Dealing with Upper Secondary school students'''' anxiety in speaking lessons through a cooperative learning environment

1 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES  NGUYỄN THỊ THANH CẢNH Dealing with upper secondary school students’ anxiety in speaking lessons through a cooperative learning environment NGHIÊN CỨU VỀ VIỆC GIÚP HỌC SINH TRUNG HỌC PHỔ THÔNG GIẢM LO LẮNG TRONG CÁC GIỜ HỌC NĨI QUA MỘT MƠI TRƯỜNG CĨ TÍNH HỢP TÁC TRONG LỚP HỌC MA MINOR THESIS FIELD: METHODOLOGY CODE: 601410 HANOI – 2010 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES  NGUYỄN THỊ THANH CẢNH Dealing with upper secondary school students’ anxiety in speaking lessons through a cooperative learning environment NGHIÊN CỨU VỀ VIỆC GIÚP HỌC SINH TRUNG HỌC PHỔ THƠNG GIẢM LO LẮNG TRONG CÁC GIỜ HỌC NĨI QUA MỘT MƠI TRƯỜNG CĨ TÍNH HỢP TÁC TRONG LỚP HỌC MA MINOR THESIS FIELD: METHODOLOGY CODE: 601410 SUPERVISOR: TỪ THỊ MINH THUÝ (MA) HANOI - 2010 Table of contents Declaration …………….………… …………………………………………………….….… i Acknowledgments ………………………………… ……………………… ii Abstract……………………………………………………….………….….………… ….… iii Table of contents …………………………………………………………… …………… …iv Lists of tables …………………………………………………… ………………… … … v Lists of abbreviations ……………………………………………………………… .vi PART ONE: INTRODUCTION …………………………………….……………….…… 1 Rationale for the study……………………………………………… …………………… Aims of the study………………………………………………… ……………………… Significance of the study…………………………………………………… Scope of the study …………………………………………………………… ……………2 Method of the study …………………………………………………………… ………….3 Organization of the study ……………………………………………………… …………3 PART TWO: development ……………………………… ……………………… …4 CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW ……… … …… ……………………………… 1.1 Anxiety in language learning ………………………… …………………………… ….4 1.1.1 Definition of anxiety…………………………………….……………………………….4 1.1.2 The classification of anxiety ……………………………………………………… … 1.1.3 Anxiety and foreign language learning …………………………………………… 1.1.4 Causes of language learning anxiety …………………………………………………… 1.1.5 Related studies on language anxiety in speaking skill ………… 1.1.6 Anxiety management strategies ………………………………………………… 1.2 Cooperative learning ……………… …………….…………………… 1.2.1 Definitions of cooperative learning …………………………… 1.2.2 Components of cooperative learning …………………………… 1.2.2.1 Positive interdependence …………………………… 1.2.2.2 Face-to-face promotive interaction …………………………………… 1.2.2.3 Personal responsibility…………………………… 1.2.2.4 Interpersonal and small-group skills …………………………………… 10 1.2.2.5 Group processing …………………………… 10 1.2.3 Effectiveness of cooperative learning …………………………… .11 1.2.4 Why using a cooperative learning environment to deal with speaking anxiety? 12 1.2.4.1 Psychological basis …………………………… 13 1.2.4.2 Pedagogical basis …………………………… 13 CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ………….…… ………………….…….… 15 2.1 Research setting ……………………………………………………………………….… 15 2.1.1 Description of the school ………………………………………………………….…….15 2.1.2 Description of the program……………………………………………………… …… 15 2.1.3 Description of the course ………………………………………………………….…….16 2.2 Research questions …………………… ……………………………… …………… ….16 2.3 Participants ………………………………………………………… ………… … ……17 2.4 Instruments ……………………………………………………………………………….17 2.4.1 Classroom observations …………………………………………… ……………… 17 2.4.2 Staff consultations……………………………………………………………….…… 17 2.4.3 Questionnaires for students …………………………………………………… …….18 2.5 Procedures ……………………………………………………………………………… 19 2.6 Data Analysis …………………………………………………………………………… 19 CHAPTER 3: RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS…… ………… ….……………… …… 21 3.1 Research results ………………….……………………………… …………………… 21 3.1.1 From classroom observations ………… …………… …………… ………………21 3.1.2 From staff consultations …………………………….….……………… …………….22 3.1.3 From questionnaires for students ……………………….………….…… ………… 24 3.1.3.1 Pre-intervention questionnaire ……………………………………………………….24 3.1.3.2 Post-intervention questionnaire ………………………………………….….……….29 3.2 Discussions on the research questions ……………….………………….…………… 30 3.2.1 Research question ………………………………………………………………… 30 3.2.2 Research question ….……………………………………………………………… 31 3.2.3 Research question ….……………………………………………………………… 32 CHAPTER 4: The course ……………………………………… …….……… ……….33 4.1 Structuring students in cooperative learning …………………………………………… 33 4.2 Materials description ………………….………………………………………………….34 4.3 Description of the lesson plans ………………….………………… ………… ………35 PART THREE: Conclusions ………………………………………………………….36 Summary of major findings ………………………………… ………… ………….……36 Recommendations ………………………………………………………………………….36 2.1 Recommendations on teachers & students interaction ………………………………… 36 2.2 Recommendations on students & students interaction ………………………………… 37 Limitations of the Study ……………………………………………………………………38 Suggestions for further study ………………………………………………………………38 References ………………………………………………………………………….… 39 Appendices Appendix 1: Observation sheet Appendix 2: Staff consultations Appendix 3: English version of Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale Appendix 4: Pre-intervention survey questionnaire Appendix 5: Sample lesson plans Appendix 6: Post intervention survey questionnaire Appendix 7: Scores and levels of speaking anxiety Appendix 8: Students‟ feedbacks and evaluation on the intervention techniques Lists of tables Table 1: Criteria to identify groups of foreign language anxiety levels Table 2: Student self- assessment on their linguistic background Table 3: The level of student anxiety Table 4: Levels of anxiety caused by intrinsic factors Table 5: Levels of anxiety caused by extrinsic factors Table 6: Students‟ feedbacks and evaluation on the intervention techniques Lists of figures Figure 1: Scores and levels of FLA Figure 2: Score of students‟ feedbacks on the intervention techniques Lists of abbreviations CL Cooperative learning CLE Cooperative learning environment FL Foreign language FLA Foreign language anxiety SA Speaking anxiety USS Upper secondary school 10 PART ONE: INTRODUCTION Rationale for the study Horner & Redmond (2002) state in a humorous way that “learning a language can be exciting for some but for others it can be a nightmare” Such feelings have been researched as foreign language anxiety for decades This phenomenon has been the research focus of many linguists and psychologists in recent years Anxiety has been regarded as one of the most important affective factors that influence foreign language acquisition Much research (e.g., Bailey, 1983; Horwitz & Cope, 1986; MacIntyre & Gardner, 1994; Young, 1991), especially in western countries, has been conducted to find the relationship between anxiety and achievements in the learning of different foreign languages Most studies (Horwitz & Cope, 1986; MacIntyre & Gardner, 1994) arrive at a conclusion that anxiety and achievement are negatively correlated In Vietnam, similar research has also been conducted with different groups of people, mostly with college students The problem of language learning anxiety facing USS students has almost been overlooked In EFL environment, anxiety is one of the persistent factors hindering many learners to learn successfully It affects students in different aspects of learning, particularly in speaking The level of anxiety has been observed to be higher in speaking activities than those of other skills It acts as an obstacle to many learners, especially students in mountainous areas In fact, the majority of students coming from these areas are very reserved and shy For them, the mere thought of having to talk about something in English may make them anxious They tend to feel shy and tense; therefore, it is difficult for them to communicate The point that counts is that if we leave this problem unsolved, there will be a likelihood of pushing them into silence in a speaking lesson, which is completely undesirable Many teachers even felt discouraged when they failed to get their students to participate in their intended activities simply because they were too reserved I have been wondering about what the governing factors underlying anxiety are From my actual teaching, I have come to realize that anxiety is not only the problem of less-able students but also the able ones This fact has given me an impetus to seek for the causes of anxiety faced by my learners with the hope to help them out of anxiety and to enhance the classroom atmosphere through a cooperative learning environment 11 Aims of the study + To investigate the potential sources of students‟ anxiety in English speaking lessons experienced by upper secondary students + To test how a cooperative learning environment really works in reducing students‟ anxiety in speaking lessons + To provide some suggestions for teachers to deal with the problem of students‟ anxiety in teaching English speaking skill Significance of the study This study is hoped to provide more insights into the nature of anxiety in learning foreign languages It is bound to better my own teaching by offering me a more thorough understanding of my students Furthermore, its application may give other teachers some suggestions to get students more involved in speaking lessons by gradually building up their self confidence On the part of students, the research is expected to raise their awareness of the sources of anxiety they encounter in speaking lessons so as to help them find out the ways to minimize its negative impacts on their academic performance Scope of the study It would be impossible for this study to cover all the facets of such a broad issue as students‟ anxiety in foreign language learning due to time constraints as well as the complexity of the matter under consideration As the thesis title suggests, I restricted this study to finding the possible causes of student anxiety in speaking lessons, thereby proposing ways of dealing with this problem through a CLE with vivid explanations and concrete illustrations of how each step is carried out in the sense that they are comprehensible enough to be a handy reference for those who are concerned Method of the study In this research, a combination of observational and survey methods were utilized These two methods were supplemented and strengthened via the use of staff consultation approach to make a more realistic and reliable overview of the instructional situation Throughout the stages of the research, the following instruments were employed to collect the primary data: Classroom observation, Staff consultation, and Questionnaires 12 Organization of the study The study consists of four chapters exclusive of the Introduction and Conclusions Chapter 1: Literature review provides a theoretical background concerning the factors causing SA in learning FL including: definition of anxiety, classification, the relationship between anxiety and FL learning, causes of learning anxiety, anxiety in speaking skill, anxiety management strategies as well as the related studies on cooperative learning with its definitions, components, the effectiveness of CL and the bases for applying a CLE in dealing with SA Chapter 2: Research methodology describes the overall picture of how the research was carried out including the research questions, subjects of the study, the instruments employed, data collection and analysis procedures Chapter 3: Results and Discussions presents the research results obtained form classroom observations, staff consultations, and questionnaires, which were discussed according to thematic units (qualitatively) and in the form of tables (quantitatively) in relation to the research questions Chapter 4: The empirical course This chapter specifies the practical steps in implementing a speaking lesson in light of a CLE such as how to structure students, what decisions should be made when applying CL, etc together with two sample lesson plans for illustration 13 PART TWO: Development Chapter 1: Literature review 1.1 Anxiety in language learning 1.1.1 Definition of anxiety Anxiety is generally viewed as a psychological concept and has been defined by a great many researchers Lesse (1970) portraits anxiety as “a phenomenon experienced as a foreboding dread or threat to the human mechanism whether the threat is generated by internal real or imagined danger”(p.13) With more mechanical coloring, Spielberger (1983) sees anxiety as “an unpleasant emotional state or condition which is characterized by subjective feelings of tension, apprehension, and worry, and by activation or arousal of the automatic nervous system that accompany these feelings” (p.482) In a similar manner, Horwitz (1986) defines anxiety as a kind of troubled feeling in the mind It is a subjective feeling of tension, apprehension, nervousness, and worry associated with an arousal of the automatic nervous system In a word, it seems difficult to describe or define anxiety in a simple and exhaustive manner, as it arises from many kinds of sources often associated with particular contexts or situations that individuals perceive threatening according to their unique frame of reference (Eharman,1996) 1.1.2 The classification of anxiety As recognized by many scholars, anxiety is such a complex issue that it still requires more endeavors to figure it out Horwitz (2001) found that anxiety, like self-esteem, can be experienced at various levels At the global level, trait anxiety is a more permanent inclination to be anxious Some people are predictably and generally anxious about many things At a situational level, state anxiety is experienced in relation to some particular act or event From these findings, it is implied that in a classroom, it is important for a teacher to try to determine whether students‟ anxiety stems from a more global or situational to deal with it properly According to MacIntyre & Gardner (1991), as trait anxiety has somewhat ambiguously defined nature, in terms of language teaching, it seems more useful to look into the aspect of state anxiety ... causing SA in learning FL including: definition of anxiety, classification, the relationship between anxiety and FL learning, causes of learning anxiety, anxiety in speaking skill, anxiety management... FLA Foreign language anxiety SA Speaking anxiety USS Upper secondary school 10 PART ONE: INTRODUCTION Rationale for the study Horner & Redmond (2002) state in a humorous way that ? ?learning a language... language teaching In a very clear way, Smith (1995) defines cooperative learning as “working together to accomplish a shared goal” In the same year, Roschelle and Teasley label cooperative work as