Junior High School Students' English Learning Anxiety Research

As one of the important factors affecting language learning,anxiety has not attracted researchers until 1970 s.From then on the researchers started to pay more attention to anxiety which was regarded as an emotion factor.Compared with foreign studies on language learning anxiety,the Chinese researchers started to survey foreign language learning anxiety lately.Most domestic researches focused on college students' English classroom learning anxiety.But the junior middle school students are less researched on foreign language learning anxiety.Based on the theory of foreign language learning anxiety and drawing lessons from the former research results,the present research aims to answer the following questions.(1)To what extent do students in junior middle schools experience language anxiety in English learning?(2)Is there any significant gender difference in English learning?(3)What are the sources of English learning anxiety and the corresponding ways to alleviate the anxiety in the process of English learning?Questionnaire survey and interview were used in this study.348 students were selected randomly from No.2 middle schools ofZhengzhou and their Englishlearning anxiety were surveyed by Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale(FLCAS)designed by Horwitz.As to the data collected in the questionnaire,descriptive analysis and independent sample test were conducted by the SPSS version 17.0.An interview aimed to get a better understanding about participants.12 studentswere selected to analyze the possible sources of students' English learning anxiety,and then the author will give suggestions to reduce students' anxiety.The result shows that the majority of students experience a low and moderate Englishlearninganxiety.There is a significant difference in students' gender,male students are more anxious than female students.According to the data analysis and interview,it isconcluded that thetesting,students' mental characteristic,students' attitude and effort in Englishlearning,students' intensive competition and unrealistic expectation,classroom activities and teachers' influence are possible factors related to students' English leaning anxiety.In terms of the above sources and from the perspective of teachers,this study provides some suggestions to reduced students' anxiety,for example,reducing the students' test anxiety,developing students' emotional ability,changing attitude towards English learning and enhancing English study,creating relaxed English learning environment and helping students' to set appropriate learning goals,organizing proper classroom activities and making good interaction with students in English classroom.