A Study On The Effect Of Metacognitive Trategies Training On Student’s Foreign Language Learning Anxiety

Abstract: As most studies show, foreign language learning anxiety negativelyaffects language learning. On the contrary, language learning strategies, especiallymetacognitive strategies have positive effect on language learning. However, most ofthe researches on foreign language learning anxiety focus on how it acts on learners’language performance and their language learning skills and the factors related to thetheir foreign language learning anxiety, as for how to reduce foreign languagelearning anxiety in China is less explored. Some researches try to investigate the wayto alleviate learners’ anxiety, but much effort has been taken from the perspective oflearners’ affective factors, such as arousing learners’ interest, establishing a pleasantlearning atmosphere and avoiding embarrassment in language class. However, theresults and effects are not as expected. So some studies tried to find out a moreeffective way in reducing learners’ English learning anxiety through learningstrategies training such as metacognitive strategies training, and the results seemed tobe desirable.This study tries to investigate whether metacognitive strategies training can alsohelp rural students reduce their English learning anxiety. And two research questionsare explored and discussed:1) What are the characteristics of rural middle schoolstudents’ English learning anxiety?2) Does metacognitive strategies training helpreduce rural middle school students’ English learning anxiety？A questionnaire named Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS)designed by Horwitz et al (1986) was conducted to examine the students’ foreignlanguage learning anxiety degree as pretest. Subjects were110students from twoclasses in senior one of Qingxin No.3Middle School, which was a rural middleschool in Qingyuan City Guangdong Province. Then, one of the two classes wasselected as experimental class and began to take the eight-week metacognitivestrategies training which comprised planning, monitoring and evaluating. Aftertraining, the same questionnaire as well as an interview was administered and data from which were used as posttest.The main findings of the present study can be summarized as: firstly, themajority of the subjects are suffering from English learning anxiety at a comparativehigh level. Communication apprehension, which can be easily caused by inadequatepreparation, seems to be the factor that provokes most anxiety in English learning.And secondly, subjects’ English learning anxiety declined after metacognitivestrategies training while the controlled class has no significant difference. That meansmetacognitive strategies training helps reduce rural middle school students’ Englishlearning anxiety.According to the conclusion, teachers in middle school should pay specialattention to students’ English learning anxiety and metacognitive strategies use. Andmore importantly, try to integrate metacognitive strategies training into daily learningand promote learner-centered class so as to help reduce students’ English learninganxiety and facilitate their long-term English learning.