1 the effects of background information on efl learners’ foreign language anxiety and academic...

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THE EFFECTS OF BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON EFL LEARNERS’ FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANXIETY AN

D ACADEMIC SELF-SCHEMAS

Presenter: Kuo, Szu-Wei

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Outline of the Presentation

Introduction

Literature Review

Methodology

Results

Q&A

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INTRODUCTION

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IntroductionLearning happens only if students’ attitudinal variables

exist and presented, input can pass through the “affective

filter” and be used by the learner.

(Krashen,1982)

The “affective filter” is a mental block.

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Introduction“foreign language anxiety as a distinct complex of self-perc

eptions, beliefs, feelings and behaviors related to classroom language learning arising from the uniqueness of the language learning process”

(Horwitz et al.,1986,p.128)

Self-schemas refer to individual perception related to

self-image; established individuals values’ in particular

domain. (Markus, 1977)

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Purpose of Study

to investigate the effects of foreign language anxiety

and self-schemas on EFL learners' foreign language

abilities.

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Research Questions

Is there a difference in degrees of foreign language anxiety between non-English majors and English majors?

Is there a difference in degrees of academic self-schemas between non-English majors and English majors?

What are the differences in foreign language anxiety in terms of background variables such as gender, regional differences, different lengths of time of learning English, and the number of hours spent studying English after class?

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Research Questions

What are the differences in academic self-schemas in terms of background variables such as gender, regional differences, different lengths of time of learning English, and the number of hours spent studying English after class?

What are EFL learners’ perceptions of foreign language anxiety?

What are EFL learners’ perceptions of academic self-schemas?

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LITERATURE REVIEW

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Horwitz et al’s Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale

FLCAS

Communication Apprehension

Test AnxietyFear of Negative

Evaluation

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Horwitz et al’s Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale

Communication Apprehension

“the fear or anxiety an individual feels about orally

communicating.” (Daly,1991,p.3)

The CA associated with

a) oral communication anxiety

b) stage fright

c) listening

d) learning a spoken message

(Horwitz &Young,1991)

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Horwitz et al’s Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale

Test Anxiety

“refers to a type of performance anxiety stemming from a fear of failure”

(Horwitz et al.,1991,p.30)

Put unrealistic demands on themselves and view the mistakes as a failure

(Horwitz et al.,1986)

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Horwitz et al’s Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale

Fear of Negative Evaluation

“apprehension about others’ evaluations, distress over their

negative evaluation, avoidance of evaluative situations, and

the expectation that others would evaluate oneself negatively”

(Watson & Frirnd, 1969, p.449)

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Garcia and Pintrich’s Self-Schemas Model

Temporal Dimension

Value Dimension

Efficacy Dimension

Affective Dimension

Self-Schemas

Model

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Garcia and Pintrich’s Self-Schemas Model

Temporal Dimension

Discriminate between possible selves in the past, the

present, and the future.

(Garcia et al., 1994)

People reconstruct their past selves as a standard to

determine whether they need to change, improving, or

declining their conception.

(Greenwald, 1980 )

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Garcia and Pintrich’s Self-Schemas Model

Value Dimension

The centrality and the importance of self-schemas.

Individual may carry different degrees of importance in self-schemas.

(Garcia &Pintrich,1993)

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Garcia and Pintrich’s Self-Schemas Model

Efficacy Dimension

Learners’ belief that one has the capability to maintain, attain, change, or avoid a particular self-conception.

(Garcia et al.,1994)

Task persistence and individual’s exert effort are strongly bound up with self-efficacy.

(Schunk, 1995)

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METHODOLOGY

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Pilot Study

Purpose of the Pilot Study:

Appraise the reliability of the questionnaire

Subjects’ background information

28 university English-major students

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The Reliability of the FLCAS

FLCAS Cronbach’s α

Communication Apprehension .93

Fear of Negative Evaluation .79

Test Anxiety .84

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The Reliability of the MSLQ

Self-Schemas Cronbach’s α

Affective Dimension .67

Temporal Dimension .80

Efficacy Dimension .74

Value Dimension .92

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Participants

159 university students

75 non-English-majors84 English-majors

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Instruments for Data Gathering

Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS)

Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ)

Interview

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Instruments

Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS)

-33 items (5 point Likert scale)

- communication apprehension (items 1 to 14)

- fear of negative evaluation (items 15 to 30)

- test anxiety (items 31 to 33)

- Chinese version of the FLCAS: Wu (2005)

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Instruments

Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ)

- 24 items (5 point Likert scale)

- temporal dimension (items 34 to 40)

- efficacy dimension (items 41 to 50)

- value dimension (items 51 to 57)

- Chinese version of the MSLQ: Xu (2002)

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Instruments

Interview

- 6 interviewees were voluntary participated in this interview

- developed based on the questionniare& linteratures

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Data Analysis

Quantitative Data Analysis

Qualitative Data Analysis

One-Way ANOVA

Independent-sample t test

SPSS for Windows 10.0

Interview quantitative research

results in-depth

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RESULTS

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Data Analysis of Normal Distribution

multiply the condensed principal component

Kolmogorov-Smirnov Z Test

Conduct Principal Component Analysis

Implement KS Z Test

Nonparametric tests

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Results of Research Question 1

Is there a difference in degrees of foreign language anxiety

between non-English majors and English majors?

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Results of Research Question 1

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Results of Research Question 1

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Results of Research Question 1

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Results of Research Question 2

Is there a difference in degrees of academic self-schemas

between non-English majors and English majors?

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Results of Research Question 2

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Results of Research Question 2

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Results of Research Question 2

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Results of Research Question 3

What are the differences in foreign language anxiety

in terms of background variables such as genders,

residences, the lengths of learning English, and

different hours of studying English after class?

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Results of Research Question 3

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Results of Research Question 3

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Results of Research Question 3

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Results of Research Question 4

What are the differences in academic self-schemas

in terms of background variables such as genders,

residences, the lengths of learning English, and

different hour of studying English after class?

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Results of Research Question 4

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Results of Research Question 4

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Results of Research Question 5

What are EFL learners’ perceptions toward foreign

language anxiety?

Most interviewees express:

most stressed -oral presentations

most anxious- instructors single them out to speak

English in class

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Results of Research Question 6

What are EFL learners’ perceptions toward academic self-schemas?

Most interviewees express:

positive learning experience

- increase their learning willingness

negative learning experience

- withdraw them from effective learning

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CONCLUSION

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Summary of the Research FindingsSummary of the Research Findings

First, there are no significant differences on foreign language anxiety between non-English majors and English majors.

Second, learners’ academic self-schemas such as temporal dimension, value dimension, and efficacy dimension are significantly related to EFL learners’ English performance.

Third, females have higher degree of communication apprehension in compared with males.

Fourth, there are significant differences among different residences in test anxiety.

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Summary of the Research FindingsSummary of the Research Findings

Fifth, significant differences are found in different hours of studying English after class in test anxiety.

Sixth, past learning experience have higher impact on males than females.

Seventh, there are significant differences among different hours of studying English after class in learners’ belief.

Next, interviewees proposes that they feel most anxious if they do not preview in advance because they are afraid of being called up to answer the questions.

Ninth, most of the interviewees state that learning experiences determine whether they need to study hard or not.

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THANK YOU