Language learning anxiety - causes and consequences

Čiček, Lana. (2015). Language learning anxiety - causes and consequences. Diploma Thesis. Filozofski fakultet u Zagrebu, Department of English Language and Literature. [mentor Mihaljević Djigunović, Jelena].

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Abstract

Most of the previous studies on language learning anxiety have focused on foreign language anxiety in older learners, and very few focused on the role of language learning anxiety among young learners. It is commonly believed that young learners are similar to one another, and that there is no need to research their individual differences. However, recent studies among young learners proved otherwise. The purpose of this research study was to find whether foreign language learning anxiety is present from the beginning of language learning process. If young learners, who just started learning a foreign language, experienced anxiety at any level, what were the most common sources of language learning anxiety? This research was conducted on three groups of young learners, from two different elementary schools. There was a total of 56 fourth grade young learners, age 10 and 11, 32 females and 24 males. The first group of 16 young learners who had just started learning English as a foreign language, was the focus group which was questioned orally. Their answers about foreign language anxiety served as a basis for the questionnaire which was administered to the second and the third group. The second group consisted of 17 learners who also just began studying English. The third group studied English from the first grade, and were in their fourth year of learning English. We found that students experienced a low or a very low level of anxiety, which confirms the general standpoint that young learners experience very little anxiety in their language learning process.The significant differences in anxiety level between the male and female learners were established only for two items. The female learners experienced higher anxiety level when their peers mocked their mistakes and when they had to read new words. Our research also showed that there was a negative correlation between language anxiety and motivation. The negative, although moderate correlation was found between language learning anxiety and language achievement. Regarding the language anxiety level in the two subject groups, the participants who had been learning English for four years showed a higher level of language anxiety than the participants who had just started learning English.

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