A Study On Language Learning Anxiety Of First-year Non- English Majors In A Chinese University

With the increasing concern about the affective variables in foreign language learning, many researchers have conducted numerous studies on how these variables may affect their language learning. Of all these affective variables, language learning anxiety has been one of the hottest issues discussed by linguists in the past decade,because it is one of the most important affective variables.Based on the theoretical model raised by Horwitz (1986), the present study tried to explore the relationship between English learning anxiety and foreign language learning from the four aspects: (1) the general tendency of English learning anxiety among the first-year non-English majors; (2) the relationship between language learning anxiety and achievement (3) the differences in language learning anxiety between male and female English majors; (4) the differences in language learning anxiety between extroverted and introverted students. The purpose of the study was to have a full understanding of the nature of language learning anxiety and its effect on English majors'English learning. Its findings may help us reduce the debilitating effects of foreign language learning anxiety and help both language learners and teachers to improve their English learning and teaching efficiency.The study was carried out by both qualitative and quantitative methods. 200 first year non-English major students in Jiangxi Normal University were selected as subjects. In the quantitative approach, 2 questionnaires were used, that is, Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) and Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised (EPQ-R). To answer the research questions put forward in this study, the quantitative data were entered into SPSS 13.0, and analyzed by descriptive statistics,correlation analyses and independent sample t-test respectively. In the qualitative study, 12 students were required to participate in an interview. The results of this study show that, firstly, there does exist language learning anxiety for first-year non English majors. Secondly, language learning anxiety has a negative effect on language learner's foreign language achievement. The findings indicate that the lower the students'English achievement, the higher their English learning anxiety will be, and vise versa. Thirdly, there is a significant difference in students'English learning anxiety between male and female students, and male students generally tend to be more anxious than their female counterparts in foreign language classroom. Fourthly, extroverted students are less anxious than introverted students.On the basis of the findings above, several pedagogical applications were offered for teachers: 1)teachers should organize classroom discussion of anxieties with students to help students realize that language learning anxiety is quite common when learning a foreign language ; 2)teachers should be a good facilitator and create a more relaxing and comfortable classroom atmosphere ; 3)teachers should give proper classroom evaluation and make the students clear that making errors is inevitable in English learning; 4)since female students are generally less anxious than male students, teachers can enhance interaction between male and female students and encourage them to work together.