scholarly journals Foreign Language Anxiety in Taiwanese Student Interpreters

2009 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 605-621 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yung-Nan Chiang
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cultural Groups ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
The University ◽  
Taiwanese Student

Abstract Although anxiety has been found to be a key variable in both interpretation performance and second language (L2) acquisition, there has been virtually no dialogue between these two fields. In order to bridge this gap, this study investigated Taiwanese undergraduate student interpreters’ foreign language (FL) anxiety using Horwitz, Horwitz et al.’s (1986) Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale. Results showed that (1) Taiwanese student interpreters did have FL anxiety despite the language facility expected from them; (2) the scope of their FL anxiety was slightly less prevalent than regular Asian L2 learners, as widespread as American L2 learners, and more far-reaching than European L2 learners; and (3) the level of their FL anxiety was slightly less severe than in most of the university students from several cultural groups with various L2s, except for American college students of Arabic and Russian. Implications for pedagogy and future research are suggested.

scholarly journals Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety of Arab learners of English: The effect of personality, linguistic and sociobiographical variables

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 205-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Marc Dewaele ◽  
Taghreed M. Al-Saraj
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
Multicultural Personality ◽  
Frequency Of Use ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom ◽  
Anxiety Questionnaire ◽  
Classroom Anxiety

The present study focuses on the link between psychological, sociobiographical and linguistic variables and Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety of 348 Arabic learners of English (250 females, 98 males). Data were collected using the Arabic Foreign Language Anxiety Questionnaire (AFLAQ; Al-Saraj, 2011, 2014) and an Arabic version of the Multicultural Personality Questionnaire-Short Form (MPQ-SF; van der Zee, van Oudenhoven, Ponterotto & Fietzer, 2013). Multiple regression analyses revealed that self-perceived proficiency in oral English and frequency of use of English explained over a third of variance in FLCA: More proficient and frequent users felt less anxious. Two personality traits, Emotional Stability and Social Initiative explained a further fifth of variance in FLCA, with emotionally stable and more extraverted participants scoring lower on FLCA. Age was the final predictor of a small amount of variance, with older participants feeling less anxious. Degree of multilingualism, sex and education level had no effect on FLCA.

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.

Obava z komunikace v cizím jazyce ve výuce: Česká adaptace škály Foreing Langue Classroom Anxiety Scale

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaroslava Jelínková
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Factor Structure ◽  
Content Validity ◽  
Anxiety Scale ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
Alpha Coefficient ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety ◽  
Classroom Anxiety

Quality communication between a teacher and a student or students contributes to the process of learning not only a foreign language. Contrarily, fear of communication can significantly harm communication. The present study provides information on the process and results of scale adaptation, which measures foreign language anxiety (Horwitz, Horwitz & Cope, 1986). The process of adaptation to Czech conditions included the verification of content validity, construct validity, and the identification of a factor structure of the instrument. Based on the results of the exploratory factor analysis in the STATISTICA 13.3 program, a reduction from thirty-three to thirteen items was proposed. The internal consistency of the adapted Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale showed a sufficient Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.82.

Factor Structure of the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale

2016 ◽  
Vol 119 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elaine K. Horwitz
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Anxiety Scale ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
Learning Contexts ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom ◽  
Different Cultures ◽  
Classroom Anxiety

By employing both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, Park has provided an important contribution to understanding the underlying constructs of the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale. To Park’s concerns about previous research on the components of the measure, this article adds the necessity of considering the specific learner populations and learning contexts where foreign language anxiety (FLA) is being examined since the components of FLA likely vary in different learner populations, especially with respect to cultural and proficiency differences. It is particularly important to consider that FLA has different triggers and manifestations in different cultures.

Drama for L2 Speaking and Language Anxiety: Evidence from Brazilian EFL Learners

RELC Journal ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 273-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelica Galante
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Language Anxiety ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
The Past ◽  
Comfort Levels ◽  
L2 Speaking ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety

Anxiety is a dimension of L2 speaking that has been heavily investigated over the past several decades, but there is a paucity of research investigating instruction aiming at lowering anxiety. While research suggests drama lowers L2 learners’ anxiety, it is unclear to what extent anxiety is affected by drama. This article reports results from a mixed methods study examining whether drama impacts foreign language anxiety (FLA). The participants were 24 Brazilian adolescents who took part in two distinct four-month EFL programmes: a drama and a non-drama programme. An adapted version of the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) was used as pre- and post measures. Analyses from FLCAS indicate a significant reduction in FLA levels among learners in both groups over time, with a slightly better improvement among learners in the drama group. Further analysis provides evidence that drama can enhance comfort levels when speaking the L2. Implications for research and language teaching are discussed.

scholarly journals Ansiedad idiomática en Español como Lengua Extranjera y rendimiento académico en la Enseñanza Superior || Foreign language anxiety in Spanish as a Foreign Language and language achievement in Higher Education

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 29
Author(s):  
Mercedes Rabadán ◽  
Alejandro Orgambídez
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Anxiety Scale ◽  
Language Anxiety ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
Language Achievement ◽  
Enseñanza Superior ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom

 La ansiedad idiomática es reconocida como uno de los elementos afectivos que mayor influencia tiene sobre el aprendizaje de lenguas extranjeras. No obstante, se han realizado pocos estudios sobre el papel de la ansiedad en el contexto de Español como Lengua Extranjera (ELE), y apenas existen investigaciones con estudiantes portugueses de la enseñanza superior. Este estudio explora el papel de la ansiedad idiomática como predictor del rendimiento académico en estudiantes portugueses universitarios. Se llevó a cabo un estudio transversal y correlacional con una muestra de 249 participantes. La ansiedad fue evaluada utilizando la escala Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) y el rendimiento académico fue medido utilizando la nota final obtenida en la asignatura de español como lengua extranjera. Los resultados mostraron que mayores puntuaciones en la aprensión comunicativa, la ansiedad durante la evaluación y el miedo a una evaluación negativa se asociaron a peor rendimiento académico. El modelo de regresión identificó el miedo a una evaluación negativa como el predictor significativo más importantes de la calificación. Ambientes de clases libres de ansiedad facilitan la adquisición y el aprendizaje de ELE.

scholarly journals Anxiety and personality as indicators of academic performance in university foreign language classrooms

2021 ◽  
pp. 27-42
Author(s):  
Alan Martin Smyth ◽  
Nuria García Manzanares ◽  
Juan José Fernández Muñoz
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Test Anxiety ◽  
Spanish Version ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom ◽  
The University ◽  
Classroom Anxiety

The main purpose of this study is to test whether students’ performance in official language tests in the university context is influenced, apart from anxiety, by certain personality traits. A sample of 394 university students in Spain were assessed in language academic performance using the Test of English for International Communication: Listening and Reading (TOEIC L&R), Foreign Language Anxiety using the Spanish version of the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS), Test Anxiety, by means of the Spanish version of the Test Anxiety Inventory and Personality Traits through the Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI). Frequency analyses for the categorical variables, and means and standard deviations for continuous variables were calculated, and a forward stepwise regression model was used to assess the independent variables that contributed significantly to the variance in the score on the academic performance. Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety (FLCA) correlated most significantly with student foreign language academic performance, followed by the Neuroticism dimension, Test Anxiety and Extraversion. These results show that anxiety can still be considered the best indicator to predict language academic performance and that personality traits do play a relevant part in the foreign language learning process in the university context.

scholarly journals Multilingualism and Foreign Language Anxiety: the case of Saudi EFL Learners

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elias Bensalem
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Anxiety ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
Arabic Version ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Efl Context ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety

The present study focuses on the link between foreign language anxiety (FLA), self-perceived proficiency, and multilingualism in the under-explored EFL context of Saudi Arabia. Ninety six Arabic learners of English (56 males, 40 females) answered the Arabic version of Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLACS; Horwitz, Horwitz, & Cope, 1986). The analyses revealed that Saudi multilinguals suffered from low to moderate levels of FLA with female participants experiencing more anxiety than their male counterparts. Multiple regression analyses revealed that gender and self-perceived proficiency explained over a quarter of variance in FLA. Furthermore, the study did not find any role of experience abroad in predicting FLA.

scholarly journals PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSISTANCE IN REDUCING ENGLISH LANGUAGE ANXIETY IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 26-34
Author(s):  
Mariia M. Avhustiuk
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
English Language ◽  
Anxiety Scale ◽  
Foreign Languages ◽  
Language Anxiety ◽  
Foreign Language Anxiety ◽  
Psychological Literature ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety ◽  
Psychological Assistance

The aim of the paper is to outline some possible ways of psychological assistance in defining and reducing foreign language anxiety in university students. In this context the analysis focuses on a theoretical study of language anxiety in the psychological literature and states its role in learning foreign languages and studying in university in general, highlights and explains some reasons of language anxiety, analyses its peculiarities and effect on the efficacy of learning foreign languages. Moreover, we aim at defining some possible ways of detection, prevention, and reducing foreign language anxiety trying to analyse some existent in psychological literature methods and practical questionnaires. To do this, we divide some practical methods available in the scientific psychological literature into the questionnaires aimed at detecting and preventing language anxiety (“Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale” (FLCAS), “Language Learners’ Anxiety and Motivation”, “The Anxiety Scale”, “Test Anxiety Scale”, “Fear of Negative Evaluation”, etc.) and questionnaires that help reduce language anxiety (“Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety Scale”, “The Self-Regulated Foreign Language Learning Questionnaire”, “SWOT Analysis”, “Self-Regulation Questionnaire”, “Metacognitive Awareness Inventory”, “Promoting Student Metacogniton about Learning”, etc.). We also mention impact of self-regulated learning and importance of playing activities (games) during efficient learning, specify the role of fossilization. Practical implication of the paper is to provide the results of the students of the International Relations Department (N = 153) who voluntarily answered the questions of the adapted and translated into Ukrainian version of the “Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale” (FLCAS). Our findings suggest that significant English language anxiety is experienced by many students. Finally, some implications for the next studies are proposed.

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