scholarly journals Indonesian theology students' foreign language reading anxiety and reading performance: A correlational study

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-142
Author(s):  
Jeane Theresia Limeranto ◽  
Adaninggar Septi Subekti

This study investigated Theology students’ Foreign Language Reading Anxiety (FLRA) and the relationship between their FLRA and their reading achievement. A number of 63 Theology students participated in this quantitative study. A questionnaire developed by Saito et al. (1999) was used in obtaining the data for the study. The study was conducted to fill the void in the literature on the scarcity of empirical research on FLRA in the Indonesian English for Specific Purpose (ESP) context, especially among Theology students who were required to read a lot of English text and thus were very likely susceptible to experience reading anxiety. The study found that in general, the students experienced a medium level of FLRA. Low self-perceived reading competence and the unfamiliar topic of reading passages were reported to be attributed to higher FLRA levels whilst the formation of reading habits, reading exposure, and reading strategies were believed to reduce reading anxiety. This study further found a statistically significant negative correlation between the students’ FLRA and their reading achievement, albeit the strength being weak. This finding suggested that students’ FLRA could be a factor hampering learning. The present study’s specific finding on the possible positive impacts of reading strategies and the duration of reading exposure may indicate the urgency to incorporate these two aspects in the instructional design of English reading classes. Based on the findings, contributions, limitations, and suggested future studies were formulated.

2016 ◽  
Vol 119 (1) ◽  
pp. 124-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hsin-Yi Lien

Past research has shown an association between foreign language reading anxiety and reading strategy. However, individual variables tend to affect foreign language anxiety and strategy use. The present study examined a hypothesized model that specified direct and indirect effects among English and foreign languages readers’ distinct variables, including academic level; self-perceived English level; and satisfaction with reading proficiency, reading anxiety, and metacognitive awareness of reading strategies. A total of 523 volunteer Taiwanese college students provided 372 valid responses to a written questionnaire (281 women and 91 men; M age = 19.7 years, SD = 1.1) containing the translated versions of Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scale, Survey of Reading Strategies Inventory, and self-assessment background questionnaire. The results showed that self-evaluation of reading proficiency did not correlate with academic level and readers’ perceptions. Satisfaction had a direct effect on foreign language reading anxiety but not on metacognitive awareness of reading strategies. Results of path analysis demonstrated that the perception learners who had their own reading proficiency predicted their foreign language reading anxiety and was a mediating variable for metacognitive reading strategy use.


2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhongshe Lu ◽  
Meihua Liu

The present study explored the interrelations between foreign language (FL) reading anxiety, FL reading strategy use and their interactive effect on FL reading comprehension performance at the tertiary level in China. Analyses of the survey data collected from 1702 university students yielded the following results: (a) Both Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scale (FLRAS) and Foreign Language Reading Strategy Use Scale (FLRSUS) had important subcomponents, (b) more than half of the students generally did not feel anxious when reading English, and were confident in and satisfied with their English reading proficiency. Meanwhile, (c) more than half of them moderately used different types of reading strategies such as planning, checking and confirming, predicting and assessing, when reading English, (d) compared with their female peers, male students felt significantly more anxious when facing reading activities, less satisfied with their English reading proficiency, and used specific analyzing and planning strategies significantly less often during a reading activity, (e) FLRAS was significantly inversely related to FLRSUS, and both were significantly correlated with the students’ FL reading comprehension performance, and (f) FLRAS (overall FL reading anxiety), FLRAS1 (general anxiety about FL reading), and FLRSUS2 (predicting strategies) were good predictors of FL reading comprehension performance. Based on the findings, some implications are discussed.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aixa Hafsha

Learning English as a second language (ESL) for rural secondary learners is challenging, especially related to reading skills. This challenge causes anxiety to arise among rural ESL secondary learners while reading English related reading materials, which indirectly affects their language competence. The problem is overcome as learners seek to utilise suitable strategies as they read any English reading materials. The anxiety that rural ESL secondary learners faced in their reading of English material affects their language competence which is reflected in their English paper grades and strategies employed while reading contributes to a better result which reflects their language competence. This paper discusses a survey that explores the relationship between reading anxiety, strategies and language competence among n = 139 Form 4 secondary rural ESL learners. Two instruments, namely, EFL Reading Anxiety Instrument (EFLRAI) and the Survey of Reading Strategies (SORS), were employed to measure their anxiety level and reading strategies respectively. Rural ESL learners’ language competence is based on their first examination of English grade. The result shows that there is a weak negative correlation between reading anxiety language competence and a weak positive correlation between reading strategies and language competence. This study implies that rural ESL learners experience medium level of reading anxiety when reading English materials and the use of strategies correlates positively with language competence. Although reading anxiety is not strongly experienced by rural ESL learners, yet, employing suitable reading strategies enhances learners’ language competence.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 263
Author(s):  
Sakina Mawardah ◽  
Farah Hana Zinan ◽  
Iman Santoso

This study is aimed to know the scale on the level of anxiety on Foreign Language in general and in reading on EFL learners especially to English department learner of 2015 in IKIP Siliwangi Bandung. The method that is used in this research is descriptive qualitative. The data were gathered using an online form by using a Likert scale questions of FLRAS (Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scale) and FLCAS (Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scales). The data that have been collected were then analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 22 that consisted of descriptive statistics (e.g. means, standard deviations, percentages, etc.). The data used to measure the level of FL anxiety in general and in reading. From the results, more than 66% of the EFL learners have a medium-level in FLRAS, and 76% of the participant has a level of mildly anxious in FLCAS toward English as a foreign language.


2018 ◽  
Vol 102 (3) ◽  
pp. 533-556 ◽  
Author(s):  
RICHARD L. SPARKS ◽  
JULIE LUEBBERS ◽  
MARTHA CASTAÑEDA ◽  
JON PATTON

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Purya Baghaei ◽  
Christine Hohensinn ◽  
Klaus D. Kubinger

2014 ◽  
Vol 114 (2) ◽  
pp. 315-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Purya Baghaei ◽  
Christine Hohensinn ◽  
Klaus D. Kubinger

The validity and psychometric properties of a new Persian adaptation of the Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scale were investigated. The scale was translated into Persian and administered to 160 undergraduate students (131 women, 29 men; M age = 23.4 yr., SD=4.3). Rasch model analysis on the scale's original 20 items revealed that the data do not fit the partial credit model. Principal components analysis identified three factors: one related to feelings of anxiety about reading, the second reflected the reverse-worded items, and the third related to general ideas about reading in a foreign language. In a re-analysis, the 12 items that loaded on the first factor showed a good fit with the partial credit model.


Author(s):  
Azhari Muhlis

This study aims to investigate foreign language reading anxiety among Indonesian EFL Senior High School students. Thirty two students of grade eleven in a senior high school in Bandung were involved as the participants. This study employed a survey research design. The primary data source was collected by two types of questionnaires and the secondary data source was gained by interview. The findings revealed that most of the students perceived anxiety in medium level (71,9%). The study found that there were two major potential factors of foreign language reading anxiety namely text features and personal factors. Under the concept of text features, there are three sources of foreign language reading anxiety including unknown vocabulary, unfamiliar topic, and unfamiliar culture. Unknown vocabulary was considered as the most potential factor of reading anxiety under the aspect of text features (49%). On the other hand, under the concept of personal factors, there are two sources of foreign language reading anxiety including afraid of making errors, and worry about reading effects. Afraid of making error was nominated as the highest potential factor of reading anxiety under the aspect of personal factors (39%). Implication to the study and recommendations for further research were considered. Keywords: Foreign language reading anxiety, potential factors of foreign language reading anxiety


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