Study On English Listening Anxiety And Listening Strategy Of Non-English Majors

Listening is an important way of input in foreign language learning and it is closely related to success of language learning. Therefore, many studies on listening have been conducted from different aspects. However, few studies on listening have been carried out from the perspective of the relationship between listening anxiety and listening strategy. As it is an effective way to improve listening by utilizing listening strategies to reduce listening anxiety, the present study will make full efforts to conduct an empirical and systematical study on listening anxiety and listening strategies of non-English majors from independent college with the quantitative and qualitative research methods, hoping to make contributions to the practical instruction of listening.The data of the study were obtained by means of the questionnaire (including Background Information, Listening Anxiety Scale and Listening Strategy Scale) survey of201non-English major sophomores, interviews of20participants and two papers of CET4. And then, the collected data were analyzed by using Descriptive Statistics, Pearson Correlation Analysis, Independent-Sample T Test and Paired-Samples T Test of SPSS11.5. Pretest determined the level of listening anxiety, background information, listening proficiency and the frequency of listening strategy use. Based on this, participants are divided into experimental group and control group. And listening strategy training of experimental group lasted for one semester. After training, the level of listening anxiety and the frequency of listening strategy use were tested again. And then the posttest data were analyzed by Independent-Sample T Test and Paired-Samples T Test to further explore the influence of learning strategies on listening anxiety.The results of the present study firstly revealed that the non-English majors in Longqiao College did suffer from English listening anxiety. In addition, negative significant relationships were found among listening anxiety and self-rated listening proficiency as well as interests. And positive significant relationship existed between listening anxiety tested by the questionnaire and self-rated listening anxiety. Secondly, Listening anxiety had no significant negative correlation with listening proficiency. What is more, there was no significant difference in listening anxiety and listening proficiency between female students and male students. Thirdly, significant negative correlations existed between listening anxiety and the frequency of listening strategy use as well as its three sub-strategies use. In addition, significant difference existed in listening anxiety as well as listening strategy between experimental group and control group after listening strategy training, which further proved that the utilization of listening strategy could alleviate listening anxiety. Fourthly, five major sources of listening anxiety were identified by means of the interview. They were characteristics of listening activity, characteristics of listening material, learners’ inappropriate listening habits, learners’ English listening performance and learners’ inappropriate listening beliefs.The above findings suggest that listening anxiety should not be neglected in English teaching and learning. At the same time, English teachers should attach more importance to the instruction of listening strategies in order to alleviate listening anxiety and improve listening instruction.