The Relationship Between Foreign Language Anxiety and Beliefs about Language Learning
The Relationship Between Foreign Language Anxiety and Beliefs about Language Learning

Author: Najwa Majid Aown

Publisher:

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 334

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This study examined and compared the interaction of foreign language anxiety lev el and beliefs about language learning of EFL learners at two universities in Le banon, one using English and one using French as a medium of instruction. A tota l of 233 students enrolled in the Intensive English Course and Communication Ski ll Program at the American University of Beirut where English is the medium of inst ruction and in the Necessary and Sufficient English Program at Saint Joseph Univ ersity where French is the medium of instruction participated in this study. The participants completed the Beliefs about Language Learning Inventory, the Forei gn Language Classroom Anxiety Scale and a background questionnaire. The results ind icated that there were differences in beliefs about language learning between st udents at the two institutions. Also, a stepwise multiple regression revealed th at some belief variables, such as perceived self- efficacy and confidence in lea rning English, the difficulty of learning English, the difficulty of speaking En glish and formal learning of English/ foreign language aptitude contributed sign ificantly to the prediction of foreign language anxiety. Finally, a multivariate analysis of variance showed that certain background variables, namely gender, e xperience abroad, having native English-speaking acquaintances, and expected course grades influenced students' anxiety English-s peaking levels and language learning beliefs. The pedagogical implications of th ese findings were discussed, as were suggestions for future research.

Anxiety and Beliefs about Language Learning
Anxiety and Beliefs about Language Learning

Author: Susan Narceille Truitt

Publisher:

Published: 1995

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This study investigated the foreign language anxiety and beliefs about language learning of university students learning English as a foreign language (EFL) in Korea. The relationships among the students' anxiety levels and beliefs were also studied. A total of 204 students enrolled in undergraduate English courses in Seoul, Korea, participated in the study. A questionnaire consisting of the Beliefs About Language Learning Inventory (BALLI, Horwitz, 1983a, 1987), the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS, Horwitz, 1983b), and a background questionnaire was translated into Korean and administered to the subjects. This study found that the Korean subjects in this study had different beliefs about language learning from those of American foreign language students (Horwitz, 1988), ESL students in the United States (Horwitz, 1987), EFL students in Taiwan (Yang, 1992), and even another group of EFL students in Korea (Park, 1995). In addition, the beliefs about language learning of the subjects in this study were related to background factors such as major and experience living in an English-speaking country. These findings provide evidence that learners' beliefs about language learning can vary based on their cultural backgrounds and previous experiences (Horwitz, 1987). Secondly, the Korean subjects in this study had higher levels of foreign language anxiety based on their FLCAS scores than the subjects in previous studies (Horwitz et al., 1986; Aida, 1994). These findings suggest that Korean EFL learners do indeed experience foreign language anxiety, and that learners from certain cultures may have higher levels of foreign language anxiety than those from other cultures. Thirdly, two belief factors were found to be significantly correlated with foreign language anxiety: self-efficacy/confidence in speaking (r = -.604) and beliefs about the ease of learning English (r = -.231). These results suggest that beliefs about language learning, particularly low self-efficacy/confidence in speaking and beliefs about the difficulty of language learning, may be a source of foreign language anxiety

Language Anxiety
Language Anxiety

Author: Elaine Kolker Horwitz

Publisher:

Published: 1991

Total Pages: 216

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

"Finally a comprehensive discussion of language anxiety, this collection of papers considers the points of view of teachers and students as well as of theorists and researchers. What is language anxiety? How does it affect language learners? How is it related to other types of anxiety? What can teachers and program directors do to minimize language anxiety in their classrooms? These and other issues are addressed in this landmark text." -- Back cover.

Pronunciation Learning Strategies and Language Anxiety
Pronunciation Learning Strategies and Language Anxiety

Author: Magdalena Szyszka

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2016-12-29

Total Pages: 233

ISBN-13: 3319506420

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book presents theoretical considerations and the results of empirical research on pronunciation learning strategies (PLS) deployed by pre-service trainee teachers majoring in English as a foreign language who experienced different levels of language anxiety (LA). The theoretical part focuses on the concepts of pronunciation learning, pronunciation-learning strategies and language anxiety and includes an overview of recent empirical research dealing with various related issues. The empirical section of the book presents the findings of a research project that investigated the interplay between PLS and LA, in which both quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Based on the findings, the author proposes two profiles of anxious and non-anxious EFL trainee teachers who support their pronunciation learning with an array of pronunciation learning strategies and tactics.

Foreign Language Anxiety and the Advanced Language Learner
Foreign Language Anxiety and the Advanced Language Learner

Author: Zsuzsa Tóth

Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing

Published: 2010-08-11

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 1443824488

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Does anxiety about learning and using a foreign language decline as learners become more competent in the target language, or is anxiety also relevant at higher levels of proficiency? This is the question Foreign Language Anxiety and the Advanced Language Learner sets out to explore. The aim of the book is to give readers an insight into what role anxiety plays in the language learning and communication processes of advanced language learners. Specifically, the study examines how advanced EFL learners’ foreign language anxiety (FLA) can be characterized; how anxiety relates to other individual differences (cognitive, affective, personality); and explores the relationship between FLA and various aspects of learners’ performance and communication experience in the target language. The research context is Hungary. The findings, however, are not confined to the Hungarian EFL setting. In addition to making a contribution to the clarification of some unresolved issues in language anxiety research—including the role of proficiency in the development of anxiety, the relationship between anxiety and other learner variables, and the much-debated question of whether or not anxiety accounts for differential success in L2 learning—this study has important implications for language teachers as well.

Overcoming Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety
Overcoming Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety

Author: Jinyan Huang

Publisher:

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781613247754

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Foreign language anxiety and language-skill-specific anxiety are widely used to describe the feeling of tension and apprehension, which is specifically associated with foreign language learning contexts, including listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA) is related to foreign language anxiety and language-skill-specific anxiety, and fairly recently identified as distinguished from other forms of anxiety. FLCA is a more general type of anxiety in learning a foreign language with a strong speaking anxiety element; and low self-confidence is identified as an important component of its construct. Research shows that FLCA is a complex, multi-dimensional phenomenon; it has many potential sources; and it interferes with the acquisition, retention, and production of a foreign language. This book examines the dynamics of FLCA phenomena.

The Relationship Between Language Mindsets and Foreign Language Anxiety
The Relationship Between Language Mindsets and Foreign Language Anxiety

Author: Jared David Barber

Publisher:

Published: 2021

Total Pages: 101

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The learning of a second language is distinct from other types of learning, and it involves a complex interplay of cognitive, affective, motivational, and emotional factors. Language mindset, the beliefs that learners hold regarding their language learning ability, is one important affective factor, as is language anxiety. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to discover whether a relationship exists between language mindsets and foreign language anxiety for university second language students at a large central Virginia university. The study used four bivariate linear regressions to examine correlations between the predictor variable, foreign language anxiety, and four language mindset-related variables, overall language mindset and its three subdimensions. Results indicated a significant, moderate, positive correlation between foreign language anxiety and fixed mindsets on three of the variables, and a significant, small, positive correlation on the fourth. The study therefore demonstrated a relationship between language mindset and foreign language anxiety, such that higher levels of anxiety correlate with fixed language mindsets, and lower levels with growth mindsets. Suggested areas of future research include duplicating this research with different demographics and conducting multiple regression analyses between language mindsets and several other variables of interest.

New Insights Into Language Anxiety
New Insights Into Language Anxiety

Author: Christina Gkonou

Publisher: Multilingual Matters Limited

Published: 2017

Total Pages: 248

ISBN-13: 9781783097715

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book provides an overview of current theory, research and practice in the field of language anxiety and brings together a range of perspectives on this psychological construct in a single volume. Chapters show that language anxiety can be viewed as a complex and dynamic construct and can be researched using different methods and frameworks.

Positive Psychology in SLA
Positive Psychology in SLA

Author: Peter D. MacIntyre

Publisher: Multilingual Matters

Published: 2016-04-20

Total Pages: 392

ISBN-13: 1783095377

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Positive psychology is the scientific study of how human beings prosper and thrive. This is the first book in SLA dedicated to theories in positive psychology and their implications for language teaching, learning and communication. Chapters examine the characteristics of individuals, contexts and relationships that facilitate learning: positive emotional states such as love, enjoyment and flow, and character traits such as empathy, hardiness and perseverance. The contributors present several innovative teaching ideas to bring out these characteristics among learners. The collection thus blends new teaching techniques with cutting-edge theory and empirical research undertaken using qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods approaches. It will be of interest to SLA researchers, graduate students, trainee and experienced teachers who wish to learn more about language learning psychology, individual differences, learner characteristics and new classroom practices.