Research and findings related to language anxiety

Language anxiety plays an important role in language learning. It is closely related to learner variables, such as gender and beliefs. Negative correlations between language anxiety and achievement have been reported by various investigations. Speaking performance is a skill particularly affected by language anxiety. Cognitive behavioral therapy seems to have provided a promising solution to the problem of language anxiety, but the effect is not supported by some research. Further investigation related to the topic is still in need.

Exploring the role of L2 proficiency and foreign language anxiety in EMI course achievement in China

The purpose of this study is to find out how and to what extent students’L2 proficiency and English learning anxiety impact their EMI courses achievement at a Chinese state university.Quantitative research method was conducted.Questionnaire,CET-4 score and EMI exam score(n=94)were collected from undergraduate students from School of Economics who have attended or are attending International Finance course.English language proficiency and anxiety were explored as possible significant predictors of academic success in EMI.The results showed that the two predictors,English language proficiency and anxiety were significant predictors of academic success in EMI.This result highlights that students with a lower level of proficiency need supplementary linguistic support in order to fully succeed in their EMI studies.Also,code-switching to Chinese when necessary and make classes communicative and fun may help to release students’anxiety.This study helped us better understand the impact of students’English level and anxiety on EMI achievement,and it also provides pedagogical implications for teachers of EMI courses.

Foreign Language Anxiety: Past and Future

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.

Predictors of Foreign Language Anxiety: A Study of College-Level L2 Learners of Chinese

This study investigated seven learner variables （i.e., age, motivation, perception of the difficulty of the Chinese language, self-perceived achievement, self-perceived language learning ability, self-expectation in the Chinese class, and perception of the importance of the Chinese language） as potential predictors of Chinese language learning anxiety. Correlation analyses showed that all seven variables were significantly correlated with anxiety level in isolation. Perception of the difficulty of the Chinese language and age were found to have positive relationships with anxiety, whereas the remaining five variables were reported to have negative relationships. Multiple regression analysis revealed that all the variables except self-expectation in the Chinese class and perception of the importance of the Chinese language contributed significantly to the prediction of Chinese language learning anxiety when examined simultaneously. The five significant predictors altogether explained 34.7% of the variance in anxiety. Perception of the difficulty of the Chinese language was found to be the best predictor and self-perceived achievement the second-best predictor, followed by self-perceived foreign language learning ability, age, and motivation.

A Study on Public Speaking Anxiety Among Chinese High School Students in Native Language and English

With the development of society, people start to put more emphasis on the ability of language and speaking. Anxiety, as one ofthe important affective variables that influence the effective of public speaking has attract the attention of many scholars. Previous re-search has indicated that in some cultures, public speaking anxiety in a second language is much higher than peaking in a native lan-guage, but little research has been done in China. Through an empirical research in a high school, this research tries to figure out theoverall situation of high school students foreign language anxiety level, compare students' anxiety of the public speaking in Chinese andin English, and find the relationship between public speaking anxiety and foreign language anxiety, so as to provide suggestions for im-proving the design of high school English class and college English speaking courses, and give some implications for public speakingtrainings.

Anxiety and Motivation in Foreign Language Achievement

Language anxiety and language motivation have been studied extensively by experts in foreign language （FL） learning. Both of these constructs have been found to be closely correlated to FL achievement. In this article, the author has reviewed foreign language anxiety, language motivation and the relationship between language motivation and language anxiety.

Foreign Language Enjoyment and Anxiety:Associations With General and Domain-Specific English Achievement

Recent research has confirmed the predictive effect of general foreign language(FL) achievement on Foreign Language Enjoyment(FLE) and Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety(FLCA).However,few studies have examined the effect of domain-specific language achievement in shaping FL learning emotions.The present study thus aims to examine how FLE and FLCA are linked to overall FL achievement and self-perceived achievement in six different domains across listening,speaking,reading,writing,vocabulary,and grammar.A total of 1,415 Chinese senior secondary students participated in the questionnaire survey.Regression analyses showed that 1) both FLE and FLCA were predicted more by self-perceived general English proficiency,while less by actual English achievement;2) perceptions of speaking and grammar competence were significant predictors of both emotions;3) perceived reading competence predicted FLE significantly but not FLCA;and that 4) perceptions of listening,writing,and vocabulary competence predicted neither FLE nor FLCA.The implication is that domain-specificity should be taken into consideration in future explorations of FL emotions.

A Brief Analysis About the Function of the Communicative Approach -- It Can Lighten Classroom Anxiety in Foreign Language Teaching

Classroom Anxiety is very common and to some extent it influences students＇ achievements in foreign language learning. So, how to solve this problem in order to help students have a good performance in foreign language learning is a very urgent issue. According to the writer＇s study, communicative approach is an effective method to deal with it.

The Model of Speaking in Teaching Indonesian to Foreign Speakers Based on Self-Regulated Learning and Anxiety Reduction Approaches

Model for spoken is expected to overcome difficulties in teaching and learning Indonesian language for foreign speakers. Language anxiety is the anxiety that arises when a person learns foreign language. Foreign Language Anxiety （anxiety to learn a foreign language） is of concern or negative emotional reactions that arise when studying or using foreign language. Self-regulated learning is an active and constructive process undertaken by learners in setting goals for their learning and trying to monitor, regulate, and control of cognition, motivation, and behavior, then everything is directed and driven by purpose and adapted to the context and environment. The research method used is an R and D （research and development） method with a sample of foreign speakers of Chinese. Variables that receive interference are the ability to speak in Indonesian, while the variables used to interfere with the self-regulated learning and language anxiety as a variable controller. Intrapersonal factors become barriers that cause stuttering speech limited due to the mastering subject content. On the basis of that, this speaking model applies the principle of self-regulated learning in the learning process, using a communicative and contextual approach. This model intended for foreign speakers who learn Indonesian language outside of Indonesia, so to bring the atmosphere mandated in sociolinguistic built through media and relevant teaching methods.

On Delightful Class Atmosphere in Higher Vocational College English Learning

Higher vocational college students are suffering more foreign language anxiety in their English learning.Based on this status quo,the writer poses some pedagogical implication from the perspectives of how to create delightful class atmosphere and reduce students' foreign language anxiety.It is hoped that the findings will help students more effectively learn foreign language.

Chinese University Students’Attitudes Toward Chinese-English Classroom Code-Switching

This study investigates students’attitudes towards classroom code-switching(CS)between Chinese and English,and how such attitudes are influenced by learning motivation and language anxiety,the two focal variables of the present study.A total of 550 students from a university in northwest China took part in an online survey.The results of quantitative analyses suggest a division of attitudes towards CS,acknowledging its usefulness but dismissing its symbolic value.Such attitudes can be predicted based on the focal learner characteristics.The implications of the findings are discussed vis-à-vis the social psychology of CS and an optimal use of CS to assist language learning and teaching.

The Analysis of Deficiency in College-student English Oral Expression Ability and Strategies for Breaking Barriers

Referring to the questionnaire surveys and literature materials, this paper describes the current situation of college students＇ English oral expression ability, the reasons for lack of such ability and possible solutions. This research used a questionnaire survey to collect data from 146 college students from different grades, majors, universities and areas. The result shows that the deficiency in college students＇ English oral expression ability can be explained on two levels, spiritual level and oral level. Spiritual level shows that college students don＇t always have thoughts while others are communicating with them in English; oral level includes two aspects, one is that they always have no idea of how to express their thoughts well and the other is that they fail to always express themselves clearly and exactly. It is suggested that a good language environment is necessary for students to practice English pronunciation, understand culture from English speaking countries, and enhance listening skill to overcome language anxiety in communication.

OPTIONS IN COPING WITH FOREIGN LANGUAGE CLASSROOM ANXIETY

This thesis is a project on foreign language classroom anxiety. Since Krashen put forward the affective filter hypothesis, more and more concern has been paid to the anxiety problem by foreign language educators and researchers at home and aboard. Among them, one qualitative research in Reticence and Anxiety in Second Language Learning by Amy B. M. Tusi stood out and received much attention. My project intends to justify the causes for foreign language classroom anxiety and corresponding strategies, based on the research of Amy B. M. Tusi (1985). The subjects in Tsui's project are English teachers in secondary school. Little research has been done on non-English-major students in the general university of technology in mainland of China. Therefore, this thesis will provide some practical data and suggestions for the research in this field. The whole thesis consists of five chapters. The first two chapters mainly discuss the definition, the causes of foreign language classroom anxiety and current research in this field. The third and the fourth parts focus on the research in this thesis: objects, subjects, instruments, methodology and data results and analysis. The study shows that because of the difference in English proficiency level, style of cognition, culture, and educational background among students, five factors and five strategies for foreign language classroom anxiety proposed by Amy B. M. Tusi only fit some students in college English class. Based on the data results, five personal proposals are put forward, and I hope these proposals will provide some options for practicing English teachers of non-English-major instruction in the general university technology to cope with foreign language anxiety.

ANXIETY IN THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE CLASSROOM

Introduction With the rapid growth in international communication, English is becoming more and more important. The urgent task for English teachers, is to apply knowledge gained from educational psychology research to make teaching more efficient. For this purpose, anxiety, an important psychological phenomenon in foreign language learning, is discussed in this article. First anxiety will be defined to build up a clear concept of its origin and its nature. Then its effect on foreign language learning will be analysed. A few suggestions for teachers will be presented at the end.