A Research On English Learning Anxiety Of Chinese Non-English Major Graduates

Anxiety is regarded as one of the most crucial affective variables in foreign language (FL) learning. Spielberger (1972:482) defines anxiety as "an unpleasant emotional state or condition which is characterized by subjective feelings of tension, apprehension and worry, and by activation or arousal of the automatic nervous system". Researches into language anxiety have gained increasing attention since researchers started to study individual learners'differences and viewed language learners as subjects. The previous researches show that anxiety is prevalent among FL learners, which arouses the author's interest in studying FL learning anxiety.The research in this thesis deals with English learning anxiety of Chinese graduates of non-English majors by the form of case study on non-English major graduate students of Northeast Agricultural University (NEAU), aiming at exploring that whether English learning anxiety is existed among non-English major graduates, whether the English learning anxiety differs with gender, English proficiencies and the like. At the same time, the sources of English learning anxiety and implications from the research are discussed.The research in this thesis is conducted on the basis of questionnaire. The participants in the research are 140 non-English major graduates in Northeast Agricultural University (NEAU), and 130 answer sheets out of the total are valid. According to the speciality of graduates, the questionnaire "English Learning Anxiety Scale" (ELAS) is modified based on Horwitz et al.'s Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS). Data analyses are conducted on ELAS and its seven subcomponents:speech anxiety, fear of negative evaluation, test anxiety, anxiety about classroom teaching, anxiety about interest and desire in English learning, anxiety about applying English in specialized study and further plan and anxiety from the English requirement of future jobs. All the data are analyzed with the SPSS 11.5 software.The English learning anxiety of non-English major graduate students in NEAU reflects the anxiety condition of Chinese normal graduate students, especially students of universities in north China。The results can be referenced by other Chinese universities, and the main results of this research are as follows:Firstly, the author shows that English learning anxiety does exist among Chinese non-English major graduates by providing the objective statistical description of anxiety in ELAS.Secondly, the separate analyses on gender demonstrate that there is obvious difference between male and female graduates in English learning anxiety, and male students experience higher language learning anxiety than female students.Thirdly, significant differences are seen among graduates with different proficiencies from the data. It is found that students with the lowest English level (students who have neither passed CET-4 nor CET-6) experience the highest English learning anxiety, and students with better English proficiency (students who have passed CET-6) experience relatively the lowest English learning anxiety, which means that there exists a negative correlation between language proficiency and language learning anxiety.Fourthly, no remarkable difference can be seen between graduates who plan to get doctor's degree or go abroad and those not. Students who plan to get doctor's degree abroad experience relatively the highest English learning anxiety than others, especially in anxiety about interest and desire in English learning. According to the results from the research, the potential sources of English learning anxiety of graduates are explored, mainly including anxiety from classroom, anxiety from applying English in specialized study, and anxiety from the English requirement of future jobs. Then implications to alleviate English learning anxiety both for English teachers and graduates are suggested. For instance, teachers may give proper evaluation and more wait-time in questioning, and students may build self-confidence with proper expectations and communicate with the teacher and fellow students to have some new learning strategies. In the end, the author points out the limitations of the research in this thesis and puts forward some thoughtful suggestions for further study.