LANGUAGE ANXIETY AMONG FIRST-YEAR MALAY STUDENTS OF THE INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC COLLEGE: AN INVESTIGATION OF L2
SKILLS, SOURCES OF ANXIETY, AND L2 PERFORMANCE
BY
MOHD HILMI BIN HAMZAH
INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA
2007
“There is something fundamentally different about learning a language, compared to learning another skill or gaining other knowledge, namely that language and self are so closely bound, if not identical, that an attack on one is an attack on the other.”
- Cohen and Norst, 1989
LANGUAGE ANXIETY AMONG FIRST-YEAR MALAY STUDENTS OF THE INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC COLLEGE: AN INVESTIGATION OF L2
SKILLS, SOURCES OF ANXIETY, AND L2 PERFORMANCE
BY
MOHD HILMI BIN HAMZAH
A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Human
Sciences (English Language Studies)
Kulliyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences
International Islamic University Malaysia
JULY 2007
ABSTRACT
This study investigates language anxiety experienced by 91 college students while learning English. In particular, the study explores three aspects: L2 skills in which the students feel anxious; the potential sources of their anxiety; and the relationship between the students’ level of language anxiety and their performance in end-of- semester examination. Three instruments were used to obtain the data – questionnaire, interview, and end-of-semester exam papers. The data from the questionnaire were analyzed to find out the L2 skills in which the students feel anxious. The interview provided data to examine the potential sources of their anxiety. The end-of-semester exam papers were scrutinized to determine the relationship between the students’ level of anxiety and their L2 performance. Results showed that about 88% of the students felt either moderately or highly anxious in all L2 skills, with speaking being the highest. Personal and interpersonal anxieties were identified as the main sources of their anxiety. It was also demonstrated that students with higher level of anxiety tend to obtain lower marks in their end-of-semester examination, with grammar being the lowest. These findings provide insights into the students’ language anxiety which can equip English language teachers with better knowledge about their students.
iii
ﺨﻠﻣ ص ﺚﺤﺒﻟا
ﻞﻴﻠﺤﺘﺑ ﺚﺤﺒﻟا اﺬه مﺎﻗ ﺪﻘﻟ ﻖﻠﻘﻟا
ﺮﺕﻮ ﺘﻟاو
يﺮ ﺟأ ﺪ ﻗو يﻮ ﻐﻠﻟا ﻰ ﻠﻋ
ﻲ ﻓ ﺔ ﺒﻟﺎﻃو ﺎ ﺒﻟﺎﻃ ﻦﻴﻌ ﺴﺕو ﺪ ﺡاو
ﺔﻴﻠﻜﻟا ﻲﻓ ﺮﻴﻐﻟ ﺔیﺰﻴﻠﺠﻧﻻا ﺔﻐﻠﻟا ﻢﻠﻌﺕ ﻟا
ﺎﻬﺑ ﻦﻴﻘﻃﺎﻨ .
ﺺﺨیو ﺚ ﺤﺒﻟا اﺬ ه ﺎ ﻬﻨﻣ ، عوﺮ ﻓ ﺔ ﺛﻼﺛ
: أ ﻻو
، ﻟا ﻒﻴﺨﺕ ﻲﺘﻟا ﺔیﻮﻐﻠﻟا تارﺎﻬﻤ قﺮﻃ ﻲﻓ ﺔﺒﻠﻄﻟا
ّﻠﻌﺕو ﺎﻬﺋادأ ﺎﻬﻤ
، ﻢ ﻬﻠﻌﺠﺕ ﺚﻴﺡ
و ﺎ ﻘﻠﻗ ﺮ ﺜآأ اﺮﺕﻮ ﺕ
؟
أ ، ﺎﻴﻧﺎﺛ ﺒﺱ ﺎﻬﻠﻣاﻮﻋو فﻮﺨﻟا بﺎ .
، ﺎ ﺜﻟﺎﺛو ﻦﻴ ﺑ ﺔ ﻗﻼﻌﻟا ﻟا
رﻮﻌ ﺸ ﺑ و ﻖﻠﻘﻟﺎ ﺮﺕﻮ ﺘﻟا و
ﺑ ﻚ ﻟذ ﻂ ﺑر ﺞﺋﺎ ﺘﻨ
نﺎﺤﺘﻣﻻا ﻲﺱارﺪﻟا ﻞﺼﻔﻟا ﺮﺥﺁ ﻲﻓ ﻲﺋﺎﻬﻨﻟا
. ﻟ
ﺤﻠﻟ ﻞﺋﺎ ﺱو ثﻼ ﺛ ﺖﻣﺪﺨﺘ ﺱا ﺪﻘ تﺎ ﻣﻮﻠﻌﻣ ﻰ ﻠﻋ لﻮ ﺼ
، ﺔیدﺎﺵرٳ تﺎﻧﺎﻴﺑو
ﻦ ﻋ جذﻮ ﻤﻧ
ﺑﺎﻘﻣو ﻞ ﻴﻠﺤﺘﻟا ةرﺎﻤﺘ ﺱٳ ﻠ
ﻟ ﺔ ﻠ
ﻰ ﻟٳ ةرﺎ ﺵﻻاو ﺺﺨ ﺸ ﺞﺋﺎ ﺘﻧ
ﻦﻴﺤ ﺵﺮﻤﻟا
ﻲﺋﺎ ﻬﻨﻟا نﺎ ﺤﺘﻣﻻا ﻲ ﻓ .
ٍٳ تﺎ ﻧﺎﻴﺒﻟاو تﺎ ﻣﻮﻠﻌﻤﻟا ن
ﻖ ﻠﻘﻟا ﺎ ﻨﻟ ﻒ ﺸﻜﺕ ىﺪ ﻟ
ﻠﻄﻟا ﺔ ﻐﻠﻟا ﻢ ﻠﻌﺕ ﻲ ﻓ ﺔ ﺒ
ﺔیﺰﻴﻠﺠﻧﻻا
ﺮﻴﻐﻟ ﻟا ﺎﻬﺑ ﻦﻴﻘﻃﺎﻨ
، ىﺪﻣو ﻢهﺪﻨﻋ فﻮﺨﻟا .
أ
ﺔ ﻠﺑﺎﻘﻤﻟا ﺎ ﻣ ﺺﺨ ﺸﻟﺎﺑ
ﻰ ﻬﻓ ﺕ ﻦ ﻜﻤ ﻟا قﺮ ﻄﺘ
ٳ ﻰ ﻟ ﻞ ﻴﻠﺤﺕ ﻪﺒﻴ ﺼﺨﺵ ﻚﻟﺬ آو
ﻦ ﻋ ﻒ ﺸﻜﺕ أ
ﺪ ﻟ فﻮ ﺨﻟا بﺎﺒ ﺱ ﻢﻬی
. ﺔ یﺎﻬﻧ ﻲ ﻓ تﺎ ﻧﺎﺤﺘﻣﻻا قاروأو
ﻒ ﺸﻜﻟﺎﺑ مﻮ ﻘﺕ ﻲ ﺱارﺪﻟا ﻞ ﺼﻔﻟا ﻦ ﻋ
ﺔ ﻗﻼﻌﻟا ىﺪ ﻣ لﻮ ﺡ
ﺔ یﺰﻴﻠﺠﻧﻻا ﺔ ﻐﻠﻟا ﻢ ﻠﻌﺕ ﻲ ﻓ ﺔ ﺒﻠﻄﻠﻟ ﻖ ﻠﻘﻟا
ﺞﺋﺎﺘﻧ لﻼﺥ ﻦﻣ ﻢﻬهاﻮﺘﺴﻣو ﺔ ﺡوﺮﻄﻤﻟا نﺎ ﺤﺘﻣﻻا
. ٳ ﺔ ﺠﻴﺘﻨﻟا ن ٨٨
ﺎﺑ
أ ﺪ ﻗ ﺔ ﺒﻠﻄﻟا ﻦ ﻣ ﺔ ﺋﺎﻤﻟ ترﺎ ﺵ
ٳ ﻧأ ﻰ ﻟ نﻮ ﻘﻠﻗ ﻢ ﻬ ﺖ ﻧﺎآ ءاﻮ ﺱ ﺔ یﺰﻴﻠﺠﻧﻻا ﺔ ﻐﻠﻟا ﻢ ﻠﻌﺕ ﻲ ﻓ
ﺔ ﻟﺪﺘﻌﻣ وأ ﺔ ﻴﻟﺎﻋ ﻟا
ىﻮﺘ ﺴﻤ .
نأ ﺎ ﺒﻟﺎﻏو
ﺛدﺎﺤﻤﻟا ىﺪﻟ ﺔﺴﻴﺋر ﺔﻠﻜﺸﻣ ﻲه ﺔ ﺮﻴﻐﻟ ﺔیﺰﻴﻠﺠﻧﻻا ﺔﺒﻠﻄﻟا
ﻟا ﻲﻓ ﺎﻬﺑ ﻦﻴﻘﻃﺎﻨ ﻟا
و ﻖ ﻴﺒﻄﺘ ﻟا
ﺔ ﺱرﺎﻤﻤ .
ﺪ ﻘﻟو
ﺪﺟو أ ﺎﻧ ﺑ ﺎﻀی او ﻖﻠﻘﻟﺎﺑ نوﺮﻌﺸی ﺔﺒﻠﻄﻟا ﺾﻌ ﺌﺘآ
اﻮﻠﺼﺡ ﻦیﺬﻟا ﻢهو ، بﺎ ﻰﻠﻋ
تﺎ ﺟرد ﻰﻧدأو ﻞﻗأ
ﻧﺎﺤﺘﻣا ﻲﻓ تﺎ ﻴﺋﺎﻬﻨﻟا ﻢﻬﺕﺎ
. ﻧ نا ﻊﻴﻄﺘ ﺴﻧ نذٳ
ﻦ ﻣ ﺺﻠﺨﺘ ﺴ ﻊ ﻤﺟ
ﺕﺎﻧﺎﻴﺑو تﺎ ﻣﻮﻠﻌﻣ ﻚ ﻠﺕ ﺎ ﻬ
ّرﺪﻤﻠﻟ ﻦﻴ ﺱ
ﺔیﺰﻴﻠﺠﻧﻻا ﺔﻐﻠﻟا ﺮﻴﻐﻟ
ﻟا ﻦﻣ ﺎﺑﻮﻠﺱأ ﺎﻬﺑ ﻦﻴﻘﻃﺎﻨ ةﺪﻴﻔﻤﻟا ﺲیرﺪﺘﻟا ﺐﻴﻟﺎﺱأ
، ﻢﻬﻴﻠﻋ ﻲﻐﺒﻨی و ﻻا
ﺎﻬﺑ عﺎﻔﺘﻧ
ﺔﺹﺎﺥ ءادﻵاو ﺔﻠﻴﺱﻮﻟا ﻦﺴﺡﺄﺑ ﺔیﺰﻴﻠﺠﻧﻻا ﺔﻐﻠﻟا ﻢّﻠﻌﺕ ﻲﻓ ﻢﻬﺤیوﺮﺕو جﻼﻌﻠﻟ .
APPROVAL PAGE
I certify that I have supervised and read this study and that in my opinion, it conforms to acceptable standards of scholarly presentation and is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a dissertation for the degree of Master of Human Sciences (English Language Studies).
………
Zahariah Pilus Supervisor
I certify that I have read this study and that in my opinion, it conforms to acceptable standards of scholarly presentation and is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a dissertation for the degree of Master of Human Sciences (English Language Studies).
………
Mohamed Ismail Ahamad Shah Examiner
This dissertation was submitted to the Department of English Language and Literature and is accepted as a partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Human Sciences (English Language Studies).
………
Mohammad A. Quayum A. Salam
Head, Department of English Language and Literature
This dissertation was submitted to the Kulliyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences and is accepted as a partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Human Sciences (English Language Studies).
………
Hazizan B. Md. Noon
Dean, Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences
v
DECLARATION
I hereby declare that this dissertation is the result of my own investigations, except where otherwise stated. I also declare that it has not been previously or concurrently submitted as a whole for any other degrees at IIUM or other institutions.
Mohd Hilmi Bin Hamzah
Signature ………...… Date ………...
INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA
DECLARATION OF COPYRIGHT AND AFFIRMATION OF FAIR USE OF UNPUBLISHED RESEARCH
Copyright © 2007 by Mohd Hilmi Bin Hamzah. All rights reserved.
LANGUAGE ANXIETY AMONG FIRST-YEAR MALAY STUDENTS OF THE INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC COLLEGE: AN INVESTIGATION OF
L2 SKILLS, SOURCES OF ANXIETY, AND L2 PERFORMANCE
No part of this unpublished research may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior written permission of the copyright holder except as provided below.
1. Any material contained in or derived from this unpublished research may only be used by others in their writing with due acknowledgement.
2. IIUM or its library will have the right to make and transmit copies (print or electronic) for institutional and academic purposes.
3. The IIUM library will have the right to make, store in a retrieval system and supply copies of this unpublished research if requested by other universities and research libraries.
Affirmed by Mohd Hilmi Bin Hamzah.
……… ………
Signature Date
vii
To my students, who keep me inspired.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This dissertation would not have been possible without the support and encouragement of many: Asst. Prof Dr. Zahariah Pilus, Rosmelia Taib, Zulhazman Hamzah, the management of International Islamic College, the lecturers at the Centre for Languages, and the students of IIC. Grateful thanks to them for making the time and space.
ix
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract ………
Abstract in Arabic ………....
Approval Page ……….
Declaration Page ………..
Copyright Page ………
Dedication ………
Acknowledgements ………..
List of Tables ………...
List of Figures ………..
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ………..…………
Background ………...
Statement Of The Problem ………...
Research Questions ………...
Objectives Of The Study ………..
Significance Of The Study ………
Thesis Organisation ………..
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ……….……….
Introduction ………...
The Concept of Affect ………..
Conceptualisation of Language Anxiety ………..
Measuring Anxiety-Provoking L2 Skills ………..
Reading ………..………...
Listening …………..……….
Speaking …………..……….
Writing …………..………
Summary …………...………
Potential Sources of Languages Anxiety ………..
Socio-Psychological Issues of Language Anxiety …………..…………..
Learner/ Instructor Beliefs on Language Learning and Teaching ………
Instructor-Learner Interactions/ Classroom Procedures …………..…….
Language Anxiety and L2 Performance ………...
Summary ………...
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY ……….……...
Introduction ………...
Design of Study ………
The Participants ………
The Questionnaire ……….
Design Of The Questionnaire ………...
Procedure For Administering The Questionnaire ……….
The Interview ………
Interview Sample ………..
Design Of The Interview ………..
ii iii iv v vi vii viii xii xiii 1 1 2 4 4 5 5 7 7 7 9 11 12 12 13 13 14 14 16 17 18 20 22 23 23 23 24 25 26 28 29 30 31
Procedure For Conducting The Interview ………
End-Of-Semester Examination Papers ……….
Procedure For Assessing End-Of-Semester Exam Papers ………
CHAPTER FOUR: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION………...………...
Introduction ………...
Research Question 1: Skills That Can Create Language Anxiety ………
Findings…..………...
Raw Scores of Each of the Students’ Language Anxiety ……….…
Raw Scores of Each of the Statements in the Questionnaire ….…...
Accumulated Raw Scores of Each L2 Skill ….……….………
Discussion…..………
Anxiety and Speaking ………..………..…………...
Anxiety and Grammar ………..………..………..
Anxiety and Listening ………..………..…...
Anxiety and Writing ………..………...
Anxiety and Reading ………..………..……
Research Question 2: Potential Sources Of Language Anxiety ………...
The Six General Sources of Language Anxiety ………….………..
Findings…...………..
Discussion….……..………...
Personal and Interpersonal Anxieties ………..…..……...
Learner Beliefs about Language Learning ………..…..…
Classroom Procedures ………..…..………..
Language Testing ………..…..………..
Instructor Beliefs about Language Learning ………..…..
Instructor-Learner Interaction ………..…..………...
The Five Most Common Specific Sources of Language Anxiety ……....
Findings………...………..
Discussion…...………...
Fear of Negative Social Evaluation ………..…..………..
Fear of Failure ………..…..………...
Perceived Proficiency ………..…..………...
Communication Apprehension ………..…..……….
Competitiveness ………..…..………
Research Question 3: Relationship Between Language Anxiety and
L2 Performance ………
Findings………...………..……….……...
General Relationship ………….………...
Specific Relationship Between Anxiety Groups and End-of- Semester Exam ………….………
High-Anxiety Group ………….……….……..……….
Average-Anxiety Group ……..………..………...
Low-Anxiety Group ………..…..………..
Discussion…...……..……….
Summary ………...
CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION ……….…………
Summary of the Study………...
Pedagogical Implications………...
32 33 33 35 35 36 36 37 39 44 45 46 47 48 49 51 52 53 53 53 54 54 55 56 57 57 58 58 59 59 61 61 62 63 64 65 65 66 66 67 68 69 70 71 71 72
xi
Limitations of the Study………
Recommendations for Future Research……….
BIBLIOGRAPHY ………
APPENDIX I: Results of End-Of-Semester Exam (Semester 1, 2006/2007)………..
APPENDIX II: Questionnaire ……….
APPENDIX III: Results Of English Placement Assessment ………..
APPENDIX IV: Interview Schedule ………...
APPENDIX V: Pre-Interview Survey ……….
APPENDIX VI: Interview Transcriptions ………...
APPENDIX VII: Question Paper (Diploma English 1)End-Of-Semester Exam (Semester 2, 2007/2006) ………..
APPENDIX VIII: Course Outline ………...
APPENDIX IX: Results of End-of-Semester Exam (Semester 2, 2006/2007) ……...
74 74 76 81 82 86 87 92 95 128 140 142
LIST OF TABLES
Table No. Page No.
2.1 3.1 3.2 3.3 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5
4.6
4.7
4.8
Young’s Six General Sources of Language Anxiety Instruments and Participants
The Breakdown of Statements in the Questionnaire Number of Students in Each Section of English Classes Range of Scores of the Students’ Language Anxiety Range of Scores of the Statements
Mean and SD of Each Statement in the Questionnaire Range of Scores of the L2 Skills
Correlations, Means and Standard Deviations of the Study’s Variables
Correlations, Means and Standard Deviations of the Study’s Variables for High-Anxiety Group
Correlations, Means and Standard Deviations of the Study’s Variables for Average-Anxiety Group
Correlations, Means and Standard Deviations of the Study’s Variables for Low-Anxiety Group
20 24 27 29 38 41 42 45 66
67
68
68
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure No. Page No.
4.1
4.2
4.3 4.4
4.5
4.6 4.7
4.8
Distribution of the Raw Scores of the Students’ Language Anxiety
The percentage of Students Who Experienced the Different Levels of Anxiety
Distribution of the Raw Scores of Each Statement
Responses from Students for Statement 1 of the Questionnaire
Responses from Students for Statement 24 of the Questionnaire
Distribution of Accumulated Raw Scores of Each L2 Skill Frequency of Occurrence of the Six General Sources of Language Anxiety
Five Most Frequently Cited Specific Sources of Language Anxiety
38
39
41 43
43
45 54
59
CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND
In Malaysia, English language plays a central role in many important aspects of the society. It is not only the language of science and technology, but also the tool of inter-cultural and cross-cultural communication. English is paramount in preparing Malaysia for future advancement, as clearly laid out by the government in its aspiration for Vision 2020. Malaysian society, generally, has accepted the fact that English is a vital tool in communication. For example, the emergence of English- medium newspapers and radio stations prove such influence of English among the society.
In schools, English has been taught as a second language for students since primary one. Most Malaysian students receive at least eleven to thirteen years of English language learning before enrolling into any tertiary-level institutions. All the major examinations in the country, such as Primary School Assessment Test (UPSR), Lower Secondary Assessment (PMR) and Malaysian Certificate of Education (SPM), include English as one of the compulsory subjects which the students need to pass.
The fact that Mathematics and Science are currently taught in English for secondary students conveys a strong message to the public that English is crucial in order to attain academic achievements.
In higher learning institutions, the use of English has become more significant and demanding. It has been the principal language of education. For many private and public universities, English is a subject in the curriculum as well as the main medium of instruction. Most of the established institutions opt for English-medium
2
instructions, while others still tolerate bilingualism. The academicians, students and administrators are expected to have some degree of English proficiency. To illustrate, the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) has been a full English-medium university since its establishment in 1983. All students have to meet the standard requirement for English before enrolling into the university. To prepare students for this environment, English is taught intensively at the pre-university level at the IIUM Matriculation Centre. These efforts reflect the importance of English in higher education.
Nonetheless, English is not the first language for many Malaysian students, especially the Malays, as it is neither the language they have acquired and used from young, nor the dominant language of communication among family and friends. For students who do not have many opportunities to use English outside the university, the process of learning English may be anxiety-arousing. This is experienced by many including students of the International Islamic College (IIC), a subsidiary of IIUM.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Being a subsidiary of IIUM, IIC has been adopting the same requirements aspired by IIUM. This implies that the IIC students also have to be proficient in English in order to cope with their academic life. The fact that English is the primary medium of instruction in the college creates a challenge for these students since most of them are selected based on other criteria for admission, notwithstanding their inadequate proficiency in English. The admission is based on minimum passes of four subjects, with English not being the compulsory subject.
Due to this fact, the issue of the weak performance of Malay students in English tests has been a concern among the educators and the college’s
administration. In the previous end-of-semester examination in Semester 1, 2006/
2007, more than 40% of the students taking first level of English obtained grade “D”
in their papers, while only 5% of them obtained an “A” (See Appendix I). Since the college is English-medium, various efforts have been undertaken to improve the situation, such as English Intensive Class Program organized by the Centre for Languages, plus extra classes by individual English lecturers. Despite these efforts, most of the students’ level of English proficiency remains unsatisfactory.
Having realized this situation, the variables that affect L2 learning and teaching are worth examining. One of these is language anxiety. According to MacIntyre &
Gardner (1989), the possible existence of language anxiety in various skills of L2 learning can be one of the constant challenges to the teachers, as it can potentially hamper optimal learning and teaching from taking place in the classroom.
Due to its impact on L2 learners, language anxiety has been continuously studied. To examine this matter, studies have been conducted within the setting of various educational institutions (Brantmeier, 2005; Hussein Elkhafaifi, 2005; 2004;
Gregersen & Horwitz, 2002, Casado, 2001). These studies have found that language anxiety can arise from different L2 skills such as writing tasks, oral presentations, listening activities, reading practices and grammar exercises. Some studies have also identified the sources of language anxiety like fear of failure, perceived proficiency, and competitiveness (Han, 2003; Young, 1991; Bailey, 1983). A relationship between language anxiety and language performance has also been found (Sanchez-Herrero &
Sanchez, 1992). However, the questions of L2 skills that can cause language anxiety, the sources of language anxiety and the relationship between language anxiety and L2 performance have not been fully answered. In order to have a better understanding of the nature of language anxiety, this study examined three issues related to language
4
anxiety: what skills of L2 learning can create language anxiety among students; why students feel anxious; and whether language anxiety affects students’ L2 performance, in relation to students of IIC.
1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
This study specifically addresses the following three research questions:
1. Which L2 skill (listening, speaking, reading, writing, and grammar) can create language anxiety for IIC’s first-year Malay students?
2. What are the potential sources of their language anxiety?
3. What is the relationship between language anxiety and their L2 performance in end-of-semester examination, with specific focus on grammar and reading skills?
1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The objectives of this study are as follows:
1. To identify a specific L2 skill in which IIC’s first-year Malay students feel anxious.
2. To investigate the potential sources of language anxiety associated with a particular L2 skill.
3. To find out the relationship between students’ level of language anxiety and their L2 performance in end-of-semester examination, with specific focus on grammar and reading skills.
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The findings of this study will provide some insights to language teaching. Firstly, English language teachers will be more aware of the L2 skills in which their students feel anxious. When they are more aware of language anxiety, they will be more prepared in conducting L2 activities in the classroom and more sensitive when dealing with their students. Besides, they can identify ways to reduce anxiety and create an environment which is conducive for L2 learning.
Besides helping language teachers, this study will help students improve their learning styles. They will be aware of such socio-psychological constraints like thoughts of failure, self-deprecating thoughts, or low self-esteem. Through this awareness, they can develop their social and personal well-beings in their future university life and working environment where English language is a vital skill to survive.
This study will also assist the Centre for Languages in the planning of English language teaching in the college. It can develop more comprehensive language programmes and more practical teaching materials that are less anxiety-inducing.
Besides, classroom procedures can be improved that promote language learning. All in all, understanding the nature of language anxiety can help teachers, students, and hopefully the college.
1.6 THESIS ORGANISATION
The thesis will be divided into five chapters. Chapter 1 introduces the thesis topic through problem statement, research questions, research objectives and the significance of this study. Chapter 2 reviews the relevant literature concerning language anxiety and its related issues. The research methodology, such as the
6
subjects, procedures, and materials, will be presented in Chapter 3. This is followed by the analysis and discussion of the findings in Chapter 4. Finally, Chapter 5 summarizes and concludes the research findings, presents some implications of the study for ESL teaching and also recommendations for further studies.
CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 INTRODUCTION
This chapter reviews the relevant literature on language anxiety to provide a framework for this study. It is organised into six sections. The first section introduces this chapter. The second section looks at the concept of affect in L2 learning. The third section explores the conceptualisation of language anxiety. The fourth section is focused on the relevant literature concerning the measurement of anxiety-provoking L2 skills. The fifth section describes the potential sources of language anxiety. The final section presents some studies on the relationship between language anxiety and L2 performance.
2.2 THE CONCEPT OF AFFECT
To study language anxiety, it is fundamental to gain some understanding on the concept of affect at the beginning of this literature review. This is due to the fact that anxiety is only one of the many affective variables among other intrinsic learner variables (Scovel, 1978). Affect was extensively discussed in the 1960s when humanistic psychologists were concerned about the tendency for educational institutions to focus on the cognitive aspects of learning only. For these psychologists, both cognitive and affective variables are essential for more effective learning (Arnold, 1999).
These two variables have been viewed as complementary towards one another, not contradictory domains. According to Arnold (1999), “the affective side of
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learning is not in opposition to the cognitive side” (p. 20). In fact, consideration for both affective and cognitive variables would result in a better understanding of learning process. Furthermore, Arnold adds that, “a broad understanding of affect in language learning can lead to more effective language learning” (p. 21).
Krashen (1982) describes the relationship between affective variables and L2 learning in his Affective Filter Hypothesis. He claims that learners with high affective filters will poorly receive any language input. This is because high affective filter resists input from reaching the Language Acquisition Device (LAD). This happens when the learner, for example, lacks motivation or confidence. In this regard, Krashen purports that the main foundation of individual differences in L2 learning is the level of their affective filter. Language teaching, as entailed by Affective Filter Hypothesis, should take into account the situation that promotes a lower filter.
Generally, affective variables are said to have an effect on L2 learning (Bailey, 1983). However, researchers find it troublesome to identify, control and measure affective variables because those variables are, most of the time, intangible. As a result, data are usually collected through subjective evaluations and assumptions.
Most of the studies categorize affective variables into three areas (Krashen, 1982):
1. Motivation: highly motivated learners tend to perform better in L2 learning
2. Self-confidence: self-confident learners generally do better in L2 learning 3. Anxiety: low-anxious learners are usually receptive to L2 learning
Despite being hard to characterize and assess, these variables are vital to the affective domain and can either promote or hamper L2 learning. Anxiety, one of the above-mentioned affective variables, is the focus in this study.
2.3 CONCEPTUALISATION OF LANGUAGE ANXIETY
Talking about anxiety per se, Arnold and Brown (1999) asserts that “anxiety is possibly the affective factor that most pervasively obstructs the learning process”.
Spielberger (1983) defines anxiety as the subjective feelings of tension, state of apprehension, nervousness and worry associated with an arousal of the autonomic nervous system caused by a vague fear that is indirectly associated with an object.
Anxiety is also described as an unavoidable and unpleasant experience which manifests itself psychologically in the behaviour of the person experiencing it (Sieber, O’Neil & Tobias, 1977).
According to Brown (1993), anxiety is related with other affects such as self- esteem, inhibition, risk-taking, and plays an important role in L2 learning. Brown claims that anxiety can be debilitating or facilitative. Debilitating anxiety hinders performance, while on the other hand, facilitative anxiety assists performance.
In L2 learning, attention has been given to anxiety because of its considerable effects on L2 learners (Horwitz, Horwitz & Cope, 1986; Price, 1991). The initial research, however, produced mixed and perplexing results regarding the relationship between anxiety and L2 learning. Inconsistent conclusions were drawn as to the effects of anxiety on L2 learning (MacIntyre & Gardner, 1991; Young, 1991). This complexity in determining a comprehensible relationship between anxiety and L2 learning is due to the fact that anxiety is “neither a simple nor well-understood psychological construct” (Scovel, 1978). This variation in conceptualisation of language anxiety further creates various types of instruments of anxiety measurement (Price, 1991; Young, 1991).
Generally, anxiety has been divided into three different types, which are trait, state and situation-specific anxieties (Spielberger, 1983; Young, 1986):
