Study On The Language Attitude And Language Anxiety Of Uygur Junior School Students In Xinjiang

Karshen's Affective Filter Hypothesis suggests that learners are affected by affective factors in foreign language learning. In second language learning, affective factors include learning motivation, language anxiety, language attitude and so on. In above factors, language anxiety is considered as the most important affective barrier. Furthermore, language attitude as the internal factors of the bilingual development can influence the second language learning. The present paper reports the findings of a survey on Uighur junior school students'language anxiety, language attitude on Chinese and Uighur and the relation of the two variables in Chinese context. The survey is conducted among 274 junior school students by means of quantitative and qualitative studies. Based on the analysis, the author has come to the following conclusion:(1)In general, the attitude of Uighur junior school students in XinJiang on Chinese and Uighur is positive and exoteric.(2)The language attitude of Uighur junior school students in XinJiang on Chinese and Uighur is influenced by the sex of the speakers. Their overall impression towards female Chinese and Uighur speakers is better than male speakers. Generally, the language attitude of Uighur junior school students in XinJiang on Uighur is better than Chinese, and processes significant difference.(3)Characteristic variables of Uighur junior school students in XinJiang influence their language attitude.(4) Uighur junior school students in XinJiang universally hold deep feelings to their own language, and express an applied attitude to Chinese.(5)The general level of Chinese learning anxiety of Uighur junior school students in XinJiang is not very high. Among all the factors, the students obtain higher scores in text anxiety and fear of negative evaluation.(6)There existed obvious differences among different grades and scales in Chinese anxiety of Uighur junior school students in XinJiang, while there are no significant differences on gender and the time that these students learned Chinese. The total score of Chinese anxiety as well as its other four dimensions of grade eight were obviously higher than that of other two grades. The total score of Chinese anxiety as well as its other four dimensions of Uighur junior school students who took entrance exam to junior high school with their own language was obviously higher than that of Uighur junior school students who took entrance exam to junior high school with Chinese language.(7)The scores of Chinese anxiety are significantly negatively correlated with scores of positive language attitude on Chinese. There is no obvious difference between different Chinese anxiety groups in language attitude of Chinese, while the scores of the group of students, whose Chinese anxiety is lowest, towards female Chinese and Uighur speakers in lingual Position and value are significantly better than the other groups.