Foreign Language Anxiety and the EFL Learners’ Intention to Continue their English Language Learning
محورهای موضوعی : English Language Teaching (ELT)
1 - English Department, University of Zabol
2 - English Department, University of Zabol
کلید واژه: age, gender, Foreign language anxiety, Intention to continue English studies,
چکیده مقاله :
Anxiety undoubtedly plays an influential role in the experience of foreign language learning. This affective factor has attracted lots of researchers and has been the subject pool of scholarly research worldwide. However, research on the effect of demographic variables on foreign language anxiety (FLA) and the effect of FLA on the learners’ intention to continue their English language education is still limited. Therefore, to bridge this gap, the present study intended to explore the role of gender and age in EFL learners’ FLA level. In addition, the potential effect of learners’ FLA in their decision whether to continue their English studies was tested. To this end, a sample of 295 university EFL learners completed FLA questionnaire and a demographic form. The findings showed that there was no significant correlation between the age of the learners and their FLA level. FLA differences with respect to gender did not reach the statistical significance either. However, it was found that FLA could significantly affect the learners’ willingness to continue their English language education. The findings were discussed and implications were made.
بدون شک اضطراب در یادگیری زبان خارجی تاثیر چشمگیری دارد. تا کنون تحقیقت زیادی بر روی این عامل احساسی انجام گرفته است. با این وجود، تحقیقات کمی در زمینه تاثیر خصوصیات مردم شناختی روی اضطراب از یادگیری زبان خارجی و همچنین تاثیر این نوع اضطراب روی قصد زبان آموزان برای ادامه یادگیری زبان انجام گرفته است. بنابراین، جهت پر کردن این خلا، تحقیق حاضر نقش دو خصوصیت مردم شناختی (جنسیت و سن) در اضطراب از یادگیری زبان و تاثیر این اضطراب در تصمیم زبان آموزان مبنی بر ادامه و یا عدم ادامه یادگیری زبان بررسی می کند. بدین منظور، 295 زبان آموز ایرانی پرسشنامه مربوطه اضطراب از یادگیری زبان خارجی بهمرا ه فرمی حاوی سوالات مردم شناختی پر کردند. نتایج نشان داد که تفاوت معناداری در میزان اضطراب زبان آموزان بر اساس سن و جنسیت وجود ندارد. اما یافته ها حاکی از آنست که اضطراب می تواند بر تصمیم زبان آموزان در مورد ادامه یا عدم ادامه زبان آموزی تاثیر چشمگیری بگذارد.
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