An Empirical Study On The Relationship Between Language Learning Anxiety And English Achievement Of Non-english Major Postgraduates

As one of the most critical affective variables of foreign language acquisition,anxiety has always been highly focused by educators and researchers. In China, theoverwhelming majority of studies of foreign language anxiety are made onundergraduates and middle school students, with few choosing postgraduate students assubjects. Especially there have been very few further researches on the sources of theirforeign language anxiety. It is well-known that postgraduates are nation’s elites andprofessional researchers specially cultivated by a country. Due to enrollment expansion,postgraduates have become an indispensable group. Accordingly, the present study isdesigned to explore the following questions:1) What is the general picture of English learning anxiety level amongpostgraduates?2) Is their anxiety related to their English learning achievement? If yes, what arethe correlations between anxiety level and English learning achievement ofpostgraduates?3) Is there any correlation between anxiety level and gender, majors as well asschool backgrounds?4) What are the potential sources of postgraduates’English learning anxiety?The participants of this study are composed of four classes of first-yearpostgraduate students from four different majors in Jiangnan University, with a totalnumber of156students. To fulfill these research objectives, this study adopted acombination of quantitative and qualitative methodologies. A self-report surveyquestionnaire was used to investigate the level of English learning anxiety, which iscomprised of students’ background information and Horwitz, et al.(1986)’s ForeignLanguage Classroom Anxiety Scales (FLCAS). Students’ final exam scores were usedto assess their English learning achievement. The data collected from questionnairewere calculated in the SPSS13.0. Semi-structured interviews were used to collectqualitative data from postgraduates with high level of anxiety, different genders, majorsand school backgrounds to further complement the quantitative results. It hopes toexplore the potential sources and associated factors of English learning anxiety.Research findings indicate: 1) Chinese postgraduates experience high level of English learning anxiety.2) Postgraduates’ English learning anxiety is significantly negatively correlated totheir English achievement.3) Gender difference is not significant on the English learning anxiety level; Artsstudents experience higher level of English learning anxiety and obtain lower Englishachievement than science students do; postgraduates with different school backgroundsalso have significant differences on their English learning anxiety level.4) Being called to answer questions in class, taking part in tests, readingmajor-related English literature and impromptu communication in English were provedto be the sources of anxiety, while personal features, social and cultural elements andregional differences influence postgraduates’ English learning anxiety level in a certaindegree. Teachers’ appropriate class arrangements and good English application abilitywill help postgraduates to alleviate their anxiety feeling.One of the key findings of this research is to explore the sources and associatedfactors of English learning anxiety of Chinese postgraduates. Moreover, the presentstudy has also made detailed analyses on the findings, and put forward some significantsuggestions in the field of Postgraduate English teaching in China. It enriches theresearch findings of foreign language anxiety, and provides significant implication forPostgraduate English teaching. It is sincerely hoped that the present study will attractgreater attention from linguistic researchers and teachers engaged in PostgraduateEnglish teaching for the purpose of helping postgraduates to effectively overcome theirEnglish learning anxiety and improve their English learning efficiency in an appropriateanxiety level.