Language anxiety in Chinese university EFL learners in varying learning contexts
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25170/ijelt.v8i1.1528Keywords:
languag anxiety, learning context, cause, impact, performanceAbstract
The present study examined Chinese university EFL learners’ anxiety in English classrooms in varying learning contexts, and causes for and impact of anxiety on their performance in English. Analyses of 215 journals and 1203 questionnaires revealed the following conclusions: (1) around a third of the whole participant sample and each university sample experienced anxiety in English class, (2) various reasons such as low proficiency in the target language, lack of vocabulary, lack of practice, lack of preparation, and poor pronunciation were responsible for anxiety in the participants, and (3) anxiety mainly debilitated the students’ performance in English and the majority of the participants felt helpless about feeling anxious when using the language in English class.
References
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Frantzen, D., & Magnan, S. (2005). Anxiety and the true beginner-false beginner dynamic in beginning French and Spanish classes. Foreign Language Annals, 38, 171-190.
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Gregersen, T. (2005). Nonverbal cues: clues to the detection of foreign language anxiety. Foreign Language Annals, 38, 388-400.
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Liu, M., & Jackson, J. (2008). An Exploration of Chinese EFL Learners’ unwillingness to communicate and foreign language anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 92, 71-86.
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MacIntyre, P. D., & Gardner, R. C. (1991). Investigating language class anxiety using the focused essay technique. The Modern Language Journal, 75, 296-304.
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MacIntyre, P. D., & Gardner, R. C. (1994b). The subtle effects of language anxiety on cognitive processing in the second language. Language Learning, 44, 283-305.
MacIntyre, P. D., & Thivierge, K. A. (1995). The effects of audience pleasantness, audience familiarity, and speaking contexts on public speaking anxiety and willingness to speak. Communication Quarterly, 43, 456-466.
Mak, B. (2011). An exploration of speaking-in-class anxiety with Chinese ESL learners. System, 39, 202-214.
Marcos-Llinás, M., & Garau, M. J. (2009). Effects of language anxiety on three proficiency-level courses of Spanish as a foreign language. Foreign Language Annals, 42, 94-111.
Oxford, R. L. (1999). “Style wars” as a source of anxiety in language classrooms. In D. J. Young (ed.), Affect in foreign language and second language learning: a practical guide to creating a low-anxiety classroom atmosphere (pp. 216-237). Boston: McGraw-Hill.
Pichette, F. (2009). Second language anxiety and distance language learning.
Foreign Language Annals, 42, 77-93.
Phillips, E. M. (1992). The effects of language anxiety on students’ oral test performance and attitudes. The Modern Language Journal, 76, 14-26.
Saito, Y., & Samimy, K. K. (1996). Foreign language anxiety and language performance: A study of learner anxiety in beginning, intermediate, and advanced-level college students of Japan. Foreign Language Annals, 29, 239-251.
Spielmann, G., & Radnofsky, M. (2001). Learning language under tension: New directions from a qualitative study. Modern Language Journal, 8, 259-278.
Tallon, M. (2009). Foreign language anxiety and heritage students of Spanish: A quantitative study. Foreign Language Annals, 42, 112-137.
Tsui, A. (1996). Reticence and anxiety in second language learning. In K. M. Bailey & D. Nunan (Eds.), Voices from the language classroom (pp.145-167). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Williams, K., & Andrade, M. (2008). Foreign language learning anxiety in Japanese EFL university classes: causes, coping, and locus of control. Electronic Journal of Foreign language Teaching, 5, 181-191.
Yan, J. X., & Horwitz, E. K. (2008). Learners’ perceptions of how anxiety interacts with personal and instructional factors to influence their achievement in English: a qualitative analysis of EFL learners in China. Language Learning, 58, 151–183.
Young, D. J. (Ed.). (1999). Affect in foreign language and second language learning: a practical guide to creating a low-anxiety classroom atmosphere (pp. 13-23). Boston: McGraw-Hill College.
Bailey, K. M. (1983). Competitiveness and anxiety in adult second language learning: looking at and through the dairy studies. In H. W. Seliger and M. H. Long (Eds.), Classroom Oriented Research in Second Language Acquisition (pp. 67-103). Rowley, Mass.: Newbury House Publishers, Inc.
Elkhafaifi, H. (2005). Listening comprehension and anxiety in the Arabic language classroom. The Modern Language Journal, 89, 206-220.
Ewald, J. D. (2007). Foreign language learning anxiety in upper-level class: Involving students as researchers. Foreign Language Annals, 40, 122-142.
Frantzen, D., & Magnan, S. (2005). Anxiety and the true beginner-false beginner dynamic in beginning French and Spanish classes. Foreign Language Annals, 38, 171-190.
Gardner, R. C. (1985). Social psychology and second language learning. London: Edward Arnold.
Gardner, R. C., & MacIntyre, P. D. (1992). Integrative motivation, induced anxiety, and language learning in a controlled environment. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 14, 197-214.
Gregersen, T. (2003). To err is human: A reminder to teachers of language-anxious students. Foreign Language Annals, 36, 25-32.
Gregersen, T. (2005). Nonverbal cues: clues to the detection of foreign language anxiety. Foreign Language Annals, 38, 388-400.
Horwitz, E. K. (1995). Student affective reactions and the teaching and learning of foreign languages. Journal of Educational Research, 23, 569-652.
Horwitz, E. K. (2001). Language anxiety and achievement. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 21, 112-126.
Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M., & Cope, J. (1986). Foreign language classroom anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 1, 125-132.
Kessler, G. (2010). Fluency and anxiety in self-access speaking tasks: the influence of environment. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 23, 361-375.
Kim, S.-Y. (2009). Questioning the stability of foreign language classroom anxiety and motivation across different classroom contexts. Foreign Language Annals, 42, 138-157.
Kim, S.-Y. (2010). Is foreign language classroom anxiety context free or context dependent? Foreign Language Annals, 43, 187-189.
Krippendorff, K. (1980). Content analysis: an introduction to its methodology. Beverly Hills: Sage Publications
Liu, L., Liu, M., & Su, D. (2010). An investigation of Chinese undergraduates’ foreign language anxiety: changes and differences. Asian Journal of English Language Teaching, 20, 47-64.
Liu, M. (2006a). Anxiety in EFL classrooms: causes and consequences. TESL Reporter, 39, 13-32.
Liu, M. (2006b). Anxiety in Chinese EFL students at different proficiency levels. System, 34, 301-316.
Liu, M., & Jackson, J. (2008). An Exploration of Chinese EFL Learners’ unwillingness to communicate and foreign language anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 92, 71-86.
Liu, M., & Jackson, J. (2011). Reticence and anxiety in oral English lessons: A case study in Mainland China. In L. Jin & M. Cortazzi (Eds.). Researching Chinese learners—skills, perceptions, and intercultural adaptation (pp. 119-137). Basingstoke, U.K.: Palgrave MacMillan.
MacIntyre, P. D., & Gardner, R. C. (1989). Anxiety and second-language learning: Toward a theoretical clarification. Language Learning, 39, 251-275.
MacIntyre, P. D., & Gardner, R. C. (1991). Investigating language class anxiety using the focused essay technique. The Modern Language Journal, 75, 296-304.
MacIntyre, P. D., & Gardner, R. C. (1994a). The effects of induced anxiety on three stages of cognitive processing in computerized vocabulary learning. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 16, 1-17.
MacIntyre, P. D., & Gardner, R. C. (1994b). The subtle effects of language anxiety on cognitive processing in the second language. Language Learning, 44, 283-305.
MacIntyre, P. D., & Thivierge, K. A. (1995). The effects of audience pleasantness, audience familiarity, and speaking contexts on public speaking anxiety and willingness to speak. Communication Quarterly, 43, 456-466.
Mak, B. (2011). An exploration of speaking-in-class anxiety with Chinese ESL learners. System, 39, 202-214.
Marcos-Llinás, M., & Garau, M. J. (2009). Effects of language anxiety on three proficiency-level courses of Spanish as a foreign language. Foreign Language Annals, 42, 94-111.
Oxford, R. L. (1999). “Style wars” as a source of anxiety in language classrooms. In D. J. Young (ed.), Affect in foreign language and second language learning: a practical guide to creating a low-anxiety classroom atmosphere (pp. 216-237). Boston: McGraw-Hill.
Pichette, F. (2009). Second language anxiety and distance language learning.
Foreign Language Annals, 42, 77-93.
Phillips, E. M. (1992). The effects of language anxiety on students’ oral test performance and attitudes. The Modern Language Journal, 76, 14-26.
Saito, Y., & Samimy, K. K. (1996). Foreign language anxiety and language performance: A study of learner anxiety in beginning, intermediate, and advanced-level college students of Japan. Foreign Language Annals, 29, 239-251.
Spielmann, G., & Radnofsky, M. (2001). Learning language under tension: New directions from a qualitative study. Modern Language Journal, 8, 259-278.
Tallon, M. (2009). Foreign language anxiety and heritage students of Spanish: A quantitative study. Foreign Language Annals, 42, 112-137.
Tsui, A. (1996). Reticence and anxiety in second language learning. In K. M. Bailey & D. Nunan (Eds.), Voices from the language classroom (pp.145-167). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Williams, K., & Andrade, M. (2008). Foreign language learning anxiety in Japanese EFL university classes: causes, coping, and locus of control. Electronic Journal of Foreign language Teaching, 5, 181-191.
Yan, J. X., & Horwitz, E. K. (2008). Learners’ perceptions of how anxiety interacts with personal and instructional factors to influence their achievement in English: a qualitative analysis of EFL learners in China. Language Learning, 58, 151–183.
Young, D. J. (Ed.). (1999). Affect in foreign language and second language learning: a practical guide to creating a low-anxiety classroom atmosphere (pp. 13-23). Boston: McGraw-Hill College.
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2012-05-31
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