| This study investigated the conceptual links between second language class anxiety and second language writing anxiety as well as their associations with second language speaking and writing achievement. Second language class anxiety was operationalized by an adapted version of Horwitz, Horwitz, and Cope's (1986) Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS). Second language writing anxiety was measured by an adapted second language version of Daly and Miller's (1975a) Writing Apprehension Test (SLWAT).; A total of 433 English majors enrolled in both English speaking and writing courses at four universities in Taiwan participated in this study in spring 1997. The participants completed a questionnaire consisting of the Chinese versions of the FLCAS, the SLWAT, and a background questionnaire. The participants' final grades in their English speaking and writing courses were collected at the end of the semester and used as measures of second language achievement.; Principal components analyses and correlational analyses of the two anxiety measures indicated that second language class anxiety and second language writing anxiety are two related but distinct constructs. Two components were extracted for the FLCAS: Low Self-Confidence in English Speaking and General English Classroom Performance Anxiety. Three components were selected for the SLWAT: Low Self-Confidence in English Writing, Aversiveness of Writing in English, and English Writing Evaluation Apprehension.; The results of correlational and regression analyses showed that the FLCAS and the SLWAT differed in their associations with second language speaking and writing achievement. The FLCAS was directly associated with both second language speaking and writing achievement and had statistically significant ability in predicting these two aspects of achievement although its association with speaking achievement was stronger. The SLWAT was only directly associated with and had significant predictive utility in second language writing achievement.; The findings suggest that second language class anxiety is a more general type of anxiety about learning a second language in a formal education context, with a strong speaking anxiety element. Second language writing anxiety seems to be a language-skill-specific anxiety. The conceptual distinctiveness of these two anxiety constructs demonstrates a need for investigating further the existence of other types of second-language-related anxiety. |
