THE EFFECTS OF BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON EFL LEARNERS

THE EFFECTS OF BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON EFL LEARNERS’ FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANXIETY AND ACADEMIC SELF-SCHEMAS Presenter: Kuo, Szu-Wei 1

Outline of the Presentation Introduction Literature Review Methodology Results Q&A 2

INTRODUCTION 3

Introduction Learning happens only if students’ attitudinal variables exist and presented, input can pass through the “affective filter” and be used by the learner. (Krashen, 1982) The “affective filter” is a mental block. 4

Introduction “foreign language anxiety as a distinct complex of selfperceptions, beliefs, feelings and behaviors related to classroom language learning arising from the uniqueness of the language learning process” (Horwitz et al. , 1986, p. 128) Self-schemas refer to individual perception related to self-image; established individuals values’ in particular domain. (Markus, 5

Purpose of Study to investigate the effects of foreign language anxiety and self-schemas on EFL learners' foreign language abilities. 6

Research Questions Is there a difference in degrees of foreign language anxiety between non-English majors and English majors? Is there a difference in degrees of academic selfschemas between non-English majors and English majors? What are the differences in foreign language anxiety in terms of background variables such as gender, regional differences, different lengths of time of learning English, and the number of hours spent studying English after class? 7

Research Questions What are the differences in academic self-schemas in terms of background variables such as gender, regional differences, different lengths of time of learning English, and the number of hours spent studying English after class? What are EFL learners’ perceptions of foreign language anxiety? What are EFL learners’ perceptions of academic selfschemas? 8

LITERATURE REVIEW 9

Horwitz et al’s Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale FLCAS Communication Apprehension Test Anxiety Fear of Negative Evaluation 10

Horwitz et al’s Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale Communication Apprehension “the fear or anxiety an individual feels about orally communicating. ” (Daly, 1991, p. 3) The CA associated with a) oral communication anxiety b) stage fright c) listening d) learning a spoken message 11 (Horwitz &Young, 1991)

Horwitz et al’s Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale Test Anxiety “refers to a type of performance anxiety stemming from a fear of failure” (Horwitz et al. , 1991, p. 30) Put unrealistic demands on themselves and view the mistakes as a failure (Horwitz et al. , 1986) 12

Horwitz et al’s Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale Fear of Negative Evaluation “apprehension about others’ evaluations, distress over their negative evaluation, avoidance of evaluative situations, and the expectation that others would evaluate oneself negatively” (Watson & Frirnd, 1969, p. 449) 13

Garcia and Pintrich’s Self-Schemas Model Affective Dimension Self-Schemas Model Temporal Dimension Value Dimension Efficacy Dimension 14

Garcia and Pintrich’s Self-Schemas Model Temporal Dimension Discriminate between possible selves in the past, the present, and the future. (Garcia et al. , 1994) People reconstruct their past selves as a standard to determine whether they need to change, improving, or declining their conception. (Greenwald, 1980 ) 15

Garcia and Pintrich’s Self-Schemas Model Value Dimension The centrality and the importance of self-schemas. Individual may carry different degrees of importance in self -schemas. (Garcia &Pintrich, 1993) 16

Garcia and Pintrich’s Self-Schemas Model Efficacy Dimension Learners’ belief that one has the capability to maintain, attain, change, or avoid a particular self-conception. (Garcia et al. , 1994) Task persistence and individual’s exert effort are strongly bound up with self-efficacy. (Schunk, 1995) 17

METHODOLOGY 18

Pilot Study Purpose of the Pilot Study: Appraise the reliability of the questionnaire Subjects’ background information 28 university English-major students 19

The Reliability of the FLCAS Cronbach’s α Communication Apprehension . 93 Fear of Negative Evaluation . 79 Test Anxiety . 84 20

The Reliability of the MSLQ Self-Schemas Cronbach’s α Affective Dimension . 67 Temporal Dimension . 80 Efficacy Dimension . 74 Value Dimension . 92 21

Participants 159 university students 84 English-majors 75 non-English-majors 22

Instruments for Data Gathering Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) Interview 23

Instruments Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) -33 items (5 point Likert scale) - communication apprehension (items 1 to 14) - fear of negative evaluation (items 15 to 30) - test anxiety (items 31 to 33) - Chinese version of the FLCAS: Wu (2005) 24

Instruments Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) - 24 items (5 point Likert scale) - temporal dimension (items 34 to 40) - efficacy dimension (items 41 to 50) - value dimension (items 51 to 57) - Chinese version of the MSLQ: Xu (2002) 25

Instruments Interview - 6 interviewees were voluntary participated in this interview - developed based on the questionniare& linteratures 26

Data Analysis Quantitative Data Analysis Independent-sample t test SPSS for Windows 10. 0 One-Way ANOVA Qualitative Data Analysis Interview quantitative research results in-depth 27

RESULTS 28

Data Analysis of Normal Distribution Nonparametric tests Kolmogorov-Smirnov Z Test Conduct Principal Component Analysis Implement KS Z Test multiply the condensed principal component 29

Results of Research Question 1 Is there a difference in degrees of foreign language anxiety between non-English majors and English majors? 30

Results of Research Question 1 31

Results of Research Question 1 32

Results of Research Question 1 33

Results of Research Question 2 Is there a difference in degrees of academic self-schemas between non-English majors and English majors? 34

Results of Research Question 2 35

Results of Research Question 2 36

Results of Research Question 2 37

Results of Research Question 3 What are the differences in foreign language anxiety in terms of background variables such as genders, residences, the lengths of learning English, and different hours of studying English after class? 38

Results of Research Question 3 39

Results of Research Question 3 40

Results of Research Question 3 41

Results of Research Question 4 What are the differences in academic self-schemas in terms of background variables such as genders, residences, the lengths of learning English, and different hour of studying English after class? 42

Results of Research Question 4 43

Results of Research Question 4 44

Results of Research Question 5 What are EFL learners’ perceptions toward foreign language anxiety? Most interviewees express: most stressed -oral presentations most anxious- instructors single them out to speak English in class 45

Results of Research Question 6 What are EFL learners’ perceptions toward academic selfschemas? Most interviewees express: positive learning experience - increase their learning willingness negative learning experience - withdraw them from effective learning 46

CONCLUSION 47

Summary of the Research Findings First, there are no significant differences on foreign language anxiety between non-English majors and English majors. Second, learners’ academic self-schemas such as temporal dimension, value dimension, and efficacy dimension are significantly related to EFL learners’ English performance. Third, females have higher degree of communication apprehension in compared with males. Fourth, there are significant differences among different residences in test anxiety. 48

Summary of the Research Findings Fifth, significant differences are found in different hours of studying English after class in test anxiety. Sixth, past learning experience have higher impact on males than females. Seventh, there are significant differences among different hours of studying English after class in learners’ belief. Next, interviewees proposes that they feel most anxious if they do not preview in advance because they are afraid of being called up to answer the questions. Ninth, most of the interviewees state that learning experiences determine whether they need to study hard or not. 49

THANK YOU 50