Anxiety in EFL Classroom - Literature review Example

Article Summaries and Critical Analysis Name Institutional Affiliation Instructor Date Introduction: The reason for learning other foreign language and English as a foreign language has got more distinct anxiety. Although leaning any foreign language includes anxiety but it does not have the same level of anxiety as English as a Foreign language. Major reason for the more anxiety level is that English is also used as an international and is recommended as the most common medium of study in the universities worldwide. Also, with the advent of the internet, it has become more of an international language than only the foreign language (W.Baccaglini`, 2013). Speaking is considered as a vital component of communication, especially when we are considering the current social status, where every individual needs to express his emotions. Thus, learning a language is considered as an important factor in the life of the language learners for their individual or social life. It also results in deciding the success or the failure of the speaker in terms of his language proficiency (Serhat & Selami, 2014). It has been evident that the non-native learners have been facing various challenges while learning English as a foreign language in the initial stage. (Serhat & Selami, 2014). The anxiety of learning English as a foreign language has always influenced the native students to provoke learning of the English as a foreign language. Anxiety with other variables like motivation, proper strategy and attitude help in successful learning. It is assumed that the non-native people who want to learn the English as a Foreign language go through an anxiety which is considered as a specific anxiety and not the generic one by the psychologist. Moreover, the environment of learning EFL plays a significant role to overcome such anxiety and fear. In fact, the desire to put a positive social image or interaction is considered as the most important aspect while the people are interacting (Serhat & Selami, 2014). In fact, the EFL learning always puts an unknown pressure on the speaker or the learner, because there is a dynamic relationship with the society. Moreover, since, the language is completely new to them, they are unable to relate themselves with the new language they are learning, hence, there is an uncertain hesitation in their language as well as their gestures (Serhat & Selami, 2014). Notwithstanding, if encounters are negative, dialect tension starts to create and if these adversely saw encounters proceed, outside dialect uneasiness may turn into a normal event and the learner starts to routinely hope to be apprehensive and perform inadequately. Nervousness can be connected with an assortment of physiological and enthusiastic states, exemplified in sentiments of strain even in circumstances where the quick reason for such pressure is not promptly obvious. Two articles have been selected to further research one is (Liu & Jackson, 2008), which discusses the unwillingness of the Chinese EFL learners to communicate the EFL learning anxiety and the other is the article by (Tinjaca & Contreras, 2008) discusses the various strategies implemented by the instructors to help these non-native people to overcome the fear of EFL and learn the language more easily. The second article talks about ways to make the students more confident in speaking English. The first research paper explores and discusses the reason for the unwillingness to find out communicate in the EFL and the reason for anxiety to have expertise and access to the language which is based on the quantitative approach. The same approach is followed by the other article where various aspects like mental, emotional and cognitive aspects are discussed. The reason for selecting these articles was to find out the relativity between the practical situation and theoretical approach for the study. Summary A The study examines the unwillingness to communicate and the anxiety of Chinese students studying English as a foreign language. The research used survey to examine 547 respondents. 430 of them were male while 117 were female. All of them were enrolled in English listening and speaking course at Tsinghua University in China. In addition, none of them was an English major student. The following instruments were used to collect data: The Unwillingness to Communicate Scale (UCS), Language Class Risk Taking (LCR) and Language Class Sociability (LCS) scales. To uncover reasons for unwillingness to communicate by the students, the study sort to answer the following research questions. First, to determine to what extend are students unwilling to communicate in English language classrooms, Second, to determine to what extent do students experience anxiety in English language classrooms, third, to determine the relationship between the relationship between the students’ unwillingness to communicate and their Foreign Language anxiety, fourth, to determine the relationships among students’ unwillingness to communicate to communicate their Foreign Language anxiety, and their self-rated English proficiency access to English. There was high internal consistency in the preliminary analysis. Factor analysis was used to analyze the UCS and FLCAS. The method helped pinpoint the component structure that most effectively represented the hypothesis underlying each measure. Standard deviation, mean, mode and median of UCS, LCR and LCS scales were calculated to determine the general likelihood of students’ unwillingness to communicate. The outcome of the study showed that; although most of the learners showed some level of willingness to participate in interpersonal conversations, they did not want to risk speaking or using English while in class. Over a third of them felt anxious in their English classrooms. They also feared receiving negative evaluation based from other students, hence nervous about public-speaking and/or tests. The correlation between the unwillingness of the students to communicate and their foreign language anxiety was significant to each other and with their self-rated English access and proficiency. Finally, the study revealed that most of the variables of interest were also good predictors of the learners’ unwillingness to communicate and of their foreign language anxiety which also complimented each other. Analysis A Foreign language researchers have invested a lot of time and attention to the negative effects associated with anxiety on foreign language (In Juan-Garau & In Salazar-Noguera, 2015).  In establishing the relationship between learners’ unwillingness to communicate, risk-taking abilities and their second language acquisition, researchers started to adapt a methodical approach to foreign language anxiety by using specific anxiety measurement instruments like Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS). However, Sparks and Ganschow have criticized claims made by foreign language teachers about the significance of anxiety have proposed that language variables may be confusing issue. Their criticism of FLCAS is based on the notion that many items of the instrument seem to be measuring leaners’ perceptions and attitudes towards language and their feelings about anxiety. The study used a large-scale survey method to investigate the unwillingness of Chinese none English major learners to communicate due to their foreign language anxiety. While the findings of the research may be used to inform policy decisions in the context of study, it is also important to acknowledge the limitations of this research. To begin with, the study adopted a very limited sample of Chinese FL students at one university only. This limitation of the sample used implies that different results could have been inferred if students from various universities were involved in the research (Peng, 2014). The study can be made more inclusive and conclusive by replicating the same but with different participants in terms of their backgrounds, proficiencies and learning contexts (Liu, 2009).  This will not only help create a more generalized outcome to other English as Foreign Language learners but also to explore the level of strength or weaknesses between the measured variables. While the study examined general potential factors that could be responsible for students’ anxiety, it does not take into consideration personal factors that could be very influential. By this I mean that the researcher ought to have looked at other characteristics of learners like personality traits, learning styles, their beliefs about language learning as well as their knowledge and use of language learning strategies. An research on such factors would boost our understanding of language and expand our view of these issues from learners’ point of view. Some of the conclusions that can be deduced from the article include: from the analysis of data, the significantly high factors showed that the variables of the Unwillingness to Communicate Scale, and the Foreign Language Communication Anxiety Scale generated by factor analysis were important subcomponents. They are expressively positive to each other. The interpretation of this is that, a learner who feared to be negatively evaluated more had a tendency of being more fearful and anxious about tests. Most of the learners showed willingness to participate in interpersonal conversations. However, they were not willing to risk using or speaking English in class. This could be attributed to either their lack or low proficiency in the language or anxiety. The unwillingness of the students to communicate correlated significantly positively with their foreign language anxiety. The two also correlated positively to their self-rated English proficiency and access. Generally, teachers should work together with students to reduce their anxiety and enhance learning by discussing the importance of speech communication in class and encourage them that they are not the first ones to experience anxiety when learning English as a foreign language. To promote learners’ willingness to communicate using the target language and minimize anxiety in classroom, it is important for teachers of English as a foreign language to encourage their students to embrace the art of practicing English in their daily lives to acquire more exposure to the language. This is specifically important for this context because Chinese students have little exposure to the language and their learning of English starts at a late age, hence they should practice speaking English both in classroom and outside of classroom, at various situations and with different people they meet. Summary B The study was conducted to report on a study that aimed to identify learning strategies that could help solve the problem of fear and anxiety among leaners of English as a Foreign Language. It is a case study of teenagers from José Asunción Silva public school in Colombia. A sample of about 1500 secondary students was used. Various techniques of data collection were employed in the study. They include: interviews, recorded audio and video and field notes. Surveys were also used to collect specific information about learners’ likes, needs and interests regarding language learning. Learners’ experiences in oral tasks learning strategies as well as their emotions and feelings during performances were of great interest too. Observation enabled the researcher to document and reflect one on one as he/she interacts with the classroom events as they occur. Qualitative analysis of case studies and action research were used. The choice of the method was because it would allow the researchers to not only focus on individual students but it would also facilitate identification of the most outstanding problem of practice and solve the data to come up with the solution. The analysis of data was summarized into four main categories based on previous studies on language anxiety, studies on learning strategies and studies on leaning strategies for communication. The findings of the study indicated that; it is impossible to create a perfect environment for learning for everybody despite the willingness of students and the teachers. Secondly, most students memorized text when it comes to oral activities like reciting poems, singing or reading a text. This implies that there is no real communication. The study ends by proposing a strategy of overcoming anxiety known as Cultural Moment. It is a strategy that is attached on task-based cooperative learning environment and gives learners the opportunity to try their artistic abilities while interacting in English within a comfortable environment. Analysis B The main aim of the study was to identify potential strategies for students to overcome their fears in expressing themselves orally. As such it aimed at introducing activities that would see students express themselves and communicate orally freely, hence reducing their anxiety and nervousness. In addition, the study aimed to identify possible causes of the fear among students to speak in a classroom and determine whether the study would come up with strategies to deal with the fears. The researchers engaged the students in what is termed “Cultural Moment.” As mentioned by the researchers, the strategy was borrowed from Spanish culture where it has been successful. Although this is a nice idea for some students, it might not benefit all. It is important to understand the interests of individual learners first rather than making the activity compulsory to all. This could be the reason why three students chose to avoid completely from the activity. In other words, it should not be made forceful because some students might have different beliefs concerning the activity (Boyd, 2014).  Moreover, the fact that the strategy worked well in within the Spanish context does not translate to the same when it is done in English context. This is because not all students in a multi-level classroom come from the same background. As Scannell (2010) assert, meaning and purpose of an activity may be lost in the process. For instance, a student singing perfectly in his German language may not do it the same way in English language. The study targeted 33 ten graders category of students. As reported, 16 females and 17 male participants were involved. The age bracket for this group of students was between fifteen and nineteen years old. While this is important in meeting the specificity of target participants, the researchers ignored the possibility of having learners who did not belong to the specified age group but they are in the same class as those involved in study. This issued should not be assumed because the findings could be different if they rely do exist (Cassady, 2010). Variations could be drawn from the analysis of collected data since there could be a possibility of getting new and varied observations. Despite its limitations, the study is a useful resource as it has helped create new knowledge as to what contribute to anxiety among foreign students learning English Language in a classroom. Language teachers can make use of the findings by putting them in practice in a multi-level classroom to reduce the effects associated with fears and anxiety, hence enhancing learning (Wachob, 2009). The study showed that reducing anxiety and fear takes both the teachers’ and students’ efforts. Teachers should avod social comparisons of their students, encourage cooperation among students rather than competition and to help students understand that they will make errors as part of their learning and growth process in English language learning. On the other hand, learners should employ the following learning strategies. First, they should employ his/her functional method to succeed in proposed activities. Learning strategies are procedures students use with individual learning activities. They help students by making learning process easier, self-directed and more enjoyable. The following are the strategies proposed by the study that can help reduce anxiety and fears. Regarding language learning strategies, the following can be applied by EFL teachers.; metacognitive strategies- this refers to knowledge on cognition or regulation of cognition. Examples of such strategies include, directed learning. In this case teachers direct all learning activities and self-evaluation. There are four categories of under metacognitive strategy. They are; functional planning, self-management, monitoring and evaluation. Similarly, cognitive strategies should be used too. They are those learning activities that would require step-by-step guide to complete. Examples include, using pictures, auditory materials and note-taking techniques of teaching and learning. Self-affective strategies help students work with fellow students. The strategy make them feel that the work assigned is would be more be more easy to achieve. Alongside motivational strategies, they make learning ng process simulative and enjoyable. Increasing students involvement, breaking monotony of learning and making tasks more interesting increases leaners’ self-esteem and willingness to study or communicate in English language. Motivational strategies assure learners of their security given that most teenagers feel very insecure within classroom context. Discussion From the analysis of the two articles, it is evident that the researchers of the two papers used different approaches to address the issue of anxiety among learners of English as a foreign language. While the first article investigated the causes of the unwillingness of learners to communicate and foreign language anxiety among Chinese EFL learners, the second article adopts a practical strategy of solving the issue of anxiety among EFL learners. Some similarities can be drawn from the two articles. One being obviously that both researched on the issues of anxiety in EFL learners. In both cases, the main reason as to why students don’t want to communicate is because they fear being evaluated negatively or victimized due to their low proficiency in English. Also, most of them expressed their willingness to participate in group conversations yet none would want to risk speaking or using English language in the process. From the regression analysis, a conclusion may be drawn with respect to FLCAS and UCSI that, a learner would become more anxious in English classroom if he or she began learning English in at an older age. He or she would also be unwilling to make speech communication. In terms of sociability and risk-taking, the analysis revealed that, a more sociable and willing to take the risk a learner is, the more the more willing the learner would be to engage in interpersonal conversations. The same inferences were observed for other variables like learners’ self-rated proficiency and frequency of using English language. Given that FL anxiety and the unwillingness to communicate had common predictors, it is possible for teachers to reduce anxiety by discussing the issue with their students during the first instance in class. The quietest students should receive warm attention from the teacher and should be given opportunities like speaking and positive encouragements. This will build their confidence even in unfamiliar or unfriendly environment. As such, it may be a good idea for teachers to perhaps identify how different students rate their levels of proficiency in the language. Doing this will not only enable them generate date for student profiling but it will also put teachers in a better position to understand perceived confidence of their students. To support this, EFL teachers should prompt their students to set short-term but realistic goals in learning and English with specific emphasis on oral English. Thereafter, teachers should revise the goals as learning continues. Despite the gaps in the second study, it is important to appreciate the fact that cultural moments allowed increased participation and reduction of anxiety among learners of English as foreign language. It is also right for the teacher to use embarrassing situations to create fun within a classroom because it is proved that humor can reduce anxiety too. Mother tongue can also be used but not encouraged since pronunciation is a major issue that many EFL students fear. Also, communication rather than memorization of words should be encouraged when students perform oral presentations. Nonetheless, the two studies are not exhaustive in terms of knowledge gathered. This means that there is still room for further research within the context of study, thus possibility of having an improved knowledge on the same issue under study. References Boyd. (2014). It's complicated: The social lives of networked teens. Cassady, J. C. (2010). Anxiety in schools: The causes, consequences, and solutions for academic anxieties. New York: Peter Lang. Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M? 8c Cope, J. (1986). For eign language classroom In Juan-Garau, M., & In Salazar-Noguera, J. (2015). Content-based language learning in multilingual educational environments. Liu, M. (2009). Reticence and anxiety in oral English lessons. Bern: Peter Lang. Meihua Liu and Jane Jackson (2008). An Exploration of Chinese EFL Learners' Unwillingness to Communicate and ForeignLanguage Anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, Vol. 92, No. 1 (Spring, 2008), pp. 71-86. Wiley on behalf of the National Federation of Modern Language TeachersAssociations. Peng, J.-E. (2014). Unwillingness to communicate in the Chinese EFL university classroom: An ecological perspective. Scannell, M. (2010). The big book of conflict resolution games: Quick, effective activities to improve communication, trust, and collaboration. New York: McGraw-Hill. Tinjaca and Contreras (2008). Overcoming Fear of Speaking in English through Meaningful Activities: A Study with Teenagers. Colombia. Available at: http://www.scielo.org.co/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S165707902008000100003 &lng=en&nr m=iso&tlng=en United States., National Institute of Education (U.S.), Educational Resources Information Center (U.S.), & National Library of Education (U.S.). (1975). Resources in education. Washington, D.C: Dept. of Health, Education, and Welfare, National Institute of Education. Wachob, P. (2009). Power in the EFL classroom: Critical pedagogy in the Middle East. Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars. Read More