Chinese Language Learning Anxiety: A Study of Heritage Learners

Abstract

This study examines Chinese language learning anxiety and its associated factors among heritage learners. Heritage learners are those who have at least one parent whose native language is a variety of Chinese. They form three sub-groups: heritage learners without a Chinese language background, heritage learners with a background in Mandarin, and heritage learners with a nonMandarin variety background. Chinese heritage learners were found to experience lower levels of anxiety compared to foreign language learners in previous studies and to be more anxious about reading and writing than about speaking and listening. The three sub-groups of Chinese heritage learners’ anxiety experiences in Chinese classes were different. Heritage learners without a Chinese language background were the most anxious, followed by heritage learners with a non-Mandarin variety background, with the Mandarin group being the least anxious. The Mandarin group was significantly less anxious about speaking and listening than the other two groups. The three sub-groups’ anxiety experiences associated with reading and writing tended to be more similar. Correlation and multiple regression results showed that motivation, perceived difficulty level of Chinese, perceived language learning ability, and self-perceived achievement in Chinese classes were significant predictors of anxiety.