scholarly journals Foreign Language Anxiety in Higher Education: A Practical Framework for Reducing FLA

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamad H. Alsowat

This study aimed at investigating foreign language anxiety level and the factors affecting the anxiety among Saudi English major students at Taif University and exploring the impact of gender and academic level in this regard. It also examined the relationship between anxiety and language proficiency in the Saudi context. Two questionnaires, a modified version of FLCAS (Horwitz et al., 1986) and IFLAF, were administered to 373 English major students (205 male and 168 female). The results revealed that Saudi English major students had moderate level of anxiety. The highest provoking causes of students' anxiety were worrying about consequences of failing, forgetting things they knew and feeling uneasiness during language tests. The analyses of the variables related to foreign language anxiety revealed a significant negative correlation between language anxiety and language proficiency (grammar, speaking, writing, reading and GPA). Gender did not have a significant impact on foreign language anxiety in the current study. Finally, the academic level of students did not affect the level of anxiety indicating that all students, despite their academic level, suffer from the same level of anxiety. The study suggested an EFL practical Model to reduce the negative effects of anxiety. Suggestions and further research were presented.

Author(s):  
Setya Ariani ◽  
Dyah Sunggingwati ◽  
Weningtyas Parama Iswari

Anxiety is considered having negative effects for most students in learning foreign language, especially English. It has attracted researchers’ attention to do the investigation on foreign language anxiety as a factor which inhibits students to learn the target language successfully. Concerning with this issue, this correlational research was emphasized on investigating the relationship between foreign language anxiety and students’ English achievement. Fifty-five eighth grade students of MTS Sulaiman Yasin Samarinda were asked to fill out 33 items of Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS). The Pearson Product Moment Correlation showed that anxiety had significant negative correlation with students’ English achievement (r = -.258, p<.01). Key words: anxiety, achievement, Pearson Product Moment


DINAMIKA ILMU ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-36
Author(s):  
Adaninggar Septi Subekti

This quantitative study was conducted to find out the relationship between Foreign Language Anxiety (FLA) and the achievements of non-English major university students in Indonesia. Through descriptive analysis, the study found that learners experienced various degrees of FLA with the mean score 93.07 (SD = 17.69, N = 119). This study also found a statistically significant, negative correlation between the learners’ FLA and their achievements as measured with their grades, r (117) = -.37, p < .01. Consistent with that, significant, negative relationships were also found between the learners' achievements and all the three related situation-specific anxieties, namely, communication apprehension, test anxiety, and fear of negative evaluation. Considering the results, it is suggested that both teachers and students should minimise the debilitating effects of students’ FLA. Based on the limitations of this study, some recommendations for future researches are also stated. Suggested directions of future researches on FLA in Indonesia are investigations on the relationship between FLA and achievements across different levels of education as well as thorough qualitative investigations of FLA. Keywords: Foreign Language Anxiety, learners’ achievements, correlations. 


2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yinxing Jin ◽  
Kees de Bot ◽  
Merel C.J. Keijzer

This paper reports a study that investigates and compares the effects of foreign language proficiency, social status of a learner’s family, self-esteem, and competitiveness on FL anxiety. Chinese university students (N = 146), who were learning Japanese and English, participated in this study. Social status data were collected once with the Social Status Scale. Other variables were measured twice over a two-month interval, using the Competitiveness Index, the Self-esteem Scale, the English/Japanese Classroom Anxiety Scale, and the English/Japanese Proficiency Scale. Results showed that foreign language proficiency, competitiveness, and self-esteem all significantly predicted foreign language anxiety levels. Foreign language proficiency was the best predictor, followed by self-esteem, then competitiveness. A negative relationship was revealed between these predictor variables and foreign language anxiety. Social status was not related to foreign language anxiety, either directly or indirectly.


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 573-599 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily E. Scida ◽  
Jill E. Jones

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.


Author(s):  
Atta M. Hamamorad

The current study investigates foreign language anxiety among Kurdish EFL students and its consequences on their communicative performance. An investigative quantitative approach was used to conduct this study. A Total number of two hundred (200) EFL learners with different language proficiency levels from three different universities; University of Halabja and Sulaimani university in Iraqi Kurdistan Region, and University of Kurdistan in Iran, were selected to participate in this study. For the purpose of obtaining necessary information and data, a face-to-face assessment, in small groups of 4 was conducted during students’ class time in which their communicative performance based on accuracy, fluency, vocabulary, and pronunciation was evaluated and recorded. Additionally, Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) questionnaire was adapted and the target population were requested to respond to the statements presented in the questionnaire. The findings of the research taken from a structural equation modelling (SEM) indicated that all components of Communicative Performance were in a negative and significant correlation with anxiety.


2020 ◽  
pp. 209
Author(s):  
Rafael Dutra ◽  
Ingrid Finger

This study aimed to investigate how proficiency and age are related to Foreign Language Anxiety (FLA). A total of 88 teenagers and adults with different levels of proficiency answered the Language History Questionnaire and the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale. The analyses revealed (1) a significant negative correlation between the participants’ mean self-assessed proficiency and their level of FLA; and (2) a significant positive correlation between the participants’ age and their level of FLA. In other words, the lower the proficiency level, the higher the participants’ anxiety level. In addition to that, the older the participant, the higher his anxiety level. The results of the study suggest that Foreign Language Anxiety seems to be related to both proficiency level and learner age. Such results are discussed in light of previous investigations in the field of Applied Linguistics.Keywords: Foreign language anxiety; proficiency; age.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 365
Author(s):  
Runhan Zhang

Empirical studies have provided evidence for the negative role of foreign language anxiety in language proficiency measured via final course grades, self-assessments, objective language tests, and GPAs. However, its role in language proficiency from the perspective of explicit and implicit L2 knowledge is under-investigated. The current study therefore investigates the relationship between foreign language anxiety and explicit and implicit L2 knowledge in an English as a foreign language context. Participants were 156 university-level non-English majors. The results of the t test and multiple regression analyses showed that foreign language anxiety has a negative role in implicit L2 knowledge and also can predict it, but it was not found to have a significantly negative role in explicit L2 knowledge. The nature of the tests and knowledge may account for the results.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ammara Kalsoom ◽  
Niaz Hussain Soomro ◽  
Zahid Hussain Pathan

This study investigates the impact of social support and foreign language anxiety (FLA) on learners&rsquo; willingness to communicate (WTC) in English (L2) inside the classroom in an EFL context of Pakistan. The study administered adapted questionnaires on willingness to communicate (WTC), social support and foreign language anxiety (FLA) to 200 undergraduates of University of Balochistan, Quetta, Pakistan. To analyse the data, both descriptive and inferential statistics were performed in the SPSS. The findings on the social support revealed that father&rsquo;s support, teachers&rsquo; support, best friends&rsquo; support, and other friends&rsquo; support exerted impact on learners&rsquo; L2 WTC. Additionally, anxiety also negatively and significantly predicted L2 WTC with a medium effect size (f2 = .26). These findings signify that provision of social support and means to minimize L2 anxiety can help L2 learners enhance their volitional readiness for L2 communication. The findings of this study have implications for EFL classroom participation in the target language and offer an insight for the policy and planning for the use of English language in an EFL context.


2013 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 442-464 ◽  
Author(s):  
Han Luo

Abstract This paper gives a comprehensive review of studies on foreign language anxiety. Foreign language anxiety has been recognized in the past few decades as a situation-specific emotional reaction that potentially impedes foreign language learning. Research has shown that foreign language anxiety is not only prevalent among foreign language learners, but also has various negative effects on foreign language learning. In order to help learners cope with this problem, researchers have identified a large number of sources of foreign language anxiety, which generally fall into four major categories, namely, the classroom environment, learner characteristics, the target language, and the foreign language learning process itself. Researchers have also investigated quite a number of factors associated with foreign language anxiety (including categorical background variables and quantitative learner variables) and have produced mixed results. Based on a thorough review of foreign language anxiety, the paper concludes with recommendations for future studies on foreign language anxiety.


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