Second Language Writing Anxiety Research Articles

THE INFLUENCE OF SECOND LANGUAGE WRITING ANXIETY ON L2 POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS’ DISSERTATION WRITING: A MULTIPLE-CASE STUDY

Second language (L2) postgraduate students are susceptible to experience second language writing anxiety (SLWA) in dissertation writing as they tend to find the writing process arduous. SLWA relates to the recurring negative and anxious feeling when students write which could influence their cognition, behaviour, and physical condition. This reflects the interrelationship between individual’s affect and cognitive process and the negative correlation between SLWA and writing performance reported in past studies. However, more evidence is needed to establish SLWA as an independent construct that could directly affect writing performance. Therefore, this study aimed to explore how SLWA influences L2 postgraduate students’ dissertation writing to have a clearer insight into the phenomenon. This investigation utilised a multiple-case study approach involving four local postgraduate students. Data was obtained through in-depth interviews, audio journals, and personal document analysis. The thematic analysis revealed the following themes: SLWA i) influences emotional states; ii) triggers emotion regulation; and iii) initiates and sustains a debilitative or facilitative psychological loop that influences students’ progress in dissertation writing. Thus, the study posits SLWA as a construct that can directly debilitate writing performance and L2 dissertation writing as having affective costs that makes emotion regulation an important mechanism to restore student’s psychological balance. To overcome SLWA’s influences on dissertation writing, it is recommended that supervisors and language teachers discourage perception of writing inability, recognize writing improvement, identify writing competence, suggest specific solutions to resolve writing issues, and avoid manipulating anxiety to provoke writing performance.

Understanding Chinese EFL learners' anxiety in second language writing for the sustainable development of writing skills.

To add to the currently limited research on the degree of cultural uniqueness of Chinese EFL learners' anxiety and the multidimensional nature of second language writing anxiety (SLWA), the present qualitative study used think-aloud protocol and interview to examine Chinese EFL learners' three dimensions of SLWA and the related variables, so as to probe into this problem that could pose an obstacle to sustainable second language writing. Findings showed that Chinese EFL learners experienced much Cognitive Anxiety, but relatively little Avoidance Behavior. Learner-internal, teacher-related, and human-external variables interacted with SLWA in a dynamic way. To a certain degree, Chinese EFL learners showcased uniqueness in some aspects of SLWA, under cultural influences, regarding ethnic culture, local culture, academic culture, and disciplinary culture.

Psychophysiological factors as predictors of second language writing achievement in a computer-based test.

Sleep quality, personality, and cognitive load potentially increase second language writing (SLW) anxiety and subsequently affect SLW achievement. This study investigates the predictions of sleep quality, personality (social inhibition/ negative affectivity), and cognitive load (content/ computer) toward SLW anxiety and achievement in a computer-based test. Participants included 172 voluntary undergraduates majoring in English as foreign language. SLW anxiety in a computer-based test, sleep disturbance, personality and cognitive load was assessed with the SLW Anxiety Inventory, Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index, Type-D Personality, and cognitive load questionnaires. A structural equation modeling approach was applied to examine the interdependence among the observed variables. An adequate-fit SLW anxiety model was built (X2 = 6.37, df = 6, p = 0.383, NFI = 0.97, CFI = 1.00, RMSEA = 0.02; R-squared multiple correlations: SLW anxiety in a computer-based test = 0.19, computer-based SLW achievement = 0.07). The structural model showed that sleep disturbance (+0.17), social inhibition personality (+0.31), and computer-induced cognitive load (+0.16) were significant predictors of SLW anxiety in a computer-based test. Subsequently, SLW anxiety in a computer-based test (-0.16) and computer-induced cognitive load (-0.16) were significant negative predictors of computer-based SLW achievement.

English Language Writing Anxiety among Final Year Engineering Undergraduates in University Putra Malaysia

Second Language Writing Anxiety (SLWA) is considered one of the most crucial factors affecting all second language learning. This study focused on a group of final year Engineering students’ English Language writing anxiety (N=93) in relation to their gender, race and MUET results. The findings showed that the the male gender, Chinese and MUET band 4 participants faced higher levels of anxiety as compared to the other groups respectively. Somatic anxiety was recorded to be the highest subscale of anxiety faced by most of the participants. The findings of this study can help in making suitable amendments in the engineering programme course structure, especially in determining the suitable English papers to be offered to the students.