English class to alleviate students’ speaking apprehension. Two innate classes are chosen to be the controlled class and experimental class. Data in students’ English classroom speaking anxiety scale is collected and analyzed after pre-test and post-test together with an interview. It is revealed in this study that the implementation of formative assessment in oral English classroom is proved to be effective to alleviate students’ speaking anxiety in experimental class. In response to this finding, implications for practical practice of formative assessment in oral English classroom are discussed.

scholarly journals The impact of contemplative practices on foreign language anxiety and learning

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 573-599 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily E. Scida ◽  
Jill E. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Classroom Climate ◽  
Group Analysis ◽  
Language Anxiety ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
Contemplative Practices ◽  
Post Test ◽  
The Impact

This study looked at the impact of the integration of contemplative practices on foreign language anxiety, positive and negative affect, self-efficacy, classroom climate, and language learning in students enrolled in an advanced intermediate Spanish language course in the USA. Data included pre- and post-test surveys, exam scores to measure learning outcomes, student interviews, and course evaluations. In the contemplative group, students engaged in brief 10-minute contemplative practices once a week, while the non-contemplative group followed the same syllabus but was not exposed to contemplative practices. Analysis of the data showed no significant differences in foreign language anxiety, self-efficacy or affect between the non-contemplative and contemplative groups at post-test but significantly higher scores on classroom climate measures in the contemplative group. Significantly higher grades were found on course exams for students in the contemplative group. Analysis of the pre-/post-survey data revealed a significant decrease in foreign language anxiety in both groups over the semester but not for affect or self-efficacy. This study extends the existing research on contemplative practices to a new context—affect and learning in foreign language courses.

scholarly journals THE EFL STUDENTS’ PERCEPTION OF THEIR FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANXIETY IN SPEAKING CLASS

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 29
Author(s):  
Dita Anggraeny ◽  
Iskhak Said ◽  
R. Bunga Febriani
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
The Other ◽  
Language Anxiety ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Student Centered Learning ◽  
Speaking Anxiety ◽  
The Third ◽  
Efl Students

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this paper is aimed at investigating the factors that influence foreign language anxiety among the students in a speaking class, and how they perceive about overcoming foreign language anxiety. The present study used a questionnaire to find out the factors that influenced students’ foreign language anxiety. An interview was conducted in order to find out the students’ perception of their foreign language anxiety. It was found that students felt anxious when they were unable to comprehend communication in class (62.5%). Test and speaking in front of class became one of the factors that caused students to experienced anxiety (43%). On the other hand, fear of receiving bad comments from the teacher and the other students was the third factor that students experienced anxiety (61.8%). Through the semi-structured interviews, it showed that students reduced the anxiety by practicing the pronunciation, and memorizing the vocabulary. Besides, the teacher played a role in creating and reducing students’ foreign language anxiety. The teacher who was able to create an enjoyable learning atmosphere, and focused on student-centered learning, the students argued that it could reduce their foreign language anxiety. Keywords: Speaking, Anxiety, Foreign Language Anxiety ABSTRAKTujuan dari artikel ini bertujuan untuk menyelidiki faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi kecemasan bahasa asing di antara siswa di kelas berbicara, dan bagaimana mereka memandang tentang mengatasi kecemasan bahasa asing. Penelitian ini menggunakan kuesioner untuk mengetahui faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi kecemasan bahasa asing siswa. Wawancara dilakukan untuk mengetahui persepsi siswa tentang kecemasan bahasa asing mereka. Ditemukan bahwa siswa merasa cemas ketika mereka tidak dapat memahami komunikasi di kelas (62,5%). Tes dan berbicara di depan kelas menjadi salah satu faktor yang menyebabkan siswa mengalami kecemasan (43%). Di sisi lain, ketakutan menerima komentar buruk dari guru dan siswa lain adalah faktor ketiga yang membuat siswa mengalami kecemasan (61,8%). Melalui wawancara semi-terstruktur menunjukkan bahwa siswa mengurangi kecemasan dengan mempraktikkan pengucapan, dan menghafal kosa kata. Selain itu, guru berperan dalam menciptakan dan mengurangi kecemasan bahasa asing siswa. Guru yang mampu menciptakan suasana belajar yang menyenangkan, dan fokus pada pembelajaran yang berpusat pada siswa, para siswa berpendapat bahwa itu dapat mengurangi kecemasan bahasa asing mereka. Kata kunci: Berbicara, Kecemasan, Kecemasan Bahasa Asing 

scholarly journals Foreign Language Learning Anxiety: The Case of Trilinguals

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arab World English Journal ◽  
Elias Bensalem
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
English Class ◽  
Learning Anxiety ◽  
French Speaking ◽  
Using Data

The current study is motivated by the dearth of research regarding trilingualism and its relationship with foreign language anxiety (FLA) especially in a bilingual and diglossic context. The present study reports on the FLA level in an underexplored context of seventy-three male and female Arabic-and French-speaking university trilingual students learning English as a foreign language (EFL) in Tunisia. It also examines the main sources of the participants’ anxiety. Using data from the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) (Horwitz, Horwitz, & Cope, 1986), analyses revealed that the English learners experienced low to average amounts of FLA. Worry about failing English class, apprehension about speaking in English, and anxiety related to the classroom were identified as major sources of FLA. No association was found between gender and FLA. This study found a significant negative relationship between students’ level of FLA and their exam scores. Implications for language teaching are offered.

scholarly journals Exploring Students’ Speaking Anxiety Factors in an Online EFL Classroom

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 228-239
Author(s):  
Iman Nugroho ◽  
Fauzi Miftakh ◽  
Yuna Tresna Wahyuna
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Communication Apprehension ◽  
Common Factor ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Negative Evaluation ◽  
Language Anxiety ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
Speaking Anxiety ◽  
Spread Of Infection

Due to pandemic covid-19, the learning setting has changed from face-to-face to an online learning environment to prevent the further spread of infection. This change mostly affected the state of psychological, specifically anxiety issues.  Specific anxiety called Foreign Language Anxiety (FLA) appears as anxiety affiliates with foreign language learning. Despite foreign language anxiety is evidenced to be hinder students’ achievements, there are only a few studies that have explored FLA in an online setting. Therefore, by using a case study, this research paper tried to investigate the factors of speaking anxiety of 5 students from different anxiety levels. These students were selected from a total of 30 students using the Foreign Language Anxiety Scale (FLCAS), which later be interviewed and asked to write a reflective journal. The result showed that some sources of each categorical factor (communication apprehension, test anxiety, fear of negative evaluation) can be classified as inter-lingual or intra-lingual factors. Moreover, some sources of factors have developed to new manifestations due to learning setting’ shifting. Additionally, as a part of communication apprehension, teachers’ bad teaching habits appeared as the most common factor to arise students’ speaking anxiety. Therefore, this study suggests teachers to evaluate their teaching habits, to reduce the influence of bad teaching habits on the students’ speaking anxiety.

scholarly journals ESP SPEAKING STRATEGIES AND FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANXIETY IN HIGHER EDUCATION CLASSROOM

1970 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 181-203
Author(s):  
Милевица Десимир Бојовић
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Individual Performance ◽  
Language Anxiety ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
High Anxious ◽  
Medium Level ◽  
Anxious Group

The study examines the undergraduate students’ perceived use of foreign language speaking strategies, their levels of foreign language anxiety, and the potential relationships between them. Two instruments were used in the study—Inventory of Speaking Strategies in a Foreign Language, based on the instrument Strategy Inventory in Foreign Language Learning, and Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale. The results showed that students’ overall perceived use of speaking strategies in English as a foreign language for specific purposes was frequent. The findings also revealed that the students’ foreign language anxiety was at a medium level; individual performance anxieties remained at the same medium levels. A few differences were found between the low-anxious and high-anxious groups on the speaking strategy use: the former uses circumlocutions and synonyms when stuck with a word in English more frequently while the latter is paying attention more often when someone is speaking in English. The results also suggest that the medium-anxious group uses gestures when unable to think of a word during a conversation in English less frequently than the low-anxious group.

Young Children’s Foreign Language Anxiety

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jieun Kiaer ◽  
Jessica M. Morgan-Brown ◽  
Naya Choi
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Anxiety ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
Original Research ◽  
Psychosocial Wellbeing

This book presents original research on the effects of foreign language anxiety (FLA) on young language learners. It includes suggestions for alleviating FLA and encouraging foreign language enjoyment which will ultimately facilitate more effective language learning and support children’s psychosocial wellbeing.

scholarly journals The Correlation among EFL Learners’ Test Anxiety, Foreign Language Anxiety and Language Achievement

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dilek Cakici
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Test Anxiety ◽  
Language Anxiety ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
Language Achievement ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom ◽  
Text Anxiety ◽  
One Year

<p class="Default">The main aim of this study was to investigate the correlation among test anxiety (TA), foreign language anxiety (FLA) and language achievement of university preparatory students learning English as a foreign language. The sample of the research consisted of 301 (211 females, 90 males) attending a one-year EFL preparatory school at Ondokuz Mayıs University, School of Foreign Languages. The TAI (Test Anxiety Inventory) developed by Spielberger (1980), FLCAS (Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale) developed by Horwitz (1986) and the students’ language achievement scores were used to collect data. In addition, this study aimed to determine the effect of gender on both TA and FLA. The findings of the study revealed that there was no relation between students’ TA and their language achievement. It was also found a significant positive correlation between students’ TA and FLA. Besides, the result demonstrated that there was a significant reverse correlation between students’ FLA and their language achievement. Following t-test results, it was found out that females exhibited higher mean scores than males in both TAI and FLCAS. Finally, certain suggestions were set for EFL teachers to reduce text anxiety and language learning anxiety in foreign language classroom settings.</p>

scholarly journals The Plight in Foreign Language Learning in Tunisian Context: Classroom Language Assessment v.s Foreign Language Learning Anxiety

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 23-31
Author(s):  
Leila Najeh Bel’Kiry
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Language Assessment ◽  
Language Learner ◽  
Language Anxiety ◽  
Sensitive Period ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
Psychological Phenomena ◽  
Classroom Language

The assessment of language proficiency from a psycholinguistics perspective has been a subject of considerable interest. Many literatures are devoted for the explanation of certain psychological phenomena related to first language acquisition and foreign language learning like language disorders/impairments, critical/sensitive period and language anxiety. This paper sheds the light on foreign language anxiety, which is in my conviction the hardest problem that concerns the foreign language learner as well as the teacher. The origin of this conviction is that foreign language anxiety hampers learner performance on one hand, and on the other hand effects, negatively, the classroom language assessment which in turn sharpens learner’s anxiety more and more. There is a significant negative correlation between foreign language anxiety and classroom language assessment. Three issues are to be tackled in this paper: (i) The implication of ‘anxiety’ as a psychological issue in foreign language learning, (ii) classroom language assessment in Tunisian schools and (iii) the relation between foreign language anxiety and classroom language assessment.

scholarly journals REDUCING STUDENTS’ FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANXIETY IN SPEAKING CLASS THROUGH COOPERATIVE LEARNING

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 83-91
Author(s):  
Susidamaiyanti Susidamaiyanti
Keyword(s):  
Cooperative Learning ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Critical Factor ◽  
Language Anxiety ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
Affective Filter ◽  
Speaking Skill

One of the challenges in teaching English as a foreign language to students in Indonesia is the existence of Foreign Language Anxiety (FLA) that are faced by students at any level of education. FLA has hindered the students in mastering English, especially in Speaking Skill, it is shown by their performances in the class which are too nervous, shy, unwilling to participate and lack of confidence.Gardner and McIntyre,(1987) stated that FLA negatively impacts the quality of learning and is a critical factor in learners’ success or failure in learning a foreign language. Based on the aforementioned statements, it means reducing students’ language anxiety can enhance their overall learning experience and improve motivation and achievement.Thus, for many years, some researchers have attempted to find the most suitable techniques and methods to help students overcome this problem. Some of which is by providing them a conducive learning environment, the culture of caring and of course, a non-threatening atmosphere in the classroom. For that reason, this paper isintended to propose a technique to reduce the students’ anxiety; that is cooperative learning. By using cooperative learning, it is expected that it can overcome this problem, as this technique offers a good language-learning environment in which the process of learning dealing with cooperativeness rather than competitiveness. This is in line with Krashen (1982). He, through his Affective Filter Hypothesis, contends that one of the factors of language acquisition to happen is in a low-filter language-learning environment.

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.

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