A Study on the Relationship Between Students’ Anxiety and Achievement in English Language Learning in EFL Classes

doi:10.7176/jlll/86-01

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to examine the relationship between students’ English language learning anxiety and their English language achievement. For this purpose, 197 grade ten students were involved. The students were selected using stratified sampling technique. The instruments used to collect data were questionnaire and achievement. Then, the collected data were analyzed using quantitative methods of data analysis. The study revealed that there was statistically significant negative relationship between students’ English foreign language learning anxiety and their English achievement test result with a correlation coefficient of (r=-.194, p=>0.05). In addition, the participants of the study were found to anxious because of fear of negative evaluation, communication apprehension and test related anxieties. .The study also indicated that female students mean score was less than the mean score of male students when their anxiety levels were measured. But the independent sample t-test indicated that there is no statistically significant difference between male students and female students in their learning anxiety in EFL classrooms. However, a significant mean difference between male and female students was observed on test anxiety with (P<0.05). Therefore, this result is consistent with the findings of Tang (2005). Finally, the researchers recommended that EFL teachers should provide advice for the learners to avoid anxiety in their English language class. Keywords: Anxiety, English foreign language, achievement result, gender, anxiety level DOI: 10.7176/JLLL/86-01 Publication date: February 28 th 2022

Highlights

Language researchers have identified a number of learner factors which are thought to have a considerable influence on language learning
Discussion of the Findings The main objective of this study was to examine the relationship between English language learning anxiety and students’ English achievement
The third research question was intended to determine differences in anxiety level between male and female students. With regard to this point, the findings indicated that there is no significant difference between male and female students in communication apprehension, fear of negative evaluation and anxiety of English class since p value is greater than 0.05(p>0.05)

Summary

Introduction

Language researchers have identified a number of learner factors which are thought to have a considerable influence on language learning. Anxiety has been regarded as one of the most important affective factors that influence second language learning. Research findings by many scholars (e.g., Aida, 1994; Horwitz, 1986; Macintyre and Gardner, 1994) had consistently revealed that anxiety can impede foreign language production and achievement. Students of all levels of academic achievement and intellectual abilities are believed to be affected by anxiety in learning the language. This anxiety occurs in varying degrees and is characterized by emotional feelings and worry, fear and apprehension. Et al (1986) and Macintyre and Gardner (1994) conducted a research which revealed that foreign language anxiety is responsible for students’ negative emotional reaction to language learning. Batumlu and Erden (2007) and Cubuku (2007) conducted research on this context to see classroom language anxiety and language achievement correlations and found that anxiety and achievement were correlated negatively

Objectives

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Discussion

Conclusion