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Investigation Into Computer-based English Writing Anxiety Of Non-English Majors

Posted on:2012-12-26Degree:MasterType:Thesis
Country:ChinaCandidate:J WuFull Text:PDF
GTID:2235330395964091Subject:English Language and Literature
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The present study was undertaken to investigate the anxiety differences in computer-based English writing between students with different English levels and different genders. The research questions to be addressed in the study are as follows:1. To what extent do non-English majors have anxiety when writing English compositions on computers?2. Are there any anxiety differences between the students with different English levels?3. Are there any anxiety differences between the students with different genders?The theoretical framework of this study is mainly based on humanism, affective filter hypothesis and Tobias theory. The subjects in this study were125non-English majors chosen by convenience sample from Information Engineering College of Yangzhou University. The basic instrument for the present study is a questionnaire, which consists of two parts. The first part is about students’ personal background information and the second part is about computer-based English writing anxiety adapted from Second Language Writing Anxiety Inventory (SLWAI). The questionnaire contains24items and is composed of4types:Classroom Anxiety, Writing Process Anxiety, Lack of Confidence and Avoidance Behavior. Before the survey was conducted, the subjects were required to write three compositions on computers within30minutes in the computer-assisted learning environment on September7,2010, September21,2010and October12,2010. Right after the third composition the researcher distributed125copies of questionnaire to4classes. The subjects were instructed to circle the choice which best described the degree to which the statement applied to them. The return rate of the questionnaires was100%, of which125copies of questionnaire, there were3copies invalid. SPSS16.0was employed to calculate the mean and standard deviation so that the differences between students with different English levels and genders could be obtained. One-way ANOVA was employed to find out whether there is a significant difference between students with different English levels. Independent samples t-test was employed to find out whether there is a significant difference between students with different genders.This study has generated the following major findings.First, on the whole, non-English majors have medium anxiety when they are writing English compositions on computers. This finding is almost consistent with Guo&Qin’s (2010) finding in Classroom Anxiety and Lack of Confidence. This may be attributed to three reasons. One may be that writing is a kind of output, which is based on input, like reading. Their input is usually limited to lexical recitation and Sample CET-4&6, which is not enough for their English writing. Another may be due to possible power failure or computer’s halt or system breakdown. The other may be that the teachers’traditional comments on the students’writing tend to be negative rather than positive, that is, focusing on their errors and mistakes, which might cause certain anxiety in their writing.Second, there is a negative correlation between students’English levels and the anxiety degrees in the three types of anxiety: Writing Process Anxiety, Avoidance Behavior and Lack of Confidence, which means that the higher their level is, the lower their anxiety is. This may be due to the fact that the students with higher level tend to read more, listen more and speak more, which may make it easier for them to write, thus making them more confident in English writing. However, there is a positive correlation between students’English levels and the anxiety degrees in Classroom Anxiety, that is, the higher their level is, the higher their anxiety is. This may be that in the classroom setting, the students with higher level have stronger desire to be appreciated. Any negative comment might hurt them or make them lose face, which makes them care more about their writing.Third, there is a significant difference in English writing anxiety degree between boys and girls in terms of Avoidance Behavior. The reason may be that girls are thought to have more talent for and more interest in English learning while most boys consider writing in English a "torture" and usually try to avoid writing as much as possible. In terms of the Classroom Anxiety and Lack of Confidence, girls have more anxiety than boys, though there is no significant difference between them. This may be that girls are born more shy and more afraid of being laughed at than boys, while boys are more open-minded in personality and they care less about negative evaluation from the teacher and others.The present study is limited in three ways and calls for improvement in the future research.1) The sample size in this study is not representative enough. The subjects are limited to a group of Information Engineering College of Yangzhou University. The study should be replicated with a larger sample size including not only students of engineering but also students of arts, science and medicine so that it would be more convincing.2) Though the internal reliability of this scale achieved an alpha (.84), the a-values of Classroom Anxiety (α=.562) and Avoidance Behavior (a=.517) are relatively lower.3) The study is based on the data of the quantitative research and the researcher analyzes the data according to the observation and personal experience. The study would be more scientific and reasonable if qualitative research was conducted.
Keywords/Search Tags:computer-based English writing anxiety, different English levels, different genders
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