Relationships between motivation and anxiety in adult EFL learners at an Ethiopian university

Abstract

Studies in many educational settings show that motivation and anxiety are related to learning foreign languages (FL). Acknowledging the relevance and multifaceted complexity of motivation and anxiety, the present study aims to examine the relationships in the Ethiopian context where such research has not been conducted. To do so, first, we needed to validate the L2 motivational self-system (L2MSS, Dörnyei, 2009) and a new FL anxiety scale, based on hypothesized relationships between the L2MSS (i.e., the ideal L2 self, ought to L2 self, and L2 learning experience) and FL anxiety (both facilitative and debilitative). A total of 65 university students participated in the research at an Ethiopian university. Questionnaires on L2MSS and facilitative/debilitative anxiety were used to gather data. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlational analyses, and t-tests using SPSS software Version 25. Total scale reliability for the L2MSS and FL anxiety instruments was 0.90 and 0.70, respectively, higher than 0.6, suggesting adequate consistency for both constructs. The validity of the construct was evaluated by several model fit indices including the comparative fit index (CFI), Tucker-Lewis’s index (TLI), the goodness of fit index (GFI), and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA). All fit indexes were above 0.90, except for RMSEA; RMSEA was below 0.05 revealing that the models were valid. Students rated their L2MSS and FL anxiety moderate. The strongest significant relationship was found between students’ ideal L2 self and their L2 learning experiences, whereas a weak but significant relationship was found between the latter and debilitative anxiety. The paper discusses these outcomes and their implications for classrooms and further research.