Writing Anxiety among Iranian EFL Learners and its Relationship with Tolerance of Ambiguity: A Gender Perspective
محورهای موضوعی : نشریه تخصصی زبان، فرهنگ، و ترجمه (دوفصلنامه)
ایرج زارعی خاتونی
1
,
شیما قبادی
2
1 - کارشناس ارشد آموزش زبان انگلیسی، گروه زبان انگلیسی،دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی واحد شهرضا، شهرضا، ایران
2 - دکترای آموزش زبان انگلیسی، گروه زبان انگلیسی، دانشگاه آزاداسلامی واحد شهرضا، شهرضا، ایران
کلید واژه: Writing Anxiety, ambiguity tolerance, language anxiety,
چکیده مقاله :
This study aims to investigate the relationship between writing anxiety and ambiguity tolerance among Iranian Intermediate EFL learners. Moreover, the researcher explored the role of gender in this matter. Random sampling was employed to select about 60 Iranian intermediate EFL learners (23 males and 37 females) from two private language schools in Karaj, Iran, whose ages range from 16 to 25. Before the data collection, a QOPT was administered as a standardized measure to check the homogeneity of subjects. Later, the selected participants were provided with the Second Language AT Scale (SLTAS) (Ely, 1995). After completing this scale, the Language Writing Anxiety Inventory (SLWAI) was completed by them. After the data collection, the obtained scores were analyzed by SPSS Software. The following results were reached upon the completion of the experiment: (a) that there is a significant relationship between these two variables. It was found that the participants with a high level of ambiguity tolerance are less anxious; (b) male and female learners are different in the levels of writing anxiety. It was found that females are more anxious while writing in L2, and (c) it was found no significant relationship between gender and tolerance of ambiguity.
This study aims to investigate the relationship between writing anxiety and ambiguity tolerance among Iranian Intermediate EFL learners. Moreover, the researcher explored the role of gender in this matter. Random sampling was employed to select about 60 Iranian intermediate EFL learners (23 males and 37 females) from two private language schools in Karaj, Iran, whose ages range from 16 to 25. Before the data collection, a QOPT was administered as a standardized measure to check the homogeneity of subjects. Later, the selected participants were provided with the Second Language AT Scale (SLTAS) (Ely, 1995). After completing this scale, the Language Writing Anxiety Inventory (SLWAI) was completed by them. After the data collection, the obtained scores were analyzed by SPSS Software. The following results were reached upon the completion of the experiment: (a) that there is a significant relationship between these two variables. It was found that the participants with a high level of ambiguity tolerance are less anxious; (b) male and female learners are different in the levels of writing anxiety. It was found that females are more anxious while writing in L2, and (c) it was found no significant relationship between gender and tolerance of ambiguity.
References
Alasmari, A. S. (2013). Saudi Students’ Pedagogical Care Perceptions
Within Their Experience in The United States. In 2016 International
Zareie Khatooni, I. & Ghobadi, Sh. / Journal of Language, Culture, and Translation 5(1) (2022), 89-109
106
Academic Business Conference Orlando, FL 2016 International
Education Conference.
Arnold, J., & Brown, H. D. (1999). 1 A map of the terrain. Affect in
language learning, 1.
Ashouri, A. F., & Fotovatnia, Z. (2010). The Effect of Individual
Differences on Learners' Translation Belief in EFL Learning. English
Language Teaching, 3(4), 228-236.
Balemir, S. H. (2009). The sources of foreign language speaking anxiety
and the relationship between proficiency level and degree of foreign
language speaking anxiety (Doctoral dissertation, Bilkent
University).
Batumlu, D. Z., & Erden, M. (2007). The relationship between foreign
language anxiety and English achievement of Yıldız Technical
University School of foreign languages preparatory students. Journal
of theory and practice in education, 3(1), 24-38.
Budner, S. (1962). Tolerance for ambiguity scale. Journal of
Personality, 30(1), 29-50.
Chapelle, C. A. (1985). The relationship between ambiguity tolerance and
success in acquiring English as a second language in adult learners.
Cheng, Y. S. (2002). Factors associated with foreign language writing
anxiety. Foreign language annals, 35(6), 647-656.
Cheng, J. C. (2005). The relationship to foreign language anxiety of oral
performance achievement, teacher characteristics and in-class
activities. Unpublished master’s thesis, Ming Chuan University,
Taiwan.
Cheng, Y. S., Horwitz, E. K., & Schallert, D. L. (1999). Language anxiety:
Differentiating writing and speaking components. Language
learning, 49(3), 417-446.
Cumming, A. (2001). The Difficulty of Standards, For Example in L2
Writing. On second language writing, 209.
Daly, J. A., & Miller, M. D. (1975). Apprehension of writing as a predictor
of message intensity. The journal of psychology, 89(2), 175-177.
Daly, J. A., & Wilson, D. A. (1983). Writing apprehension, self-esteem,
and personality. Research in the Teaching of English, 327-341.
Dalkiliç, N. (2001). The role of foreign language classroom anxiety in
English speaking courses. Çukurova Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler
Enstitüsü Dergisi, 8(8).
Ellis, R. (2001). The metaphorical constructions of second language
learners. Learner contributions to language learning: New directions
in research, 65-85.
Zareie Khatooni, I. & Ghobadi, Sh. / Journal of Language, Culture, and Translation 5(1) (2022), 89-109
107
Erkan, D. Y., & Saban, A. İ. (2011). Writing performance relative to
writing apprehension, self-efficacy in writing, and attitudes towards
writing: A correlational study in Turkish tertiary-level EFL. The
Asian EFL Journal Quarterly March 2011 Volume 13, Issue, 13(1),
164-192.
Erten, I. H., & Topkaya, E. Z. (2009). Understanding tolerance of
ambiguity of EFL learners in reading classes at tertiary level. NovitasRoyal, 3(1), 29-44.
Fareh, S. (2010). Challenges of teaching English in the Arab world: Why
can’t EFL programs deliver as expected? Procedia-Social and
Behavioral Sciences, 2(2), 3600-3604.
Frenkel-Brunswik, E. (1948). Tolerance toward ambiguity as a
personality variable. American Psychologist, 3(268), 385-401.
Gilmore, A. (2009). Using online corpora to develop students' writing
skills. ELT journal, 63(4), 363-372.
Giridharan, B. (2020). Understanding the Academic Integrity Discourse
and its Latent Associations with English Language
Proficiency. Academic Misconduct and Plagiarism, 135.
Grabe, W. (2001). Notes toward a theory of second language writing. On
second language writing, 39, 57.
Gregersen, T., Macintyre, P. D., & Meza, M. D. (2014). The motion of
emotion: Idiodynamic case studies of learners' foreign language
anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 98(2), 574-588.
Gregersen, T., MacIntyre, P. D., & Meza, M. D. (2014). The motion of
emotion: Idiodynamic case studies of learners' foreign language
anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 98(2), 574-588.
Hassan, B. A. (2001). The Relationship of Writing Apprehension and
Self-Esteem to the Writing Quality and Quantity of EFL University
Students.
Horwitz, E. (2001). Language anxiety and achievement. Annual review of
applied linguistics, 21(1), 112.
Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M. B., & Cope, J. (1986). Foreign language
classroom anxiety. The Modern language journal, 70(2), 125-132.
Johanson, J. C. (2000). Correlations of self-esteem and intolerance of
ambiguity with risk aversion. Psychological Reports, 87(2), 534-534.
Jebreil, N., Azizifar, A., & Gowhary, H. (2015). Investigating the effect
of anxiety of male and female Iranian EFL learners on their writing
performance. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 185, 190-
196.
Kara, S. (2013). Writing anxiety: a case study on students’ reasons for
anxiety in writing classes.
Zareie Khatooni, I. & Ghobadi, Sh. / Journal of Language, Culture, and Translation 5(1) (2022), 89-109
108
Kassim, N. L. A., Daud, N. M., & Daud, N. S. M. (2013). Interaction
between writing apprehension, motivation, attitude and writing
performance: A structural equation modeling approach. World
Applied Sciences Journal, 21, 102-108.
Kazamina, V. (1999). How tolerant are Greek EFL learners of foreign
language ambiguities? Working Papers in Linguistics, 7, 69-78.
Khajeh, A. (2002). The relationship between tolerance of ambiguity,
gender, level of proficiency and use of second language learning
strategies. Unpublished MA thesis. Tarbiat Modarres University,
Iran.
Krashen, S. (1982). Principles and practice in second language
acquisition.
Liu, H., Shi, J., Liu, Y., & Sheng, Z. (2013). The moderating role of
attachment anxiety on social network site use intensity and social
capital. Psychological Reports, 112(1), 252-265.
Madigan, R., Linton, P., & Johnson, S. (1996). The paradox of writing
apprehension. Cognitive processes in writing, 295-307.
Merrotsy, P. (2013). Tolerance of ambiguity: a trait of the creative
personality? Creativity Research Journal, 25(2), 232-237.
McLain, D. L. (1993). The MSTAT-I: A new measure of an individual's
tolerance for ambiguity. Educational and psychological
measurement, 53(1), 183-189.
Mori, Y. (1999). Epistemological beliefs and language learning beliefs:
What do language learners believe about their learning? Language
learning, 49(3), 377-415.
Norton, R. W. (1975). Measurement of ambiguity tolerance. Journal of
personality assessment, 39(6), 607-619.
Olanezhad, M. (2015). A Comparative Study of Writing Anxiety among
Iranian University Students Majoring English Translation, Teaching
and Literature. English Language Teaching, 8(3), 59-70.
Schweiker-Marra, K. E., & Marra, W. T. (2000). Investigating the effects
of prewriting activities on writing performance and anxiety of at-risk
students. Reading Psychology, 21(2), 99-114.
Silva, T. (1992). L1 vs L2 writing; ESL graduate students'
perceptions. TESL Canada journal, 27-47.
Tobias-Green, K. (2022). Deconstructing Writing in Arts Education and
Beyond. In Access and Widening Participation in Arts Higher
Education (pp. 159-177). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Tuncer, M., & Dogan, Y. (2015). Effect of Foreign Language Classroom
Anxiety on Turkish University Students' Academic Achievement in
Zareie Khatooni, I. & Ghobadi, Sh. / Journal of Language, Culture, and Translation 5(1) (2022), 89-109
109
Foreign Language Learning. Journal of Education and Training
Studies, 3(6), 14-19.
Veit, R. (1980). Reducing Anxiety in Writing Instruction.
Woodrow, L. (2006). Anxiety and speaking English as a second
language. RELC journal, 37(3), 308-328.
Yea-Fen, C. (1995). Language learning strategies used by beginning
students of Chinese in a semi-immersion setting. Unpublished
doctoral dissertation, Indiana University, United States.
Young, D. J. (1990). An investigation of students' perspectives on anxiety
and speaking. Foreign Language Annals, 23(6), 539-553.
