ERIC Number: EJ1423875
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2191-611X
EISSN: EISSN-2191-6128
Available Date: N/A
Investigating Chinese University Students' Foreign Language Enjoyment and Anxiety in the EFL Class
Language Learning in Higher Education, v14 n1 p135-154 2024
Emotion research in second language acquisition has flourished under the growing influence of Positive Psychology in recent years. The present study focuses on foreign language enjoyment (FLE) and foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA) of 263 Chinese undergraduates in relation to learner variables as well as the sources of enjoyment and anxiety in the English class. Surveys with scales and open-ended questions were applied to collect data. Quantitative analysis revealed that learner variables, such as participants' gender and their year of university, affected their FLCA but not FLE, while participants' perception of their English levels was significantly linked to both FLE and FLCA. Furthermore, the uniqueness of Chinese FL learners' FLE and FLCA was uncovered from participants' narratives of their emotional experiences in "College English" class. The results of open-ended questions clarified that interesting teaching content, students' good performance and progress, and well-designed classroom activities were effective boosters for foreign language (FL) learners' enjoyment. Moreover, public speaking, the teacher's random call, and peer pressure were closely related to spikes in students' in-class anxiety. This study concluded with implications for EFL teaching, along with directions for further research.
Descriptors: Undergraduate Students, Anxiety, Psychological Patterns, Second Language Learning, English (Second Language), Gender Differences, Educational Attainment, Self Concept, Emotional Response, Course Content, Academic Achievement, Learning Activities, Public Speaking, Peer Influence, Foreign Countries, Language Proficiency
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: China
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A