An Empirical Study Of EFL Learners' Anxiety Level In Flipped Classroom Model Of College English Teaching

Based on the flipped classroom teaching model and Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale proposed by Horwitz et al(1986),this thesis reports an empirical study of the effect of flipped classroom teaching model on the language learning achievement of college non-English majors and the differences in learners' anxiety levels between flipped classroom and traditional classroom teaching models.The study aims to explore the following research questions:(1)What is the effect of the flipped classroom teaching model on learners' language learning achievement in college English teaching?(2)Are there any significant differences in learners' anxiety levels between the traditional classroom and the flipped classroom teaching?If yes,what are the differences?(3)How does the flipped classroom teaching influence learners' anxiety level?(4)What is the relationship between learners' anxiety levels and their learning achievement in the flipped classroom teaching?A teaching experiment was conducted using the flipped classroom model,which lasted for two semesters.45 college non-English majors from two intact classes were involved in the teaching process.One class was randomly assigned as the experimental group(EG),the other as the control group(CG).Both groups were given lectures by the same teacher in this experiment,the EG received flipped classroom teaching,while the CG followed the regular way of teaching.The Practical English Test for College Students Band B(PRETCO-B)test scores,the students' journals and the responses from the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale were collected as samples to analyze the effect of the flipped classroom teaching and differences of students' anxiety in EG and CG.Explicit analysis of the quantitative and qualitative data yielded the following results:1.Differences in the PRETCO-B post-test scores between the EG and the CG are found to be statistically significant.Although both groups have made some gains in their language learning achievement,only the EG who received the flipped classroom model progressed significantly,which indicates that flipped classroom teaching can greatly enhance students' language learning achievement,especially their listeningcompetence.Besides,it is found from the journals kept by students in EG that the majority of students report positive comments on the advantages of the new teaching model.2.There exists no significant difference in learners' overall anxiety level between the EG and the CG.However,some specific items of anxiety between the two groups are found to be significantly different,such as some items in Communication Apprehension(CA)and Fear of Negative Evaluation(FNE),which shows that flipped classroom teaching does significantly lower students' anxiety level in certain aspects of anxiety although it shows no significant difference in the overall anxiety level.3.Learners' anxiety level has experienced a fluctuation in the two semesters' experimental teaching.Their anxiety level increased significantly at the end of the first semester's flipped classroom teaching;nevertheless,after another semester's flipped classroom teaching,it dropped and finally fell back to the medium level.4.It is found that the students' anxiety has significant negative correlation with their learning achievement,indicating that in flipped classroom the more anxious the learners are,the poorer their learning outcomes are;the more relaxed the learners are,the more fully they can complete self-study,group discussion and presentation.The study reported here will have some implications for college English teaching.Flipped classroom teaching can be taken use of in the future College English teaching to lower learners' anxiety level,develop their learning interest,increase their self-confidence,establish a better English learning atmosphere and finally to propel more effective English teaching and learning.