The Effect of language anxiety on academic achievement among learners of EFL
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2022
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Université De Larbi Ben M’hidi Oum EL Bouaghi
Abstract
This study intends to investigate foreign language (FL) anxiety among Algerian university students. Research has demonstrated that affective variables do not act in a vacuum; rather, causal relationships between them are complex. Furthermore, the setting in which language learning takes place is critical to the educational process as a whole. As a result, we anticipate that if personal and instructional aspects associated to foreign language anxiety are thoroughly explored with the goal of testing it, learners' academic progress will likely improve. A total of 51 first-year English language subjects at Larbi Ben M'hidi University took part in this investigation to confirm the theory.
The background questionnaire, the questionnaire of Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale, the Anxiety towards In- Class Activity Questionnaire, and Anxiety towards Test Types Evaluation were used in the study. The data was analyzed with multiple research methods including descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, independent-samples t-test analysis, and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Statistical analysis of the data has yielded the following findings:
First, the findings demonstrated that 1styear English language students at Larbi Ben Mhidi Un iversity in Algeria had varying levels of FL anxiety. 43.15% had a high level of anxiety, 19.60% ha d a medium level of FL anxiety, and 37.25 percent had a low level of FL anxiety.
Fear of bad evaluation caused the most anxiety among the four categories of the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale, followed by Negative views about the English class. Second, four personal factors (personality, communicative competence, English achievement, and the amount of time spent studying English after class per week) were found to have a statistically significant relationship with students' FL anxiety levels, but three variables (gender, baccalaureate stream, and residential region) did not. Third, this study found that classroom activities, instructor actions and traits, and exam kinds were the primary sources of FL anxiety among 1st year English language students. Finally, the hypothesis was proven, and few educational solutions were proposed based on the study's findings.
Description
Keywords
Language anxiety, Academic achievement, Learners