A Research On Teacher Questioning-oriented Anxiety Of Senior High School Students In English Classroom

Anxiety is one of the most essential emotional factors affecting foreign language learning.Studies have shown that too much or too little anxiety will hinder the effect of language learning.Teacher questioning is an important part of teacher talk,which plays a critical role in stimulating students’ thinking and improving teaching.It is found that teacher questioning will cause students’ classroom anxiety.Using the questionnaire,classroom observation and interview,the present study takes 365 students and two teachers’ classes from a middle school in Guangzhou City,Guangdong Province as the research subjects,attempting to explore:(1)the general picture of teacher questioning-oriented anxiety of senior high school students in English classroom;(2)whether students’ anxiety differences are related to teachers’ question types,questioning methods and feedback types;(3)the performances of teacher questioning-oriented anxiety of senior high school students observed in English classroom;And(4)the causes of teacher questioning-oriented anxiety for senior high school students.The results indicate that:(1)Teachers’ questioning in senior high school does cause students’ anxiety,but the overall anxiety level is relatively low;(2)Students’ anxiety are related to teachers’ question types,questioning methods and feedback types;3)Students’ anxiety is manifested in body movements and language;And(4)in addition to teacher questioning factors,other factors also cause students’ anxiety such as their preparation for class and self-esteem.In this study,teacher questioning results in quite low students’ anxiety,which is not conducive to students’ language acquisition.Based on the results of the study,some pedagogical implications are offered.For foreign language teachers,(1)They are to realize the importance and significance of teacher questioning to students’ anxiety in the classroom;(2)They are to use referential questions according to students’ classroom anxiety level;(3)They are to appropriately increase the amount of random questioning;(4)They are to use diversified classroom feedback to promote students’ language acquisition;And(5)they are to monitor students’ classroom anxiety and try to adjust their anxiety level.For students,(1)They are to recognize the significant meaning of anxiety in learning;(2)They are to monitor their anxiety on their own initiative and adapt themselves;And(3)They are to take positive attitudes toward teachers’ questions.