An Investigation Into English Classroom Anxiety Of Arts Students Of Senior3 In A Key Middle School Of Kunming

This study inquires into the general tendency of the English classroom anxiety of arts students of senior 3 in a key middle school of Kunming and tries to find out whether a gender difference exists. In particular, it focuses on the correlation between the students' ECA levels and their English achievements. It goes further to explore the correlations between ECA and its three components and the correlations between the students' another three affective factors and their English achievements respectively.115 arts students of senior 3 participate in this study which is of a quantitative nature. A background questionnaire and an English Classroom Anxiety Scale (ECAS) are employed: to collect not only demographic data about the participants but also the information relevant to their English learning; to capture the specific anxiety reaction of the students to an English situation. And software SPSS 10.0 is also employed to compute and analyze the collected data.The findings indicate that among arts students of senior 3 in a key middle school of Kunming, different ECA levels do exist. As far as the ECA is concerned, males are more anxious than females. There is negative correlation between ECA levels and English achievements. The correlations between ECA and its three components are all positive and among them, the correlation between ECA and fear of negative evaluation is the most significant. The correlations between another three affective factors and English achievement are also all positive and among the three relationships, the correlation between self-esteem towards personal English competency and English achievement is the most significant and osculating.Overall, this study recognizes the value of understanding the roles affective factors (especially the ECA) play in English learning. Such awareness may contribute to more effective English language teaching and make both English teaching and learning an interesting and humane process.