Research On English Test Anxiety Of Non-English Major Graduates In Post-graduate Entrance Examination

Anxiety,one of the foreign language learners’ affective factors,has an important effect on foreign language learning.It has engaged scholars’ attention worldwide,but most of the researches focus on the middle school students,few concentrating on test anxiety of students in post-graduate entrance examination,which prompts the present study,with the hope that it provides insights into English teaching for graduate students.Based on Krashen’s Second Language Acquisition Theory and Attribution theory,with 141 non-English major first-year postgraduates from Beijing Normal University,Shandong Normal University and Guangxi Normal University as the subjects,the present research aims to explore the following questions:(1)What is the general state of English test anxiety in post-graduate entrance examination testees?(2)Is there any significant gender difference in English test anxiety in post-graduate entrance examination testees?(3)Does major exert any impact on English test anxiety in post-graduate entrance examination testees?(4)What is the correlation between English test anxiety and English achievement?(5)What are factors causing the English test anxiety in post-graduate entrance examination testees?Results indicate as follows: There does exist English test anxiety in post-graduate entrance examination among testees and the overall state of English test anxiety level falls into moderate English test anxiety.Female students’ English test anxiety is higher than that of male students,and the gender exerts significant differences in English test anxiety.There doesn’t exist significant differences between arts students’ English test anxiety and science students’ English test anxiety,but the science students feel slightly greater English test anxiety that liberal arts students.There is a certain relationship between English test achievement and test anxiety,but the correlation varies from different levels of students.There is a positive correlation between the English achievement on successful students and the test anxiety,while the English achievement on less successful students is not related to the test anxiety.At last,some practical suggestions are provided for how to adjust the testee’s mental attitude and keep an positive note for the test.