The relationship between language anxiety and the actual and perceived levels of foreign language pronunciation
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Date
2011-12
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Zakład Filologii Angielskiej: Wydział Pedagogiczno-Artystyczny Uniwersytetu im. Adama Mickiewicza w Kaliszu
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Abstract
The construct of anxiety has been captivating the interest of SLA researchers
for a long time. Numerous observations show that most individuals experience
anxiety when learning a foreign language (FL) and using it, both in
classroom and real-life contexts, though to a different extent. An analysis of
studies conducted on language anxiety (LA) throughout several decades
(Horwitz, 2010) shows that researchers have focused, first and foremost, on
examining the nature, symptoms and consequences of being anxious, proving
its detrimental effect on FL and L2 learning and performance. However,
the causes of LA seem to have been less thoroughly explored. The paper reports
on a study investigating whether the actual level of FL learners’ pronunciation
and the pronunciation level perceived by students can be considered
significant sources of anxiety. It is hypothesized that both pronunciation
levels are related to LA, with the latter being a more important determinant
of LA than the former. To measure the subjects’ degree of anxiety,
the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (Horwitz, Horwitz, & Cope,
1986) was applied. The actual level of pronunciation was diagnosed with the
use of a Pronunciation Test, consisting of a Perception Test and two Production
Tests (word and passage reading). The perceived pronunciation level of
the participants was measured with a questionnaire designed for the purpose
of this research. The Pearson moment-correlation proved LA to be significantly
correlated with both levels of pronunciation, with the relationship
being more meaningful in the case of the perceived FL pronunciation level.
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Keywords
language anxiety, actual pronunciation level, perceived pronunciation level, pronunciation self-assessment, accentedness
Citation
Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 2011, vol. 1, no. 4, pp. 491-514.