Success in learning English as a foreign language as a predictor of computer anxiety

Abstract

Abstract This study investigated the relationship between success in English as a foreign language and the degree of computer anxiety, frequency of computer use, and computer ownership among Iranian high-school students. Eight hundred and nineteen highschool students were selected from eight cities across the country. They completed Computer Anxiety Rating Scale and a personal information questionnaire. School achievement in English was established based on formal grades students received at the end of the academic year. The results revealed that computer anxiety and achievement in English were inversely related. High achievement students in English used computers (both online and offline) more than low achievement students. Computer ownership was also significantly related to students’ success in English. It was also found that except gender, achievement in English, PC time, and computer ownership were predictors of computer anxiety.