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Managing second language speaking anxiety in NUS post-graduate foreign students : a classroom intervention
Author
Lun-Tan, Jenny Yong Soo
Supervisor
Goh, Christine Chuen Meng
Abstract
Language anxiety is an important affective factor of language learning. It has been found to correlate with language achievement, communicative strategies, and motivation to attempt different a range of language tasks. Many methods and approaches have been suggested to overcome student-anxiety. A comprehensive model has been proposed by Foss & Reitzel (1991).
The purpose of this classroom research was to investigate the effectiveness of Foss & Reitzel's Model for managing language anxiety in students of the Postgraduate English Course conducted in National University of Singapore.
The model was interfaced with the 48-hour course in a naturalistic and non-invasive way. The intervention strategies were carried out in an integrated way together with the regular coursework. An anxiety scale, adapted from Horwitz and Horwitz's Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale, was administered to 22 students before and after the intervention. Students' diaries were also collected for the purpose of assessing how they responded to the various interventive activities.
The results show that students' anxiety level was significantly lower after the intervention. Improvements in communicative apprehension and fear of negative evaluations were especially significant. Student diaries also showed that they responded positively to strategies in the Motivation, Knowledge and skill, and Outcome phases.
However, their positive response to the Context phase was observed by the researcher though their journal responses was not forthcoming.
This dissertation concludes that Foss and Reitzel's Model for managing language anxiety is an effective one for helping adult ESL learners lower their anxiety, especially in relation to oral communications in the target language. Most of the strategies can be implemented with minor modifications to fit into a normal English proficiency course. Limitations of this work are also discussed. Educational Implications an direction for future research are also offered.
The purpose of this classroom research was to investigate the effectiveness of Foss & Reitzel's Model for managing language anxiety in students of the Postgraduate English Course conducted in National University of Singapore.
The model was interfaced with the 48-hour course in a naturalistic and non-invasive way. The intervention strategies were carried out in an integrated way together with the regular coursework. An anxiety scale, adapted from Horwitz and Horwitz's Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale, was administered to 22 students before and after the intervention. Students' diaries were also collected for the purpose of assessing how they responded to the various interventive activities.
The results show that students' anxiety level was significantly lower after the intervention. Improvements in communicative apprehension and fear of negative evaluations were especially significant. Student diaries also showed that they responded positively to strategies in the Motivation, Knowledge and skill, and Outcome phases.
However, their positive response to the Context phase was observed by the researcher though their journal responses was not forthcoming.
This dissertation concludes that Foss and Reitzel's Model for managing language anxiety is an effective one for helping adult ESL learners lower their anxiety, especially in relation to oral communications in the target language. Most of the strategies can be implemented with minor modifications to fit into a normal English proficiency course. Limitations of this work are also discussed. Educational Implications an direction for future research are also offered.
Date Issued
2001
Call Number
PE1128 Lun
Date Submitted
2001