A Survey Of College Students' Writing Anxiety

Anxiety is an important affective factor that influences foreign language learning. Many students experience anxiety in listening and speaking. Besides, students may more or less experience writing and reading anxiety. The study of writing apprehension started in the 1970's, and since then scholars have devoted a lot of time and efforts to the research of this area.With Daly, Horwitz and Y-S-Cheng's theoretical model of second language writing anxiety as research framework, this study investigated Chinese college students' English writing anxiety. Second Language Writing Anxiety Inventory (SLWAI) developed by Y-S Cheng was used to measure the levels of students' writing anxiety in this study. Using the quantitative approach, we investigated whether Chinese college students experience anxiety in writing, examined the correlation between writing anxiety and college students' writing achievements, explored the differences in English writing anxiety and achievements between English and non-English majors, between students with different attitudes towards English writing, the differences in writing achievements among students of different writing anxiety levels. In addition, using the qualitative approach, we explored the potential sources of college students' writing anxiety and the causes of the differences between English and non-English majors, and between low-anxiety and high-anxiety students. The answers to these questions may shed light on language pedagogical implications and writing skills, which can help students reduce anxiety when writing in English.Findings of the present study show that Chinese college students, including both English and non-English majors, experience English writing anxiety, which is negatively correlated with students' writing achievements. There are significant differences between English and non-English majors in English writing anxiety and achievements, among students of different anxiety levels in English wiring achievements and between students with different attitudes towards English writing...