scholarly journals Quantitative Analysis of the Foreign Language Anxiety: Chinese and Pakistani Postgraduates in Focus

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sameena Malik ◽  
Huang Qin ◽  
Said Muhammad khan ◽  
Khalid Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Anxiety Level ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Language Anxiety ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
Chinese University ◽  
Postgraduate Level ◽  
Quantitative Results ◽  
The University

The current research study aims at inspecting various levels of apprehension and anxiety faced by university postgraduates in Pakistan and China when learning a foreign language (FL). The target population of this research was the university postgraduates from a Chinese university in Wuhan, and a public sector university in Lahore, Pakistan. The sample of this study was 206 postgraduates, out of which 106 (male =28, female= 78) from a Chinese university and 100 (male=53, female= 47) from a Pakistani university in Lahore. The sample was selected randomly and aged (21-30), and all participants belonged to the postgraduate level. Horwitz’s foreign language classroom anxiety scale (known as FLCAS) was used as a survey model, a theoretical framework for collecting data from both universities. The Statistical Package of a Social Sciences (SPSS version23) was used to get quantitative results. Descriptive statistics were used to investigate the anxiety level. Mean score and standard deviation were computed of both groups, besides it, the independent samples t-test was run to compare the mean score of both groups and infer if there existed any difference in the target language anxiety level. The results revealed that Chinese postgraduates face more anxiety than Pakistani postgraduates, and there existed significant differences in foreign language anxiety levels of both groups. Based on the results, it can be implicated that combined efforts of mentors and students can pave the way in tackling anxiety among university postgraduates.

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.

scholarly journals Foreign Language Anxiety and Communicative Performance

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 199-207
Author(s):  
Atta M. Hamamorad
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Language Anxiety ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Communicative Performance ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Efl Students

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.

scholarly journals AGE AND PROFICIENCY IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANXIETY

2020 ◽  
pp. 209
Author(s):  
Rafael Dutra ◽  
Ingrid Finger
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Significant Positive Correlation ◽  
Significant Negative Correlation ◽  
Anxiety Level ◽  
Language Anxiety ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
Language History ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Different Levels

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.

scholarly journals FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANXIETY AND ENGLISH ACHIVEMENT OF EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS OF MTS SULAIMAN YASIN SAMARINDA IN THE 2011/2012 ACADEMIC YEAR

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Setya Ariani ◽  
Dyah Sunggingwati ◽  
Weningtyas Parama Iswari
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Significant Negative Correlation ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Language Anxiety ◽  
Eighth Grade ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Key Words Anxiety ◽  
Eighth Grade Students ◽  
English Achievement

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

scholarly journals How Social Support and Foreign Language Anxiety Impact Willingness to Communicate in English in an EFL Classroom

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ammara Kalsoom ◽  
Niaz Hussain Soomro ◽  
Zahid Hussain Pathan
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
English Language ◽  
Willingness To Communicate ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Language Anxiety ◽  
Medium Effect ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
Efl Context ◽  
The Impact

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.

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].

Foreign Language Anxiety: Past and Future

2013 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 442-464 ◽  
Author(s):  
Han Luo
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Classroom Environment ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Emotional Reaction ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Language Anxiety ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Foreign Language Learners

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.

scholarly journals Foreign Language Anxiety in the Case of Croatian University Learners of Japanese

2019 ◽  
pp. 103-126
Author(s):  
Kamelija Kauzlarić
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Anxiety ◽  
Linguistic Knowledge ◽  
Japanese Language ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
Willingness To Participate ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
Japanese Studies ◽  
The University

The aims of this study are (1) to investigate the frequency, sources, and characteristics of foreign language anxiety regarding speaking activities in the case of learners of the Japanese language at two Croatian institutions of higher education, and (2) to determine which speaking activities anxious learners of Japanese in Croatia would willingly participate in, while remaining sufficiently challenged by the tasks to gain new or reinforce previously acquired linguistic knowledge. A questionnaire was distributed to 65 students at the University of Pula bachelor’s program in Japanese language and culture and the University of Zagreb’s Japanese studies program in February and March of 2018. The results point to lower than expected self-assessment of Japanese speaking competence and high levels of Japanese speaking anxiety, particularly due to the fear of making mistakes, the presence of other individuals relevant to the learning process (classmates, teachers, other native speakers of Japanese), and a lack of activities focused on meaningful interaction. Participant experiences with various learning methods point to their willingness to participate in non-structured, improvisational pair conversation exercises and the potential of these activities to help learners overcome debilitating language anxiety.

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