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MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HUE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES HO THI HONG PHUC ANXIETY AND ITS EFFECTS ON ENGLISH SPEAKING LEARNING OF STUDENTS AT QUOC HOC HIGH SCHOOL IN HUE MA THESIS IN EDUCATION HUE, 2011 -1- MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HUE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES ANXIETY AND ITS EFFECTS ON ENGLISH SPEAKING LEARNING OF STUDENTS AT QUOC HOC HIGH SCHOOL IN HUE FIELD OF STUDY: THEORY AND METHODOLOGY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING CODE: 60.14.10 MA THESIS IN EDUCATION SUPERVISOR: PHAN VAN HOA, ASSOC.PROF.DR HUE, 2011 BỘ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO ĐẠI HỌC HUẾ TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ  - NGUYÊN NHÂN VÀ ẢNH HƯỞNG CỦA TRẠNG THÁI LO LẮNG ĐẾN VIỆC HỌC KỸ NĂNG NÓI TIẾNG ANH CỦA HỌC SINH TRƯỜNG TRUNG HỌC PHỔ THÔNG QUỐC HỌC HUẾ CHUYÊN NGÀNH: LÝ LUẬN VÀ PHƯƠNG PHÁP DẠY HỌC MÔN TIẾNG ANH MÃ SỐ: 60.14.10 LUẬN VĂN THẠC SĨ HUẾ, 2011 STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP I hereby acknowledge that this study is mine The data and findings discussed in the thesis are true, used with permission from associates and have not been published elsewhere Author Ho Thi Hong Phuc First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Assoc.Prof.Dr Phan Van Hoa for all of his enthusiasm and constant encouragement His excellent insight and whole-hearted directions as well as his patience play an important role for the fulfillment of my study I am greatly indebted to the teachers and students at Quoc Hoc high school, who were kind enough to help me to perform the process of collecting the necessary date for my research I am also heartily grateful to all of the teachers who have devotedly taught me during my master study at Hue College of Foreign Languages Finally, my warmest thanks go to my family members and my boyfriend, who always encouraged and created the most favorable conditions for me during the time I conducted this research paper especially in the moments of difficulties Hue, January 2011 Ho Thi Hong Phuc TABLE OF CONTENTS Contents Pages SUB COVER PAGE STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS LIST OF TABLES AND CHARTS ABSTRACT .11 CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 12 I Motivation and research questions 12 I Background of the research .14 I Research aims 15 I.4 Research significance 15 I.5 Research scope 16 I.6 Research outline 17 CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW 19 II.1 The importance of English speaking skill 19 II.2 The students’ background .19 II.2.1 EFL students 19 II.2.2 The students’ English speaking competence 20 II.3 Anxiety in language learning 20 II.3.1 Definition of terms 20 II.3.2 Types of anxiety .21 II.3.3 Foreign language anxiety .23 II.3.4 Impact of Anxiety on Foreign Language Learning 26 II.3.5 Anxiety- provoking factors in learning English speaking skill 28 II.3.5.1 Cultural or socio-cultural factors 28 II.3.5.2 Psychological or affective factors .29 II.3.6 How anxiety is manifested in language classroom 32 II.3.7 Reducing students’ anxiety in language classroom 33 CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY 36 III.1 Subjects of the study 36 III.2 Procedure and method 36 III.2.1 Surveys (by means of questionnaires) 37 III.2.2 Classroom observations (via observation sheets) 37 III.2.3 Interviews (through interviews checklists) 38 III.3 Data analysis 38 CHAPTER IV: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 40 IV.1 The current situation of learning English speaking skill in students’ perspectives .40 IV.1.1 Students’ English background 40 IV.1.2 Students’ attitudes towards English speaking skill .43 IV.1.2.1 Students’ perception of the importance and necessity of speaking skill 43 IV.1.2.2 Students’ interest in learning English speaking skill 45 IV.1.2.3 Students’ feelings when speaking English in front of the class .47 IV.2 Influential factors causing anxiety for students in English speaking 49 IV.2.1 Cultural or socio- cultural factors 49 IV.2.1.1 Shyness in Vietnamese communicative culture .49 IV.2.1.2 Losing- face psychology in Vietnamese communicative culture 52 IV.2.2 Personal factors .56 IV.2.2.1 Students’ personality 56 IV.2.2.2 Students’ beliefs about language learning 59 IV.2.2.3 Fear of negative evaluation 63 IV.2.2.4 Students’ proficiency 66 IV.3 Impacts of anxiety on students’ learning speaking skill under students and teachers’ perspectives 70 IV.4 Manifestations of students’ anxiety when speaking in English classrooms 73 IV.5 Strategies students use to overcome or control anxiety when speaking 76 IV.6 Feasible solutions for teachers to cope with anxiety when teaching English speaking skill under students and teachers’ perspectives 79 CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION, IMPLICATIONS LIMITATIONS 77 V.1 Summary 82 V.2 Implications and suggestions 83 V.2.1 For students 83 V.2.1.1 Cultural factors 83 V.2.1.2 Psychological factors 83 V.2.1.3 Language proficiency 84 V.2.2 For teachers 85 V.3 Limitations 87 V.4 Further research 87 REFERENCES 88 APPENDICES LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS EFL : English as a foreign language SA : strongly agree A : agree N : neutral D : disagree SD : strongly disagree LIST OF TABLES AND CHARTS List of tables Table 4.1: The influence of shyness on communication of Vietnamese communicative culture under students’ perspectives Table 4.2: The influence of losing face psychology under the perceptions of teachers and students Table 4.3: Students’ personality Table 4.4: Characteristics of anxious students Table 4.5: Students’ beliefs about language learning Table 4.6: Students’ fear of negative evaluation Table 4.7: Students’ proficiency Table 4.8: Impacts of anxiety on students’ learning speaking skill Table 4.9: Manifestations of students’ anxiety when speaking in English classrooms Table 4.10: Students’ strategies to deal with anxiety in speaking Table 4.11: Feasible solutions for teachers to cope with students’ anxiety List of charts Chart 4.1: Students’ English background Chart 4.2: Students’ English speaking competence Chart 4.3: Students’ perception of the importance and necessity of speaking skill Chart 4.4: Students’ interest in learning English speaking skill Chart 4.5: Students’ feelings when speaking English in front of the class 10 APPENDIX B QUESTIONNAIRE (For students) This questionnaire is designed to collect information for my research paper on the topic: “Anxiety and Its Effects on English Speaking Learning of Students at Quoc Hoc High School in Hue” Your responses are very important to the success of my research paper The data collected will be used only for the purpose of the research NOT for any other purposes Please read the questions carefully and tick (v) your choices For some questions, you can choose more than one option Personal information: Male/ Female: Class: Book (basic/advanced): Number of students in your class: When did you start learning English? Year(s): Do you like learning speaking English?  Yes, very much  Yes, a little  Neither like nor dislike  No, not at all Do you think speaking skill is very important and necessary?  Yes, very much  Yes, a little  No, not at all Reason: What you think about your English speaking competence?  Very good  Good 96  So so  Average  Below average When speaking English in front of class, you feel:  Excited and relaxed  Normal  A little nervous  Extremely nervous Omit question Continue question Other (s): The feeling of anxiety or fear can make:  You be alert and try your best to improve your speaking competence  You avoid speaking activities in class  You forget most of what you are going to say  You feel reluctant to participate in speaking activities in English classes  Your heart beat faster; your voice tremble and your confidence disappear  Give a little bad speech  Give a very bad speech Other (s): In your opinion, the feeling of anxiety or fear can make that person:  Be alert and try his/ her best to improve his/ her speaking competence  Avoid speaking activities in class  Forget most of what he/ she is going to say  Be reluctant to participate in speaking activities in English classes  His/her heart beat faster; his/ her voice tremble and his/her confidence disappear  Give a little bad speech  Give a very bad speech Other (s): Can fear or anxiety in speaking be related to each person’s personality?  Yes, a lot  Yes, to some extent 97  No, not at all According to you, what of the following personalities may best describe a student who usually feels anxious or fearful when he/she speaks English in front of the class?  Not self-confident  Introvert  Extrovert  Shy  Sociable Other (s): 10 Which of the following beliefs can make you feel anxious when speaking English in front of your class? (You can choose many options)  You think that to speak English well, people need a special aptitude and you don’t have this  You think that speaking English well means you have to speak like a native speaker in term of pronunciation, expressions, vocabulary etc  You think that you not have English speaking competence  You think that the teacher and other students will look at your mistakes and ridicule them  You think that you lack linguistics competence in English such as grammar, vocabulary, structure etc Other (s): 11 What are your reactions when you feel anxious when speaking English?  Change in breathing  Not being able to concentrate  Feeling hot, burning cheeks  Smiling, avoiding eye-contact  Heart beating faster  Voice changing  Perspiring  Short utterances with short simple sentences  Blank mind  Silence  Having many unwanted thoughts  Other symptoms  Do not remember 98 12 Tick (v) the column that is best suitable for you Neither Opinions Strongly agree Agree agree nor disagree It is claimed that the shyness makes Vietnamese people feel anxious or fearful when they speak in public The shyness also makes me feel anxious or fearful when I speak in front of my class Vietnamese people are often shy when speaking in front of the crowd because they are afraid of losing face if they say something wrong or stupid I feel anxious or fearful when speaking in front of the whole class because I am afraid of losing face if I say something wrong or stupid Even if I am well prepared for English class, I still feel nervous about it I feel confident when I speak in English class I can hear my heart pounding when I’m going to be called on in English class I get nervous and confused whenever I speak in my language class 99 Disagree Strongly disagree I not worry about making mistakes in English class 10 I am afraid that the other students will laugh at me when I speak English in front of the class 11 In a foreign language class, I cannot express my feelings and ideas in English and this makes me nervous 12 I feel overwhelmed by the number of rules I have to learn to speak English 13 Language class moves so quickly that I worry about being left behind 14 It frightens me when I not understand what the teacher si saying in English 15 I never feel quite sure of myself when I am speaking in my English class because of my lack of linguistic competence 16 I feel more tense and nervous in my English class than in my other classes 17 Fear or anxiety can be a stimulating factor for students to try to study English speaking better 18 Students cannot completely eliminate the feeling of anxiety or fear when speaking English 100 13 How can you reduce fear or anxiety you may face when you speak English? (You can choose many options)  Try your best to improve your English especially English speaking  Prepare yourself carefully before speaking and practice speaking in front of many people serial times  Learn by heart everything before you speak  Self- assure by using positive self-talk “I can it”, “Don’t worry about making mistakes, to err is human”, “Just tell whatever comes into my mind, the teacher will correct it if something is wrong” etc  Use relaxation techniques (e.g.: deep breathing, consciously speaking more slowly, etc.)  Tell whatever comes into your mind not worrying about mistakes  No way Other (s): 14 According to you, what role does the teacher play in reducing students’ anxiety or fear?  Very important  Important  Not important at all 15 What of the following suggestions should your teacher apply to reduce students’ anxiety or fear when they speak English in front of the class? (You can choose many options)  Create a low stress, friendly and supportive learning environment  Don’t pay much attention to the mistakes that may be made when speaking  Use gentle or non-threatening methods of error correction and help students to self- correct  Give clear instructions, constructive comments  Give praise and encouragement  Make judicious use of purposeful group work or collaborative activities  Design appropriate questions and tasks for students 101  Speak more slowly or consider using Vietnamese to clarify key point or give specific instructions  Be sensitive to students’ fears and insecurities and help them to overcome those feelings Other (s): Thank you for your cooperation! 102 APPENDIX C QUESTIONNAIRE (For teachers) This questionnaire is designed to collect information for my research paper on the topic: “Anxiety and Its Effects on English Speaking Learning of Students at Quoc Hoc High School in Hue” Your responses are very important to the success of my research paper The data collected will be used only for the purpose of the research NOT for any other purposes Please read the questions carefully and tick (v) your choices For some questions, you can choose more than one option How long ago did you start teaching English? Year(s): Do you like teaching speaking English?  Yes, very much  Yes, a little  Neither like nor dislike  No, not at all Do you think speaking skill is very important and necessary?  Yes, very much  Yes, a little  No, not at all Reason: In your opinion, the feeling of anxiety or fear can make your students:  Be alert and try his/ her best to improve his/ her speaking competence  Avoid speaking activities in class  Forget most of what he/ she is going to say  Be reluctant to participate in speaking activities in English classes  His/her heart beat faster; his/ her voice tremble and his/her confidence disappear 103  Give a little bad speech  Give a very bad speech Other (s): Can fear or anxiety in speaking be related to each person’s personality?  Yes, a lot  Yes, to some extent  No, not at all According to you, what of the following personalities may best describe a student who usually feels anxious or fearful when he/she speaks English in front of the class?  Not self-confident  Introvert  Extrovert  Shy  Sociable Other (s): Which of the following beliefs can make your students feel anxious when speaking English in front of your class? (You can choose many options)  They think that they lack linguistics competence in English such as grammar, vocabulary and so on  They think that the teacher and other students will look at their mistakes and ridicule them  They think that they not have English speaking competence  They think that to speak English well, people need a special aptitude and they don’t have this  They think that speaking English well means they have to speak like a native speaker in term of pronunciation, expressions, vocabulary etc Other (s): What are your students’ reactions when they feel anxious when speaking English?  Change in breathing  Not being able to concentrate  Feeling hot, burning cheeks  Smiling, avoiding eye-contact 104  Heart beating faster  Voice changing  Perspiring  Short utterances with short simple sentences  Blank mind  Silence  Having many unwanted thoughts  Other symptoms  Cannot recognize Tick (v) the column that is best suitable for you Neither Opinions Strongl Agre agree Disagre y agree e nor e disagree It is claimed that the shyness makes Vietnamese people feel anxious or fearful when they speak in public The shyness also makes your students feel anxious or fearful when I speak in front of my class Vietnamese people are often shy when speaking in front of the crowd because they are afraid of losing face if they say something wrong or stupid Your students feel anxious or fearful when speaking in front of the whole class because they are afraid of losing face if they say something wrong or stupid 105 Strongl y disagree 10 According to you, what role does the teacher play in reducing students’ anxiety or fear?  Very important  Important  Not important at all 11 What of the following suggestions should their teacher apply to reduce students’ anxiety or fear when they speak English in front of the class? (You can choose many options)  Create a low stress, friendly and supportive learning environment  Don’t pay much attention to the mistakes that may be made when speaking  Use gentle or non-threatening methods of error correction and help students to self- correct  Give clear instructions, constructive comments  Give praise and encouragement  Make judicious use of purposeful group work or collaborative activities  Design appropriate questions and tasks for students  Speak more slowly or consider using Vietnamese to clarify key point or give specific instructions  Be sensitive to students’ fears and insecurities and help them to overcome those feelings Other (s): Thank you for your cooperation! 106 APPENDIX D INTERVIEW QUESTIONS (With students) How you feel about the speaking class today? Is it interesting or boring? Why? How long have you been learning English and how you feel about experience of learning English? Do you think learning and speaking English as a foreign language is very difficult? What kind of difficulties or problems you feel when speaking English? How you feel when you speaking aloud in front of the class? What kinds of situations cause stress or anxiety for you? What happens to you when you are in a stressful situation while speaking English and what you in these kinds of situations? What you think are the reasons of this nervousness or anxiety? Do you think students’ anxiety partly comes from Vietnamese culture such as shyness or afraid of losing face? Do you think students’ anxiety, students’ beliefs or their language proficiency have correlation with their anxiety when speaking English? 10 In which kind of situations don’t you feel anxious or fell less anxious while speaking English? 11 Are you afraid of making mistakes while speaking English and how you think people will react if you make mistakes? 12 Do you feel the way their teacher correct their mistakes is constructive? How you feel when their teacher corrects their mistakes? 13 How you think their language teacher plays a role in creating or reducing the feeling of anxiety in the classroom? 14 What would you like to suggest in order to reduce anxiety in the students when they speak English? 107 APPENDIX E INTERVIEW QUESTIONS (With teachers) Do you think teaching and learning English speaking as a foreign language is very difficult? What kind of difficulties or problems you feel when teaching English? Do you think students’ anxiety when speaking English is a noteworthy issue? What happens to their students when they are in a stressful situation while speaking English and what you in these kinds of situations? What you think are the reasons of this nervousness or anxiety? Do you think students’ anxiety partly comes from Vietnamese culture such as shyness or afraid of losing face? Do you think students’ anxiety, students’ beliefs or their language proficiency have correlation with their anxiety when speaking English? Do you feel the way you correct their students’ mistakes has effects on their students’ feeling of anxiety? Do you think language teachers play a role in creating or reducing the feeling of anxiety in the classroom? What would you like to in order to reduce anxiety in the students when they speak English? 108 APPENDIX F OBSERVATION SHEET Date and time : …………………………………………… Class : …………………………………………… Number of students : …………………………………………… Lesson : …………………………………………… Observation objective : …………………………………………… Names of activities Comments Teacher’s giving instructions: - How? - Giving example/ model? - Giving clear and understandable instructions? Work arrangement: - Pair work? - Group work? - Team work? - Whole class? During activities: - Teacher monitoring? - Students working together well? - Students’ participating in the class? Eager or reluctant? - Atmosphere in class? Friendly, comfortable or stressful? Feedback section: - Self-correction? - Peer-correction? - Teacher’s correction? - Form or content focusing? 109 - Students’ attitudes towards teacher’s correction? 110