Anxiety as a personality factor hindering the learning of english as a foreign language to the students of Advanced Intensive English I in the major of Modern Languages Specialization in French and English at the Department of Foreign Languages in the University of El Salvador, year 2015

Alvarenga Aguilar, Esperanza Beatriz and Guatemala Maldonado, Walter Alejandro and Menjivar, Rosa Claribel (2016) Anxiety as a personality factor hindering the learning of english as a foreign language to the students of Advanced Intensive English I in the major of Modern Languages Specialization in French and English at the Department of Foreign Languages in the University of El Salvador, year 2015. Bachelor thesis, Universidad de El Salvador.

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Abstract

Second/foreign language learning can sometimes be a traumatic experience for many learners. The number of students who report that they are anxious language learners is astonishing. Although the concept of anxiety is encountered frequently throughout language learning literature, these studies have focused on a bewildering array of aspects of anxiety, and have generated widely varying definitions. Learning anxiety is "a distinct complex of self-perceptions, beliefs, feelings, and behaviors related to classroom language learning" (Horwitz, Horwitz, & Cope, 1986), which is likely to arouse in language learning stages: input, processing, and output and affect language learners' performance to some extent. So, MacIntyre (1995) claimed that "Language learning is a cognitive activity that relies on encoding, storage, and retrieval processes, and anxiety can interfere with each of these. Studies of anxiety have also focused on different language outcomes, such as rate of second language acquisition, performance in language classrooms, and performance in high-stakes language testing. Saito & Samimy (1996) assert that anxiety has a significant impact on language learning and achievement. Some studies conclude that high levels of anxiety usually have a negative effect on the language acquisition process (Gregersen, T., 2003; Krashen, 1985b; MacIntyre and Gardner, 1991; Price, 1991). It is obvious that many learners regard foreign language learning as an anxiety-provoking experience which affects their language performance in one way or another. The results on all researches indicate that FLA does have negative effects on foreign language learning performance and achievement. Learners who feel anxious in their foreign language learning may find their study less enjoyable, which will in turn have a negative impact on their performance. However, how anxiety affects foreign language performance and achievement is only one issue to consider when discussing anxiety and language learning, and ‘perhaps not even the most important’. According to Elaine Horwitz, greater importance should be assigned to understanding the frustration and discomfort that many students seem to be suffering when learning a foreign language. Since anxiety is a factor that can hinder learners´ performance and achievement, it deserves continuing investigation, making this research an important step that has been taken to initiate the study of anxiety in the students of the Foreign Language Department at the University of El Salvador

Item Type: Thesis (Bachelor)
Uncontrolled Keywords: Enseñanza del idioma inglés
Subjects: 400 Lenguas > 420 Inglés e inglés antiguo
Divisions: Facultad de Ciencias y Humanidades > Licenciatura en Lenguas Modernas: Especialidad en Frances e Inglés
Depositing User: Msc Carlos Ferrer
Date Deposited: 21 Mar 2017 20:21
Last Modified: 21 Mar 2017 20:21
URI: https://ri.ues.edu.sv/id/eprint/12910

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