| The primary objective of this study was to examine the relationship between foreign language anxiety, or anxiety in response to foreign language classes, and selected learner variables. The following learner variables were studied: age, sex, year in school, language background, test anxiety, public speaking anxiety, self-esteem, foreign language aptitude, and self-ratings of foreign language aptitude. The relationship between foreign language anxiety and three measures of language class achievement was also examined.; Subjects of the study were 122 students enrolled in second semester classes at the University of Texas at Austin. The following tests and questionnaires were administered: (1) Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (Horwitz, 1983); (2) Test Anxiety Scale (Sarason, 1978); (3) Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety (McCroskey, 1970); (4) Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965); (5) Modern Language Aptitude Test, Short Form (Carroll and Sapon, 1959); (6) Background questionnaire.; Foreign language anxiety was found to be positively associated with test anxiety (r =.58; p {dollar}<{dollar}.001) and public speaking anxiety (r =.43; p {dollar}<{dollar}.001). It was negatively associated with foreign language aptitude (r = {dollar}-{dollar}.29; p {dollar}<{dollar}.01) and self-ratings of language aptitude (r = {dollar}-{dollar}.49; p {dollar}<{dollar}.001). No relationship was observed between foreign language anxiety and self-esteem. Foreign language anxiety also correlated negatively with all three achievement measures. However, when the effect of ability was controlled for, only the relationship with oral exam scores remained significant.; In a comparison between subjects with high foreign language anxiety and those with low foreign language anxiety, the highly anxious students were found to have higher test anxiety and public speaking anxiety, but lower foreign language aptitude, self-ratings of aptitude, and final exam and oral exam scores.; It is concluded that learner variables are related to foreign language anxiety levels and that further investigation of correlates of foreign anxiety is warranted. The strength of the correlations with test anxiety and self-ratings of language aptitude indicates that two areas in which to focus attempts to reduce foreign language anxiety are lowering test anxiety and raising students' confidence. |
