Institute of Foreign Languages, China Medical University, No77 Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang, 110122, Liaoning Province, China.
Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Intelligent Medicine, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
BMC Psychiatry. 2022 Aug 19;22(1):558. doi: 10.1186/s12888-022-04201-w.
Numerous studies have established that foreign language anxiety (FLA) has a significant impact on learners' language acquisition and performance. FLA is a unique form of anxiety that occurs in response to a certain circumstance. Even though a growing amount of research has extended to the examination of skill-based anxiety in specific, such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing, little used corresponding skilled-based FLA scales to assess learners' skill-based FLA at one group of learners. To fill a void in this line of research, the study aimed to explore learners' primary FLA by comparing their four language skill-specific FLAs with four different skill-based FLA scales. Additionally, we wished to investigate the variables that influence learners' FLA.
All participants in the study were first-year medical students. Individual instructors delivered and collected a total of 1023 questionnaires using an open questionnaire platform during normal English lessons in the mid-semester. SPSS 24.0 (Statistical Package for Social Science 24 version) was used to analyze all statistics. Internal validity tests were undertaken on each scale to ascertain the component structure of certain modified scales. The study employed the independent sample t-test and a statistical description to investigate students' major FLA and its variables.
With a mean value of 106.863, the predominant FLA arouses from English listening anxiety. English reading anxiety was the lowest, with a mean score of 62.726. Male and female students both demonstrated the greatest degree of FLA in English listening and the least anxiety in English reading. However, their mean difference was not statistically significant (t = 1.220). By comparing the mean scores for four skill-based FLAs across language proficiency groups, it became clear that the scores for the medium were much higher than the average, with average scores of ESA: 91.988, ELA: 106.864, EWA: 74.157, ERA: 62.726, respectively, and the higher-level group scored lower than the average. Students' prior English learning achievements are negatively connected with their FLA, with r values of -.207 (ELA), -.143 (EWA), and - .204 (ERA). The self-evaluation of students' English listening, writing, and reading abilities was considerably adversely connected with FLA, but the self-evaluation of their English-speaking abilities was favorably correlated with FLA.
A comparison of students' FLA revealed that the primary skill-based FLA is related to English listening anxiety. Regardless of gender or language proficiency level, FLA was mainly driven by foreign language listening anxiety in all individuals. Prior language achievement and students' self-evaluation are associated with their FLA.
许多研究已经证实，外语焦虑（FLA）对外语学习者的语言习得和表现有重大影响。FLA 是一种在特定情境下产生的独特焦虑形式。尽管越来越多的研究扩展到了对特定技能（如听力、口语、阅读和写作）的焦虑进行考察，但很少有相应的基于技能的 FLA 量表可以用来评估一组学习者的基于技能的 FLA。为了填补这一研究空白，本研究旨在通过比较四种语言技能特定的 FLA 与四种不同的基于技能的 FLA 量表来探索学习者的主要 FLA。此外，我们还希望调查影响学习者 FLA 的变量。
研究对象均为医学专业一年级学生。在学期中期的正常英语课上，每位任课教师通过开放式问卷平台发放和收集了总计 1023 份问卷。采用 SPSS 24.0（社会科学统计软件包 24 版）对所有数据进行统计分析。对每个量表进行内部有效性检验，以确定某些修正量表的组成结构。本研究采用独立样本 t 检验和统计描述来研究学生的主要 FLA 及其变量。
英语听力焦虑引发的 FLA 均值最高，为 106.863。英语阅读焦虑最低，均值为 62.726。男、女生在英语听力方面表现出最大程度的 FLA，在英语阅读方面表现出最小的焦虑，但两者的平均差异没有统计学意义（t=1.220）。通过比较四个基于技能的 FLA 在语言水平组之间的平均分数，可以清楚地看出中等水平的分数明显高于平均水平，其中 ESA 的平均分数为 91.988，ELA 的平均分数为 106.864，EWA 的平均分数为 74.157，ERA 的平均分数为 62.726，而高水平组的分数低于平均水平。学生的英语学习成绩与 FLA 呈负相关，r 值分别为 -.207（ELA）、-.143（EWA）和-.204（ERA）。学生对英语听力、写作和阅读能力的自我评价与 FLA 有很大的负相关，但对英语口语能力的自我评价与 FLA 呈正相关。
对学生的 FLA 进行比较发现，主要的基于技能的 FLA 与英语听力焦虑有关。无论性别或语言水平如何，所有个体的 FLA 主要受外语听力焦虑的影响。先前的语言成绩和学生的自我评价与他们的 FLA 有关。
