10.1.1.115.2219

download 10.1.1.115.2219

of 22

Transcript of 10.1.1.115.2219

  • 8/12/2019 10.1.1.115.2219

    1/22

    http://rel.sagepub.com

    RELC Journal

    DOI: 10.1177/00336882060713152006; 37; 308RELC Journal

    Lindy WoodrowAnxiety and Speaking English as a Second Language

    http://rel.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/37/3/308The online version of this article can be found at:

    Published by:

    http://www.sagepublications.com

    can be found at:RELC JournalAdditional services and information for

    http://rel.sagepub.com/cgi/alertsEmail Alerts:

    http://rel.sagepub.com/subscriptionsSubscriptions:

    http://www.sagepub.com/journalsReprints.navReprints:

    http://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.navPermissions:

    2006 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution.at PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV on April 16, 2008http://rel.sagepub.comDownloaded from

    http://rel.sagepub.com/cgi/alertshttp://rel.sagepub.com/cgi/alertshttp://rel.sagepub.com/subscriptionshttp://rel.sagepub.com/subscriptionshttp://www.sagepub.com/journalsReprints.navhttp://www.sagepub.com/journalsReprints.navhttp://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.navhttp://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.navhttp://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/http://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.navhttp://www.sagepub.com/journalsReprints.navhttp://rel.sagepub.com/subscriptionshttp://rel.sagepub.com/cgi/alerts
  • 8/12/2019 10.1.1.115.2219

    2/22

    Article

    Anxiety and Speaking Englishas a Second Language

    Lindy Woodrow

    University of Sydney, [email protected]

    AbstractSecond language anxiety has a debilitating effect on the oral performance

    of speakers of English as a second language. This article describes a research project

    concerning the conceptualization of second language speaking anxiety, the relation-

    ship between anxiety and second language performance, and the major reported causes

    of second language anxiety. The participants in this study were advanced English for

    academic purposes (EAP) students studying on intensive EAP courses immediately

    prior to entering Australian universities (N = 275). The second language speaking

    anxiety scale (SLSAS) was developed for the study. This instrument provided evi-

    dence for a dual conceptualization of anxiety reflecting both oral communication

    within and outside the language learning classroom. The scale was validated using

    confirmatory factor analysis. The analysis indicated second language speaking anxiety

    to be a significant predictor of oral achievement. Reported causes of anxiety were

    investigated through interviews. The results indicate that the most frequent source of

    anxiety was interacting with native speakers. Evidence for two types of anxious

    language learner emerged; retrieval interference and skills deficit. There was an

    indication from the study that English language learners from Confucian Heritage

    Cultures (CHCs), China, Korea and Japan were more anxious language learners than

    other ethnic groups.

    KeywordsAnxiety, confirmatory factor analysis, English for academic purposes,

    second language learning, tertiary education.

    Introduction

    An increasing number of international students study at universities in

    Australia. Students from China represent the largest group and numbers

    are increasing. Prior to engaging in further studies international students

    need to attain a certain level of English proficiency. Many students do this

    Vol 37(3) 308-328 | DOI: 10.1177/0033688206071315 2006 SAGE Publications (London, Thousand Oaks CA and New Delhi)http://RELC.sagepub.com

    2006 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution.at PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV on April 16, 2008http://rel.sagepub.comDownloaded from

    http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/
  • 8/12/2019 10.1.1.115.2219

    3/22

    309

    Anxiety and Speaking English as a Second Language

    by attending intensive English language courses prior to university entry.

    Research into factors affecting the successful acquisition of English lan-guage skills and adaptation to the social and academic environment will

    benefit these students.

    Anxiety experienced in communication in English can be debilitating

    and can influence students adaptation to the target environment and ulti-

    mately the achievement of their educational goals. Most research in this

    area focuses on classroom based anxiety. This research considers second

    language anxiety as a two-dimensional construct reflecting communication

    within the classroom and outside the classroom in everyday communica-

    tive situations.

    This study sought to investigate the construct of language learning

    anxiety of a sample of students studying English for academic purposes.

    The study addresses the conceptualization of anxiety communicating in

    English, and the relationship between this anxiety and performance in

    English. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to determine the construct

    structure and correlational analysis was used to investigate the relationship

    between anxiety and oral performance in English. The study assumed lan-

    guage learning anxiety to be debilitating and investigated the reportedcauses using qualitative methods.

    Background

    In the past two decades there has been a great deal of research into second

    or foreign language anxiety. This research indicates that anxiety has a

    debilitating effect on the language learning process. There is evidence

    that language learning anxiety differs from other forms of anxiety. Early

    research into language learning anxiety used measures of test anxiety from

    educational research. However, these studies produced inconsistent results

    (Scovel 1978; Young 1991). Further, MacIntyre and Gardners research

    indicates that language learning anxiety is too specific to be captured by

    general anxiety measures (MacIntyre and Gardner 1989, 1991a). A dis-

    tinction is made in this study between learning English as a foreign lan-

    guage and learning English as a second language. It is argued that living in

    an environment where the target language is also the language of everyday

    communication may influence anxiety.In educational research, anxiety is usually classified as being trait or

    state. Trait anxiety is a relatively stable personality trait. A person who

    is trait anxious is likely to feel anxious in a variety of situations. State

    anxiety, on the other hand, is a temporary condition experienced at a par-

    2006 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution.at PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV on April 16, 2008http://rel.sagepub.comDownloaded from

    http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/
  • 8/12/2019 10.1.1.115.2219

    4/22

    310

    Regional Language Centre Journal37.3

    ticular moment. A third type of anxiety is situation specific anxiety. This

    refl

    ects a trait that recurs in specifi

    c situations (Spielberger, Anton andBedell 1976). Research into language learning anxiety has indicated that

    language learning be classed as situation specific (MacIntyre and Gardner

    1991b; Horwitz 2001). That is, a trait which recurs in language learning

    situations, namely classrooms.

    Anxiety reactions can be categorized as reflecting worry or emotion-

    ality (Leibert and Morris 1967). Emotionality refers to physiological

    reactions, such as blushing or racing heart, and behavioural reactions, such

    as, stammering and fidgeting. Worry refers to cognitive reactions, such as

    self-deprecating thoughts or task irrelevant thoughts (Zeidner 1998;

    Naveh-Benjamin 1991). Worry is seen as the more debilitating of the two

    because it occupies cognitive capacity that otherwise would be devoted to

    the task in hand, for example, speaking a foreign language (Tobias 1985).

    Two models of anxiety emerged from Tobias research: an interference

    model of anxiety and an interference retrieval model. An interference

    retrieval model relates to anxiety as inhibiting the recall of previously

    learned material at the output stage, whereas a skills deficit model relates

    to problems at the input and processing stages of learning, as a result ofpoor study habits, or a lack of skills. This results in anxiety at the output

    stage due to the realization of this lack of knowledge. Recent research in

    language learning has provided some support for this theory (MacIntyre

    and Gardner 1994; Onwuegbuzie, Bailey and Daley 2000).

    Horwitz, Horwitz and Cope (1986) made a valuable contribution to

    theorizing and measurement in language learning anxiety. They consid-

    ered anxiety as comprising three components: communication apprehen-

    sion, test anxiety and fear of negative evaluation. Horwitz and colleaguesviewed the construct of foreign language anxiety as more than a sum of its

    parts and define foreign language anxiety as a distinct complex of self-

    perceptions, beliefs, feelings and behaviors related to classroom learning

    arising from the uniqueness of the language learning process (Horwitz,

    Horwitz and Cope 1986; Horwitz 1986). Emerging from this research was

    the thirty-three item Foreign Language Anxiety Scale (FLCAS). This scale

    has been used in a large number of research projects (Horwitz 2001). The

    scale has been found to be reliable and valid (Aida 1994; Cheng, Horwitz

    and Schallert 1999).

    Most language learning anxiety research has focused on a one dimen-

    sional domain anxiety. This conceptualization reflects the anxiety that

    occurs in classroom settings (Horwitz, Horwitz and Cope 1986; Aida 1994;

    2006 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution.at PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV on April 16, 2008http://rel.sagepub.comDownloaded from

    http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/
  • 8/12/2019 10.1.1.115.2219

    5/22

    311

    Anxiety and Speaking English as a Second Language

    Phillips 1992). The orientation of this conceptualization rests with the

    linguistic setting of the students learning the language. A lot of researchinto language learning anxiety is based in the United States where foreign

    language courses are a requirement of undergraduate degree programs.

    This is a foreign language situation where most of the communication in

    the target language takes place in the classroom. Other research focuses on

    learning English in a non-English speaking country. In a second language

    situation, such as Australia, where the target language is also the main lan-

    guage of communication outside of the classroom, it was felt that the

    conceptualization should be expanded to reflect potential situations beyond

    the classroom that could trigger language anxiety. It is possible that class-

    room communication could be considered less anxiety provoking than

    many communicative events faced in everyday life by students living in a

    second language environment.

    Instrumentation to measure foreign language anxiety typically uses

    Likert type scales to measure responses to stressors. Horwitzs FLCAS

    includes items relating to communication apprehension, for example, I

    tremble when I know that Im going to be called on in the language class;

    test anxiety, for example, I am usually at ease during tests in my lan-guage class; and fear of negative evaluation, for example, I get nervous

    when the language teacher asks questions which I havent prepared in

    advance. In the original published study empirical evidence for classi-

    fication was not presented. However, in a factor analytical study of FCLAS

    used with students learning Japanese, Aida (1994) produced a four-factor

    model: factor one reflected speech anxiety, fear of failing, comfortableness

    in speaking with native Japanese, and negative attitudes toward the Japa-

    nese class. MacIntyre and Gardners (1994) instrument focused on thestages of foreign language anxiety, that is: input, processing and output

    stages. An example of an item in the input anxiety scale is I getflustered

    unless French/Spanish/German/Japanese is spoken very slowly; an exam-

    ple from the processing stage is: I feel anxious if the French/Spanish/

    German/Japanese class seems disorganized; an example of the output

    stage is I may know the proper French/Spanish/German/ Japanese

    expression but when I am nervous it just wont come out. It is interesting

    to note that most of the items used to measure language anxiety include

    anxiety reactions, for example, I tremble or I getflustered. Thus, add-

    ing the dimension of worry and emotionality to the scales although this is

    not exploited or discussed in any detail in any of the foreign language

    anxiety studies.

    2006 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution.at PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV on April 16, 2008http://rel.sagepub.comDownloaded from

    http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/
  • 8/12/2019 10.1.1.115.2219

    6/22

    312

    Regional Language Centre Journal37.3

    The major significance of research into foreign/second language anxi-

    ety is in the relationship between anxiety and performance in the foreignlanguage. Numerous studies have found that this anxiety is negatively

    related to language performance with some researchers claiming it is one

    of the strongest predictors of foreign language success (MacIntyre 1999).

    Table 1 summarizes the findings of some of the correlational studies

    involving foreign/second language anxiety.

    Table 1.Relationship between Foreign Language Anxiety and Performance Variables

    Researcher Measure Performance CorrelationHorwitz (1986) FLCAS Final course grade r= -.54,p=

  • 8/12/2019 10.1.1.115.2219

    7/22

    313

    Anxiety and Speaking English as a Second Language

    1. Is a dual conceptualization of second language anxiety accordingto in-class and out-of-class communication supported?

    2. Is the instrumentation to measure second language anxiety reli-able and valid?

    3. Is there a relationship between speaking performance and secondlanguage speaking anxiety?

    4. What are the major stressors reported by students learning Englishin Australia?

    ParticipantsThe participants for this study were all in their final months of studying

    English immediately prior to enrolling on university courses in Australia

    (N = 275, 50.5% male, n = 139; 49.5% female, n= 136). They attended

    English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses at accredited intensive

    language centres in Australia. The majority of students were from Asian

    countries (83.2%, n= 229) with students from China representing the larg-

    est group in the sample (34%, n= 92).

    At the time of the data collection most of the students still needed totake a language test to determine adequate English proficiency for univer-

    sity entry. The most widely used test for university entry in Australia is the

    International English Language Testing Service (IELTS) test.

    Methodology

    The study involved three sources of data; quantitative data from the Sec-

    ond Language Anxiety Speaking Scale, IELTS type oral assessment and

    qualitative data from the interview data.

    The existing instrumentation used to measure language learning anxi-

    ety was not considered appropriate because it did not reflect the second

    language environment of the sample, so the second language speak-

    ing anxiety scale (SLSAS) was constructed. The instrument was piloted

    and refined based on empirical and theoretical justifications (Woodrow

    2003).

    The questionnaire consists of twelve items on a five-point Likert type

    scale. The items reflected the communicative situations the participants

    were likely to encounter according to the communicative setting, inter-locutor (speaker/listener) variables and the nature of the communication.

    The communicative setting items concerned the in-class/out-of-class dis-

    tinction. The interlocutor variables referred to the number of speakers, the

    2006 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution.at PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV on April 16, 2008http://rel.sagepub.comDownloaded from

    http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/
  • 8/12/2019 10.1.1.115.2219

    8/22

    314

    Regional Language Centre Journal37.3

    status of the speakers and whether the speaker was a native or non-native

    speaker of English. The items for out-of-class communication took intoconsideration the communication between the participant and his/her future

    academic lecturer. Most of the sample were enrolling on graduate courses

    at university and needed to talk to Faculty about this. These items are dif-

    ferent from the linguistic communication within the English language

    classroom itself. The nature of communication reflected initiating and

    responding in oral interaction. The items were measured by the extent to

    which the participants agreed or disagreed with the statements.

    The performance variable was measured using an IELTS type oral

    assessment. This assessment took approximately ten minutes and con-

    sisted of three stages: introduction and general interview, individual

    long turn and two way discussion. The first stage generally probed the

    students ability, the second stage involved the student giving a short

    monologue and the third stage pushed the student to his/her linguistic

    ceiling. The participants were assessed according to descriptors based

    on fluency, language usage and pronunciation. The students were given

    grades ranging from AF with an F signifying the student was unlikely

    to be accepted onto a university course based on English languageproficiency.

    Forty-seven participants took part in an interview with the researcher.

    The interview participants were selected based on class groupings, ethnic-

    ity, gender and perception of anxiety so that a representative sample of

    participants could be surveyed. The participants took part in a semi-

    structured interview concerning their experiences of second language

    speaking anxiety. The interviews were used to triangulate the data and to

    provide further insights into perceived stressors in speaking English in asecond language environment. The participants were asked about whether

    they experienced second language speaking anxiety, in what situations

    they felt anxious, and how they felt. These interviews were audio recorded

    and transcribed.

    Results

    The results indicated support for a dual conceptualization of second lan-

    guage anxiety and the questionnaire was found to be reliable and valid. A

    significant negative relationship was found between second language

    speaking anxiety and oral performance. The major stressor identified by

    the participants was interacting with native speakers.

    2006 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution.at PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV on April 16, 2008http://rel.sagepub.comDownloaded from

    http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/
  • 8/12/2019 10.1.1.115.2219

    9/22

    315

    Anxiety and Speaking English as a Second Language

    To assess whether an in-class and out-of-class distinction of second

    language anxiety was appropriate and to assess the validity and reliabilityof the questionnaire, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using LISREL

    was computed. CFA was chosen to confirm hypothesized latent variables

    made a-priori. The assumptions of CFA concern sample size and multi-

    variate normality. CFA is a technique classed as structural equation mod-

    eling (SEM). SEM is less reliable with small samples and Chi Square (2)

    tests of data fit are sensitive to sample size. According to Boomsa (1983,

    cited in Tabachnick and Fidell 1996: 715) a sample size of two hundred is

    adequate for small and medium sized models. Therefore, the sample size

    in this study was adequate.

    Multivariate outliers were removed from the data using the malanho-

    bis statistic using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) com-

    puter software. Critical values of 2were assessed atp=

  • 8/12/2019 10.1.1.115.2219

    10/22

    316

    Regional Language Centre Journal37.3

    Figure 1. Confirmatory Factor Analysis of Second Language Speaking Anxiety

    2 p

    2/df RMR RMSEA GFI AGFI CFI NFI NNFI

    172.62 .00 4.32 .07 .11 .90 .83 .93 .84 .90

    Table 2.Fit Indices for Two Factor Confirmatory Factor

    Analysis of Second Language Speaking Anxiety

    Chi-square (2)

    Probability (p)

    Degrees of freedom (df)

    Root mean square residual (RMR)

    Root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA)

    Goodness of fit index (GFI)

    Adjusted goodness of fit index (AGFI)

    Comparative Fit Index (CFI)

    Normed fit index (NFI)

    Non-normed fit index (NNFI)

    Reliability for the SLAS was calculated based on the CFA model. This

    method is considered superior to the traditional alpha () coefficient since

    2006 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution.at PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV on April 16, 2008http://rel.sagepub.comDownloaded from

    http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/
  • 8/12/2019 10.1.1.115.2219

    11/22

    317

    Anxiety and Speaking English as a Second Language

    error variance is accounted for. Reliability for in-class anxiety was .89 and

    for out-of-class .87 and for the combined scales .94. These indices indicatethat the SLSAS is a reliable instrument.

    To assess the relationship between second language speaking anxiety

    and oral performance, correlations were computed using the Pearson

    correlation coefficient in SPSS. The results indicated that there were

    significant negative correlations between both in-class and out-of-class

    anxiety and oral performance (in-class anxiety and oral performance:

    r= -.23,p=

  • 8/12/2019 10.1.1.115.2219

    12/22

    318

    Regional Language Centre Journal37.3

    Table 4. Correlations between Anxiety Sub-scales and Oral Performance

    Anxiety in-class Anxiety out-of-class Oral performance

    Anxiety in-class 1.00

    Anxiety out-of-class 1.58 1.00

    Oral performance -.23 -.24 100

    Correlations significant atp=

  • 8/12/2019 10.1.1.115.2219

    13/22

    319

    Anxiety and Speaking English as a Second Language

    (85%) of the participants claimed to experience second language speaking

    anxiety to some extent.The major stressors reported by the respondents were performing in

    front of class and talking to native speakers. Table 6 shows the fre-

    quencies of the stressors reported by the interviewees.

    Table 6.Reported Stressors Based on Interview Data when Speaking in English

    Stressor N %

    Performing in English in front of classmates 21 44.7

    Giving an oral presentation 20 42.7

    Speaking in English to native speakers 18 42.7

    Speaking in English in classroom activities 19 19.1

    Speaking in English to strangers 19 19.1

    Not being able to understand when spoken to 18 17.0

    Talking about an unfamiliar topic 18 17.0

    Talking to someone of higher status 18 17.0

    Speaking in test situations 17 14.9

    When interlocutor seems stern 16 12.7

    Not being able to make self understood 15 10.6

    Information regarding anxiety reactions revealed that more respondents

    reported physiological (n =24, 51.1%) and cognitive reactions (n =23,

    48.9%) than behavioural (n =16, 34%) reactions. Physiological reactions

    included sweating, racing heart and blushing and cognitive reactions

    included worrying about performance and mind going blank. Behavioural

    reactions included fidgeting, talking too much and stuttering.

    Emerging from the data, approximately half of the respondents referredto methods they used to cope with second language speaking anxiety.

    Perseverance and developing skills were the most frequently mentioned

    coping strategies. Table 7 summarizes some of these responses.

    Table 7.Reported Methods of Coping with Second

    Language Speaking Anxiety (N = 24)

    Coping strategy n %

    Perseverance 8 33.3

    Improving language /knowledge skills 7 29.2

    Positive thinking 4 16.7

    Compensation 4 16.7

    Relaxation techniques 3 12.5

    2006 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution.at PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV on April 16, 2008http://rel.sagepub.comDownloaded from

    http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/
  • 8/12/2019 10.1.1.115.2219

    14/22

    320

    Regional Language Centre Journal37.3

    Perseverance refers to not giving up when speaking while improving

    language refers to preparing utterances and studying to improve speak-ing. Positive thinking included positive self-talk while compensation

    strategiesincluded smiling and volunteering comments. Various relaxa-

    tion techniques were mentioned, such as deep breathing and conscious

    efforts to calm oneself.

    Discussion

    The first research question refers to the relevance of a dual conceptualiza-

    tion of second language speaking anxiety. The results indicate that this isa useful distinction to make with learners in a second language learning

    environment where a great deal of communication in the second language

    occurs outside of the classroom. The indicated that while in-class and out-

    of-class anxiety are highly correlated (r= .58,p=

  • 8/12/2019 10.1.1.115.2219

    15/22

    321

    Anxiety and Speaking English as a Second Language

    class and speak some question some topic I usually very anxious. I cant

    remember anything I just maybe ah ah ah.

    Whilst the types of anxious learners were not the direct focus of the

    research evidence to support a distinction between these types of anxiety

    emerged from the interview data. From the above responses it seems that

    Philip feels his anxiety is due to lack of practice thus relating to a skills

    deficit type of anxiety. Lesley, on the other hand seems to be experiencing

    information retrieval anxiety, that is, anxiety is preventing the recall of

    previously learned material when she cannot remember anything.

    The second research question considers the reliability and validity ofthe instrumentation. A new instrument was developed to measure anxiety

    in a second language environmentthe second language speaking anxiety

    scale (SLSAS).The instrumentation achieved validity through providing a

    reasonable fit to the CFA model. Reliability was established using a

    coefficient based on the model that took error into account.

    The third research question concerns the relationship between second

    language speaking anxiety and oral performance in the second language

    using an IELTS type oral assessment. The correlational analysis indi-

    cated a negative relationship between both in-class anxiety and out-of-

    class anxiety and oral performance. Providing evidence that anxiety can

    adversely affect oral communication for students speaking English. These

    results replicate the findings of other researchers in the area (see Table 1).

    The negative correlation between oral performance and anxiety is not very

    strong. This is understandable because anxiety is just one of a number of

    variables influencing successful communication. However, this research

    indicates that anxiety does influence oral communication. In a larger re-

    search project into variables of adaptive learning comprising affect,motivation and learning strategies anxiety was found to be an important

    part of the model (Woodrow 2003).

    The fourth research question concerns the stressors reported by the sam-

    ple. According to the quantitative data, giving oral presentations was rated

    the highest and taking part in group discussions was rated the lowest.

    Whilst the cohort as a whole did not demonstrate very high speaking

    anxiety there was evidence of variation between nationality groups with

    European and Vietmanese participants tending to be less anxious andJapanese, Korean and Chinese participants tending to be more anxious.

    Most previous research into anxiety is situated in a western setting, how-

    ever, there are many examples of differences between Confucian heritage

    learners and western learners in academic contexts (Watkins and Biggs

    2006 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution.at PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV on April 16, 2008http://rel.sagepub.comDownloaded from

    http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/
  • 8/12/2019 10.1.1.115.2219

    16/22

    322

    Regional Language Centre Journal37.3

    1996, 2001). Research has indicated a relationship between reticence in

    classrooms of Chinese learners and Confucian values of face and valuebeing place on silence (Liu 2002). Current research has indicated culture

    may also be manifested in students willingness to communicate (WTC)

    (Wen and Clement 2003; Yashima 2002). Anxiety is hypothesized as one

    of the antecendents of WTC (MacIntyre, Baker, Clment and Conrod

    2001). There is a need for further research in this area.

    The qualitative data indicated that giving oral presentations and per-

    forming in front of classmates were the most reported stressors for in-class

    situations. However, the correlational data indicated that giving anoral

    presentationwas the only anxiety variable that was not significantly cor-related with oral performance. This would be an interesting avenue for

    further research. One possible explanation for this discrepancy is that the

    oral assessment task in the research involved the participants producing a

    long turn whereby the student was required to speak for one to two

    minutes on a topic rather than a formal presentation. In addition, the oral

    assessment involved one to one communication rather than one to an audi-

    ence. Such long turns frequently occur in normal communication, whereas

    giving an oral presentation rarely occurs in everyday communication.Thus, giving an oral presentation calls upon different communicative skills

    than were measured in the oral assessment. The most highly correlated

    variables reflected interaction. The correlations between the observed vari-

    ables and oral performance are presented in Table 6.

    Interestingly, nearly all of the interview participants reported experi-

    encing some anxiety when speaking in English. Communicating with

    native speakers was the most referred to out-of-class stressor. However,

    the level of predictability is also a consideration. Miko reported that shefelt most anxious with native speakers, but not in situations where there is

    a high degree of linguistic predictability. In answer to a question about the

    situations in which she felt most anxious she answered:

    of course to speak to native speaker and which is not my teacher or

    some people I know, which is stranger. But I am not afraid to speak to

    the storekeeper or something. I can speak to them. Just people on the

    street or on the train, I am afraid of speaking to them because I worry

    about my grammar mistakes basically.

    Some participants referred to the number of native speakers involved in

    the interaction:

    Lu responded to the same question about the situations in which she

    felt most anxious:

    2006 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution.at PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV on April 16, 2008http://rel.sagepub.comDownloaded from

    http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/
  • 8/12/2019 10.1.1.115.2219

    17/22

    323

    Anxiety and Speaking English as a Second Language

    Talk with more than one native speaker. Because when I talk with one

    person we can communicate effectively and there is only one listener,one audience. But more than one person maybe I will think someone

    maybe do not agree with me and maybe we will argue. Just a feel-

    ingjust a feeling.

    The study indicated that the participants attributed anxiety to a range of

    factors, but particularly referred to communication with native speakers.

    Interaction with non-native speakers was not considered a stressor by most

    of the sample. In a similar vein, the study also indicated low anxiety for

    group discussions. This lends support to using collaborative techniquesthat focus on studentstudent interaction.

    Some participants talked about some of the ways they dealt with their

    speaking anxiety. Some students referred to perseverance. For example

    Hero said:

    I think to try speaking again and again is the best way to solve it

    (anxiety). Keep or let my mind to calm down, be natural and like

    speaking to Japanese people.

    In addition to perseverance this student tries to use relaxation tech-niques to deal with his anxiety. This is a recommended strategy for deal-

    ing with anxiety. Skills deficit anxious individuals benefit from improving

    learning strategies and focusing on learning the necessary skills and lin-

    guistic features of the language whereas interference retrieval anxious

    individuals can focus on relaxation techniques and positive self-talk

    (Young 1991; Zeidner 1998).

    Conclusions

    This study found that a dual conceptualization of second language speak-

    ing anxiety as measured by the second language speaking anxiety scale

    was relevant to students studying English in Australia. The results indicate

    that the instrument is reliable and valid and thus provides researchers with

    a new instrument to measure second language speaking. It would be inter-

    esting to use this with second language speakers of a lower linguistic level

    and also with students after they have started their university courses to

    investigate contextual influences on second language speaking anxiety.Anxiety is clearly an issue in language learning and has a debilitating

    effect on speaking English for some students. So it is important that teach-

    ers are sensitive to this in classroom interactions and provide help to

    minimize second language anxiety.

    2006 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution.at PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV on April 16, 2008http://rel.sagepub.comDownloaded from

    http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/
  • 8/12/2019 10.1.1.115.2219

    18/22

    324

    Regional Language Centre Journal37.3

    The study also provided support for the notion of stages of anxiety.

    Thus, a student may experience anxiety due to skills defi

    cit or retrievalinterference. This has implications at a classroom level. A skills deficit

    anxious student would benefit from instruction in language learning strate-

    gies and scaffolding of skills whereas a retrieval interference anxious

    student would benefit from de-sensitization and relaxation techniques. It is

    important to take into consideration communication both in and outside

    the classroom and ensure that students have the necessary skills and prac-

    tice for everyday communication. This could be achieved by setting out-

    of-class tasks utilizing the rich linguistic resources available to learners.

    For example, students could join a local library and participate in local

    community activities as well as participating in the university community.

    Finally, there is a need for empirical evidence concerning how effective

    anxiety reducing techniques are in second language learning classrooms.

    REFERENCES

    Aida, Y.

    1994 Examination of Horwitz and Copes Construct of Foreign Language Anxiety:The Case of Students of Japanese,Modern Language Journal78(2): 155-67.

    Chastain, K.

    1975 Affective and Ability Factors in Second Language Acquisition,Language

    Learning 25: 153-61.

    Cheng, Y.S., E.K. Horwitz and D.L. Schallert

    1999 Language Anxiety: Differentiating Writing and Speaking Components,

    Language Learning 49: 417-46.

    Gardner, R.C., and P.D. MacIntyre

    1993 A Students Contribution to Second Language Learning, Part II: Affective

    Variables,Language Teaching 26: 1-11.Gardner, R.C., P. Smythe, R. Clement and L. Gliksman

    1976 Second Language Learning: A Social Psychological Perspective,Canadian

    Modern Language Review32: 198-213.

    Holmes-Smith, P.

    2000 Introduction to Structural Equation Modeling Using LISREL (School Re-

    search, Evaluation and Measurement Services).

    Horwitz, E.K.

    1986 'Preliminary Evidence for the Reliability and Validity of a Foreign Language

    Anxiety Scale', in E.K. Horwitz and D.J. Young (eds.), Language Anxiety:

    From Theory to Research to Classroom Practices(New York: Prentice Hall).2001 Language Anxiety and Achievement,Annual Review of Applied Linguistics

    21: 112-26.

    Horwitz, E.K., M.E. Horwitz and J. Cope

    1986 Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety,Modern Language Journal 70: 125-

    32.

    2006 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution.at PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV on April 16, 2008http://rel.sagepub.comDownloaded from

    http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/
  • 8/12/2019 10.1.1.115.2219

    19/22

    325

    Anxiety and Speaking English as a Second Language

    Jreskog, K.G., and D. Sorbom

    1996 LISREL 8: Users Reference Guide(Chicago: Scientific Software Interna-

    tional).

    Kim, J.H.

    2000 'Foreign Language Listening Anxiety: A Study of Korean Students Learning

    English' (Unpublished thesis, University of Texas, Austin).

    Kleinmann, H.H.

    1977 Avoidance Behavior in Adult Second Language Acquisition,Language

    Learning 27(1): 93-107.

    Liebert, R.M., and L.W. Morris

    1967 Cognitive and Emotional Components of Anxiety: A Distinction and Some

    Initial Data,Psychological Reports20: 975-78.

    Liu, J.

    2002 Negotiating Silence in American Classrooms: Three Chinese Cases,Lan-

    guage and Intercultural Communication2(1): 37-54.

    Lucas, J.

    1994 Communication Apprehension in the ESL Classroom: Getting our Students

    to Talk,Foreign Language Annals17: 593-98.

    MacIntyre, P.D.

    1999 Language Anxiety: A Review of the Research for Language Teachers, In

    D.J. Young (ed.),Affect in Foreign Language and Second Language Learn-

    ing: A Practical Guide to Creating a Low-anxiety Classroom Atmosphere

    (Boston: McGraw-Hill College): 24-45.MacIntyre, P.D., and R.C. Gardner

    1989 Anxiety and Language Learning: Towards a Theoretical Clarification,Lan-

    guage Learning39: 251-75.

    1991a Language Anxiety: Its Relationship to Other Anxieties and to Processing in

    Native and Second Languages,Language Learning41: 85-117.

    1991b Methods and Results in the Study of Anxiety and Language Learning: A

    Review of the Literature,Language Learning41: 513-34.

    1994 The Subtle Effects of Anxiety on Cognitive Processing in the Second Lan-

    guage,Language Learning44(2): 283-305.

    MacIntyre, P.D., S.C. Baker, R. Clment and S. Conrod2001 'Willingness to Communicate, Social, Support and Language Learning Orien-

    tations of Immersion Students, Studies in Second Language Acquisition 23:

    369-88.

    Naveh-Benjamin, M.

    1991 A Comparison of Training Programs Intended for Different Types of Test

    Anxious Students: Further Support for an Information-processing Model,

    Journal of Educational Psychology83(1): 134-39.

    Onwuegbuzie, A.J., P. Bailey and C.E. Daley

    2000 The Validation of Three Scales Measuring Anxiety at Different Stages of the

    Foreign Language Learning Process: Input Anxiety Scale, Processing AnxietyScale, Output Anxiety Scale,Language Learning 50(1): 87-117.

    Phillips, E.

    1992 The Effects of Language Anxiety on Student Test Oral Performance, The

    Modern Language Journal 76: 14-26.

    2006 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution.at PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV on April 16, 2008http://rel.sagepub.comDownloaded from

    http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/
  • 8/12/2019 10.1.1.115.2219

    20/22

    326

    Regional Language Centre Journal37.3

    Price, M.L.

    1991 The Subjective Experience of Foreign Language Anxiety: Interviews with

    Highly Anxious Students, in E.K. Horwitz and D.J. Young (eds.),Foreign

    Language Anxiety: From Theory to Research to Classroom Practices(Engle-

    wood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall).

    Saito, Y., E.K. Horwitz and T.J. Garza

    1999 Foreign Language Reading Anxiety,Modern Language Journal83: 202-18.

    Scovel, T.

    1978 The Effect of Affect on Foreign Language Learning: A Review of the

    Anxiety Research,Language Learning28(1): 129-41.

    Spielberger, C., W. Anton and J. Bedell

    1976 The Nature and Treatment of Test Anxiety, in M. Zuckerman and C. Spiel-

    berger, Emotions and Anxiety: New Concepts, Methods and Applications

    (Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum): 317-44

    Tabachnick, B.G., and L.S. Fidell

    1996 Using Multivariate Statistics (California State University: Harper Collins

    College Publishers).

    Tobias, S.

    1985 Test Anxiety: Interference, Defective Skills and Cognitive Capacity,Educa-

    tional Psychologist3: 135-42.

    Watkins, D.A. and J.B. Biggs

    1996 The Chinese Learner: Cultural, Psychological and Contextual Influences

    (Hong Kong and Melbourne: CERC and ACER).2001 Teaching the Chinese Learner: Psychological and Pedagogical Influences

    (Hong Kong and Melbourne: CERC and ACER).

    Wen, W.P., and R. Clment

    2003 A Chinese Conceptualisation of Willingness to Communicate in ESL,

    Language, Culture and Curriculum16: 18-38.

    Woodrow, L.J.

    2001 Towards a Model of Adaptive Language Learning: A Pilot Study (ERIC

    Documents, ED456645).

    2003 A Model of Adaptive Learning of International English for Academic

    Purposes (EAP) at Australian Universities (Unpublished doctoral thesis,University of Sydney).

    Yashima, T.

    2002 Willingness to Communicate in a Second Language: The Japanese EFL

    Context, The Modern Language Journal86: 54-66.

    Young, D.J.

    1991 Creating a Low Anxiety Classroom Environment: What Does Anxiety

    Research Suggest?,Modern Language Journal75:426-38.

    Zeidner, M.

    1998 Test Anxiety: The State of the Art(New York: Plenum Press).

    2006 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution.at PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV on April 16, 2008http://rel.sagepub.comDownloaded from

    http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/
  • 8/12/2019 10.1.1.115.2219

    21/22

    327

    Anxiety and Speaking English as a Second Language

    APPENDIXInstrument Used in Main Study

    In the columnAnxietyfill in the circles according to how anxious you feel when you

    speakEnglishin the following situations.

    1 2 3 4 5

    Not at all Slightly Moderately Very Extremely

    anxious anxious anxious anxious anxious

    Situation Anxiety1. The teacher asks me a question in English in class.

    1 2 3 4 5

    2. Speaking informally to my English teacher out of class.

    1 2 3 4 5

    3. Taking part in a group discussion in class.

    1 2 3 4 5

    4. Taking part in a role-play or dialogue in front of my class. 1 2 3 4 5

    5. Giving an oral presentation to the rest of the class.

    1 2 3 4 5

    6. When asked to contribute to a formal discussion in class.

    1 2 3 4 5

    7. Talking to administrative staff of my language school in

    English.

    1 2 3 4 5

    8. Taking part in a conversation out of class with more than

    one native speakerof English.

    1 2 3 4 59. Starting a conversation out of class with a friend or

    colleague who is a native speakerof English.

    1 2 3 4 5

    10. A lecturer/supervisor in my intended university faculty of

    study asks me a question in English.

    1 2 3 4 5

    11. Asking for advice in English from a lecturer/supervisor in

    my intended university faculty of study.

    1 2 3 4 5

    12 A native speakerI do not know asks me questions.

    1 2 3 4 5

    2006 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution.at PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV on April 16, 2008http://rel.sagepub.comDownloaded from

    http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/http://rel.sagepub.com/
  • 8/12/2019 10.1.1.115.2219

    22/22

    328

    Regional Language Centre Journal37.3

    Correlation Matrix for Confirmatory Factor Analysis of Anxiety

    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

    1 1.00

    2 1.66 1.00

    3 1.67 1.53 1.00

    4 1.56 1.47 1.53 1.00

    5 1.50 1.43 1.48 1.70 1.00

    6 1.61 1.49 1.56 1.59 1.58 1.00

    7 1.37 1.54 1.36 1.30 1.32 1.39 1.00

    8 1.35 1.52 1.42 1.29 1.28 1.37 11.85 1.009 1.55 1.49 1.40 1.44 1.42 1.44 11.54 1.52 1.00

    10 1.45 1.51 1.38 1.38 1.33 11.39 .54 1.52 1.81 1.00

    11 1.37 1.43 1.32 1.35 1.28 11.33 1.60 1.60 1.57 1.58 1.00

    Key to variables

    1 in-class anxiety Answer question teacher

    2 in-class anxiety Speak informally to my teacher

    3 in-class anxiety Take part in group discussions

    4 in-class anxiety Take part in a role-play

    5 in-class anxiety Give an oral presentation6 in-class anxiety Contribute to formal discussions

    7 out-of-class anxiety Take part conversation more than one native speaker

    8 out-of-class anxiety Start conversation with native speaker

    9 out-of class anxiety Answer question from lecturer

    10 out-of-class anxiety Ask lecturer for advice

    11 out-of class anxiety Answer question unknown native speaker