On The Correlation Between English Language Learning Anxiety And Achievement Of Non-english Majors In Independent Colleges

With the shift of the focus on language teaching from teacher-centeredness to learner-centeredness in the recent decades,anxiety,as one of the most critical affective factors of the language learner has become the hot issue of the educators and researchers.Due to the enrollment expansion of higher education,independent college students have become an indispensable group.However,the overwhelming majority of researches on foreign language learning anxiety are conducted on primary school,middle school students and undergraduates,with few choosing independent college students as subjects.Accordingly,the present study is aiming to probe into the following questions:(1)What is the general picture of ELLA level among non-English majors'students in independent college?(2)Is their ELLA related to their English learning achievement?If yes,what are the correlations between ELLA level and English learning achievement of non-English majors' students in independent college?(3)Is there any correlation between ELLA level and gender and majors?And(4)what are the potential sources of ELLA non-English majors' students of independent college?The participants of this study are composed of 112 students of Grade 2013,Lijiang College of Guangxi Normal University including 50 male students and 62 female students.Quantitative and qualitative methodologies were adopted to fulfill the research objectives.Horwitz,et al(1986)'s Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale(FLCAS)containing the students' background information worked as the questionnaire,which was employed to investigate the level of foreign language learning anxiety.Students' final exam scores of College English Course were used to assess their English achievement.The data collected from questionnaire were calculated in the SPSS 19.0.Interviews were used to collect qualitative from 20 of the participants chosen randomly from the respondents of the questionnaire.It aims to find out the potential sources and associated factors of foreign language learning anxiety of non-English majors in independent colleges by means of questionnaire,test and interview,the research finds that:The research findings suggest:(1)Non-English majors in independent colleges experience low level of English language learning anxiety.(2)English language learning anxiety of non-English majors in independent colleges is negatively related to their English achievement.(3)English language learning anxiety level of male students is higher than that of,while arts students experience a less anxious feeling than science students.And(4)Personal features,regional differences,and cultural and social elements do have an influence non-English majors' ELLA level in a certain degree,but test anxiety,classroom activities and communication apprehension are the main sources of ELLA for the students.Teacher' appropriate class arrangement will encourage them and good English application abilities like listening and speaking will help them alleviate their anxious emotion.The current research not only broadens the research findings of foreign language learning anxiety,but also provides important implications for College English teaching in independent colleges.It is sincerely hoped that the present study will draw attention from educational specialists and linguistic researchers engaged in College English teaching for the purpose of helping non-English majors in independent colleges effectively lessen their English learning anxiety and improve their English proficiency.