Deyuan He Foreign Language Learning Anxiety in China Theories and Applications in English Language Teaching Foreign Language Learning Anxiety in China [email protected] Deyuan He Foreign Language Learning Anxiety in China Theories and Applications in English Language Teaching 123 [email protected] Deyuan He Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Universiti Brunei Darussalam Gadong Brunei Darussalam ISBN 978-981-10-7661-9 ISBN 978-981-10-7662-6 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-7662-6 Library of Congress Control Number: 2017963006 © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2018 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Printed on acid-free paper This Springer imprint is published by Springer Nature The registered company is Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. The registered company address is: 152 Beach Road, #21-01/04 Gateway East, Singapore 189721, Singapore [email protected] To Candice Qunying Zhang [email protected] Foreword With more than 50 years’ development, the study on foreign language learning anxiety (FLLA) still remains a popular research topic among scholars in western countries. Though at its initial stage of development in China, FLLA has caught increasing attention from Chinese researchers in recent years, and it has been frequently discussed in journal and newspaper articles. FLLA is believed to be one important reason for students’“dumb English.” Considering the paucity of monographs on FLLA in China, this book attempts to bridge the gap. This book reviews and discusses previous literature and current status and major issues cen- tering on FLLA worldwide and explores FLLA in China making use of innovative triangulated research methodology combining both quantitative and qualitative methods, namely questionnaire surveys, focused interviews, and classroom obser- vations. The book also highlights the significance and implications of the conclu- sions drawn and then envisions the future of FLLA research globally with a particular focus on China. Readers can derive from this book the latest develop- ments and issues concerning FLLA, the reasons leading to FLLA, and the verified effective strategies alleviating such anxiety, which will be of great interest and benefit to them. Through his in-depth investigation, Deyuan He reveals that China’s university students, when compared to the participants in previous studies, demonstrated a moderate level (M = 98.27, SD = 15.62) of FLLA as measured by the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale. However, their foreign language speaking anxiety (FLSA) was comparatively high (M = 110.95, SD = 8.80) when measured by the Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety Scale (FLSAS). The questionnaire data obtained with the FLSAS underwent multivariate analysis of variance which found that the participants displayed significant group differences in terms of identity (teachers or students), school type (key or second-tier university), discipline (science, arts, business, and engineering), and gender. This work recognizes the high importance of FLLA research in China’s English as a foreign language (EFL) education. It is also timely to reflect on FLLA research in relation to daily teaching and learning of a foreign language to understand what factors inhibit students’ learning and what strategies facilitate their learning. With a vii [email protected] viii Foreword triangulated approach, Deyuan He identified 25 specific reasons which caused students’ FLSA and 34 effective strategies which helped them overcome their speaking anxiety. In addition, the author demonstrates that students’ FLSA levels were negatively correlated with their self-evaluated general and oral English pro- ficiencies, and their objective English achievement scores, although the correlation between FLSA and objective English achievement scores was not significant. Furthermore, the author reveals that FLLA mainly debilitated Chinese students’ EFL learning, while the facilitating roles of the anxiety were not so obvious. Last but not least, Deyuan He also identified 13 reactions to FLSA displayed by anxious EFL students in China’s universities, which may be a promising finding since understanding reactions to FLSA is necessary for recognizing and reducing such anxiety. This work makes a significant contribution to the research on FLLA and has pedagogical implications for EFL teaching in mainland China and other educational settings with similar cultural and social backgrounds. With the help of the reasons and strategies identified in this study, various stakeholders, especially the forefront EFL teachers and their students, may be sensitized to the debilitating effects of FLLA and the importance of applying appropriate strategies to cope with such anxiety. With the introduction of some strategy training or awareness raising, hopefully, students’ EFL proficiency, their speaking skills in particular, will con- tinually be enhanced. Kowloon, Hong Kong Lindsay Miller City University of Hong Kong [email protected] Acknowledgements Publishing this book with Springer has been a highlight of my academic career so far. With the help, support, and encouragement from many people, especially the professional and efficient guidance from Ms. Rebecca Zhu and her Springer edi- torial team, my publication of this book has become an enjoyable experience. First and foremost, I acknowledge my deepest gratitude to Dr. Lindsay Miller for his years of steadfast support and encouragement, his valuable suggestions and feedback while reviewing the text. I am enormously indebted to Prof. Kingsley Bolton, Dr. Alice Chan, Prof. David Deterding, Prof. Elaine Kolker Horwitz, Prof. Adam Jaworski, Mr. Anthony Lee, Prof. David C. S. Li, Prof. Angel Lin, Dr. Mathew Peacock, and Dr. Elizabeth Walker, who gave me generous help and/or valuable advice. My special thanks go to Prof. John Bacon-Shone and Dr. Candice Zhang for their professional comments and assistance in quantitative data analysis. My heartfelt thanks go to all the participants in the two universities in China. Their views and comments gave me boundless inspirations. Without their coop- eration and contributions, this book would never have been possible. Special thanks go to Xu He, Shoubin Liu, Shenghua Yao, and Wei Zhang, who helped me get into contact with my participants. I would like to extend my gratitude to many friends and fellow researchers, Dr. Joseph Alvaro, Dr. Marc Zhichang Xu, Dr. Di Zou, among many others, and my dear colleagues at Universiti Brunei Darussalam for their kind support and willingness to share ideas and feelings. In particular, I owe my appreciation to the earnest staff from Springer for their enthusiasm in the book and their support at every stage. Last, but by no means least, I wish to express my profound gratitude to my family. They have been so supportive and encouraging, like always, throughout this endeavor. I am particularly thankful to my wife, Candice, whose love is a constant source of courage and inspiration. ix [email protected] Contents 1 Framework for Foreign Language Learning Anxiety ............ 1 1.1 Conceptualizing FLLA ................................ 2 1.1.1 Anxiety ..................................... 2 1.1.2 Language Anxiety ............................. 3 1.1.3 Foreign Language Anxiety ....................... 3 1.1.4 Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety ................ 4 1.2 Current Issues and Emerging Trends in Researching FLLA...... 4 1.2.1 FLSA as a Specific Case ........................ 5 1.2.2 The Significance of FLSA Research ................ 6 1.3 Organization of the Book .............................. 7 References ............................................. 8 2 History of and Major Developments in FLLA Worldwide ........ 13 2.1 Anxiety and Language Learning: General Theories ............ 13 2.1.1 State Anxiety Versus Trait Anxiety ................. 14 2.1.2 General Anxiety Versus Specific Anxiety ............ 15 2.1.3 Facilitating Anxiety Versus Debilitating Anxiety ....... 16 2.1.4 Unitary Anxiety Versus Multidimensional Anxiety...... 18 2.2 Research on FLA and Foreign Language Learning ............ 18 2.2.1 Research on FLA and Foreign Language Learning Before 1980s ................................. 19 2.2.2 Research on FLA and Foreign Language Learning in 1980s .................................... 20 2.2.3 Research on FLA and Foreign Language Learning After 1980s .................................