Study Of Correlation Between Self-efficacy And English Learning Anxiety Of Senior High School Students

The demands on English skills are increasing in modern society. One of the important tasks of English education and teaching is to cultivate students’ interests in learning English, improve the efficiency of learning English and improve their English competence. The traditional English education emphasized teaching basic English knowledge and training basic skills, but the emotional and cognitive factors had been neglected, which had become one of the main obstacles to develop English teaching and improve students’ ability in English.Self-efficacy and English learning anxiety, as two important affection factors, play an important role in the effectiveness of English learning,and attracted popular attention from English teachers and researchers.Nonetheless, according to literature reviewing, the studies on the correlation between self-efficacy and English learning anxiety of senior high school students are rare.Based on such theories concerning learners’ behaviors as Bandura’s Ternary Interaction Determinism, Maslow’s Humanistic Theory and Krashen’s Affective Filter Hypothesis, and by applying quantitative research methods, the present paper studied 110 participants from two classes of Grade One in Tongchuan City, Shaanxi Province. The questionnaire was partially based on Horwitz’ Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale(FLCAS) and General Self-Efficacy Scale(GSES) with slight modification. FLCAS contains five factors: communication apprehension, test anxiety, fear of negative evaluation, negative attitude towards English classes, and fear of the failing English class. The survey was mainly conducted to investigate the correlation between self-efficacy and English classroom learning anxiety. By researching the present situation of English learning anxiety of these subjects, the purpose was to promote students’ self-efficacy and to reduce English classroom learning anxiety.It was found that self-efficacy and high school English classroom learning anxiety were negatively related in three dimensions. There was a certain degree of anxiety of high school students in English learning process. The major potential causes of English learning anxiety in the present study were their lack of confidence and English cultural knowledge, and fear to answer questions, showing that self-efficacy and high school English classroom learning anxiety were negative correlated. Therefore, enhancing self-efficacy shall be an effective way to reduce high school students’ anxieties in learning English.In view of these factors, the present study proposed several suggestions for effective English teaching in senior high schools. Firstly, teachers shall set appropriate attribution and change the learning goals to inspire learners’ confidence and reduce the negative impact of failure. Secondly, teachers shall create a more harmonious and comfortable learning environment, respect the students, weaken anxiety or fear by reducing the sensitivity gradually. Thirdly, teachers need to adjust their teaching methods based on students’ gift so as to meet their students’ needs at different levels. Lastly, teachers shall enhance the training of strategies of learning introspection, management of cognitive and resource issues in English learning.