Writing Anxiety Scale Research Articles

Foreign Language Writing Anxiety: The Perceptions and Experiences of Freshmen Lebanese University Students

Writing is an essential skill for language production. However, many English as Foreign language learners (EFL) face many difficulties in writing. This study aims to shed light on the psychological aspect of writing; more specifically writing anxiety. Consequently, the main purpose of this exploratory mixed-method study is to explore and investigate the sources and manifestations of foreign language writing anxiety among Lebanese university students. The participants were Lebanese EFL university students (N=87). Data for this study was gathered from the use of the Second Language Writing anxiety scale(SLWAI), Sources of Writing Anxiety Inventory(SWAI), and semi-structured Focus group interviews (FG). Focus interviews with students were used to triangulate the derived data from the inventories. This study provides numerical data regarding the level of writing anxiety among students. The data from the FG interviews were transcribed and uploaded for thematic coding and further analysis. The results from this study shed light on the sources and manifestation of the writing anxiety among students. It also helps to disseminate several practical recommendations for the alleviation of writing anxiety among students. It is assumed that the findings will address the perceived psychological needs of Lebanese EFL learners and provide grounds for further research.

The effect of planned writing model on writing anxiety, self-efficacy and B2 Level achievement of learners of Turkish as a foreign language

The main purpose of this study is to examine the effect of the planned writing model on the writing anxiety, self-efficacy and Turkish course achievement of those learning Turkish as a foreign language. For this purpose, a 6-week planned writing model was applied in the research. The study group of the research consisted of 32 students studying at a public university in Ankara and taking a B2 level Turkish education course for foreigners. The data of the study were collected through the "Writing Anxiety Scale for Those Learning Turkish as a Foreign Language" developed by Şen and Boylu (2017) and the "Writing Skill Self-Efficacy Scale for Foreigners Learning Turkish as a Second Language" developed by Büyükikiz (2012). According to the findings, there was a significant difference in writing anxiety and writing skills self-efficacy scores by gender variable, while no difference was found by regular reading in native language. In addition, it was observed that the planned writing model had a positive effect on students' writing anxiety, writing skills self-efficacy and level achievement in favour of the post-test.

Language Learning Styles and Writing Strategies as Predictors of Writing Anxiety among Iranian EFL Learners

The main aim of this study was to see if a significant relationship existed among Iranian EFL learners’ Learning Styles, Writing Strategies and Writing Anxiety. To this effect, 183 EFL learners studying English in three language institutes from the upper intermediate and advanced proficiency levels were selected based on convenient nonrandom sampling procedure. They completed the Kolb Learning Style (KLS), the Inventory of Learning Strategies for writing (ILS) and the Foreign Language Writing Anxiety Scale (FLWAS) self-report questionnaires. However, after the initial screening, 21 cases were discarded as their answers were incomplete, leaving 162 participants in the final sample. The relationship among EFL learners learning styles, writing strategies and writing anxiety were analyzed using the Spearman rank order coefficient of correlation. Since, the results indicated statistically significant relationships among them, multiple regression analyses were run to see if significant predictors of EFL learners’ writing anxiety could be identified. Interestingly, the analyses showed that pragmatist learning style made the strongest statistically significant unique contribution to predict writing anxiety while activist learning style failed to make such a significant contribution. To clarify, the negative relationship suggests that the more pragmatic the preferred learning style is, the lower the writing anxiety. Furthermore, only memory writing strategy made a statistically significant unique contribution to predicting writing anxiety while the other five writing strategies did not. To explain further, their positive relationship implies that learners who apply memory strategies more, face higher levels of writing anxiety. Thus, this study identified learners’ pragmatist learning style and memory writing strategy as significant predictors of writing anxiety in the EFL context. As a result, not only does this study provide statistical evidence of the relationship among these variables but it also stresses the importance of EFL learners’ language learning styles and writing strategies to their writing anxiety.

The effect of online gamification on EFL learners' writing anxiety levels: a process-based approach

Writing is one of the most difficult and neglected skills for EFL learners. Gamification, the use of game elements to increase user experience and interest in non-game content, can be used to deal with writing anxiety which is considered as a hindering affective factor in successful language learning. Within this scope, this study aims to investigate the effect of the online gamification tool "˜Edmodo" on EFL learners' writing anxiety levels. The experimental design, one of the quantitative methods, was preferred. Data were collected through a background questionnaire and the Second Language Writing Anxiety Scale, involving 22 items scored on a five-point Likert response scale. Data were analysed with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences software. The results showed that the students who completed the activities and who were graded through Edmodo had significantly lower anxiety levels than the students using the traditional pen and paper. Keywords: Gamification, foreign language, writing, anxiety.

A Validity and Reliability Study of Story Writing Anxiety Scale

Stories have become one of the ways to provide information more effectively in so-called age of technology, the 21st century. Moreover, it is seen that advertising industry storifies what they desire to commercialize. Teaching students in a storified way enables persistence of learning. The effect of storytelling and writing, which already exists in many aspects of life, on secondary students’ anxiety has been a key concern. It has been planned to search this current topic which is not encountered in the literature and to develop a scale. It is thought that secondary school students need an instrument evaluating their story writing anxiety. In this sense, the aim of this study is to develop a scale that will evaluate secondary 7th graders’ story writing anxiety. 439 students (212 female and 227 male students) participated in the study. As a result of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, a valid and reliable evaluation instrument for secondary school students’ story writing anxiety was developed. As a result of the research, 5 tier scale with 26 items was formed to evaluate story writing anxiety. Cronbach Alpha value was found to be .853 and total variance explained was 57.827.

The Investigation of Language Teacher Candidates’ Self-efficacy and Writing Anxiety in Processual Context

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the self-efficacy perceptions and writing anxiety of the Turkish language teacher candidates that receive training for learning and teaching language in a processual context. The research has been carried out with a total of 113 teacher candidates that study at the Department of Turkish Language in the first (n=56) and third (n=57) grades. The reason is that the first graders are beginner and they receive Written Expression classes; and the third graders receive Writing Education classes. The data from both grades have been collected by using the Writing Self-efficacy Perception Scale (WSPS) and the Writing Anxiety Scale (WAS) at the beginning and at the end of the term. The collected data have been analyzed both in respective class levels and by comparing to the other class level. The result of the research shows that the writing anxiety has decreased and the writing self-efficacy perception has increased in the first grader candidates. Whereas in the third grader candidates, the writing anxiety has increased and the writing self-efficacy perception has decreased. This has been interpreted as the professional awareness of the candidates increases depending on the grade level. Another result of the research is that the revision and editing (RE) factor in the writing process is higher in the female candidates than the male candidates. The findings obtained in the research bear a resemblance to the literature in some aspects, and differ from the literature in some aspects.

The Relationships Among Writing Skills, Writing Anxiety and Metacognitive Awareness

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among students’ argumentative text writing skills, writing anxiety, and metacognitive awareness. The participants were composed of 375 8th graders in six middle schools in Sivas. Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (B Form) which was adapted in to Turkish by Karakelle & Saraç (2007) and Writing Anxiety Scale which was developed by Yaman (2010) were used to collect data. The argumentative texts that were gathered from the students were evaluated using the Argumentative Essay Rubric, which was developed within the scope of this study. Descriptive statistics were calculated, Spearman Correlation Analysis, and Kruskal-Wallis Test were applied for analyzing the data. The analyses revealed that the students’ argumentative text writing skills were inadequate. It was also determined that students with low writing anxiety were more successful in writing argumentative texts when compared with their counterparts with middle and high anxiety levels. Moreover, slight and positive relationship between argumentative text writing skills and metacognitive awareness, and a significant relationship between writing anxiety and metacognitive awareness were determined. As a result of the study, it can be stated that decreasing students’ writing anxiety and increasing their metacognitive awareness will have a positive effect on their argumentative text writing skills.

The Effect of Cooperative Writing Activities on Writing Anxieties of Prospective Primary School Teachers

The purpose of this research is to determine the effect of cooperative writing activities on the writing anxieties of prospective primary school teachers. The study group of the research is composed of 30 prospective primary school teachers. A mixed method consisting of qualitative and quantitative research methods was used in the collection, analysis and interpretation of the data obtained in the research. A total of 12 weeks of cooperative writing activities were conducted within the scope of the research. Writing Anxiety Scale was used to determine the writing anxieties at the beginning and the end of the implementation for prospective primary school teachers. Semi-structured interviews were also held with the candidates to determine the views of the prospective primary school teachers regarding the implementation process. It was revealed at the end of the research that the cooperative writing activities reduced the writing anxieties of the prospective primary school teachers.

Learning Strategies in Alleviating English Writing Anxiety for English Language Learners (ELLs) with Limited English Proficiency (LEP)

<p>This study utilized the Oxford Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) and an English writing anxiety scale to examine the relationship between learning strategies and English writing anxiety in 102 university-level English language learners (ELLs) with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) in a university in Taiwan. Kruskal Wallis Test results revealed no significant association between learning strategies and English writing anxiety. The common learning strategies utilized by participants were compensation, social, memory and mixed strategies. The interview data indicated that ELLs suffered considerably from writing anxiety. Coping strategies of highly anxious ELL of each learning strategy group is also reported. However, further studies of larger populations and comparison of different ethnic groups as well as quantitative statistics analyses are needed.</p>

Chinese University EFL Learners’ Foreign Language Writing Anxiety: Pattern, Effect and Causes

This paper reports on the result of a study on Chinese university EFL learners’ foreign language writing anxiety in terms of general pattern, effect and causes. 1174 first-year students answered the 26-item Foreign Language Writing Anxiety Scale (FLWAS) (Young, 1999) and took an English writing test, 18 of whom were invited for semi-structured interviews. The results showed that 1) FLWAS had three principal components—low confidence in English writing (FLWAS1), dislike of English writing (FLWAS2) and English writing apprehension evaluation (FLWAS3), 2) the whole sample, as well as male and female students, were generally confident in and liked English writing, and were not apprehensive of having their English writing evaluated, 3) significant differences existed between male and females students, and among different proficiency groups in all the FLWAS scales, 4) foreign language writing anxiety significantly negatively affected students’ performance in the English writing test, and 5) a number of factors contributed to the students’ foreign language writing anxiety.

Writing Anxiety as a Predictor of Writing Self-Efficacy in English for Special Education Arab Learners

The study aimed at investigating the relationship between writing anxiety and writing self-efficacy in English for special education Arab learners of English. It also investigated the use of writing anxiety scores as a predictor of writing self-efficacy. In addition, it explored differences between males and females in both writing anxiety and writing self-efficacy in English. The sample of the study consisted of 90 intermediate school students in the state of Kuwait (47 males and 43 females); the mean age was 8.67 years and the standard deviation was 2.4 years. The descriptive research design was adopted in the study. The researchers used writing anxiety scale, writing self-efficacy scale and an achievement test in English writing skills. Results of the study showed that there is a positive relationship between students’ writing anxiety and writing self-efficacy for male students and the overall sample while no relationship was detected among these variables for female students. In addition, results revealed that writing anxiety scores could be used as a predictor of students’ writing self-efficacy in English for male students and the overall sample of the study whereas writing anxiety scores could not be used as a predictor of writing self-efficacy for female students. It was found that there were no statistically significant differences between male and female students in their scores of writing anxiety and writing self-efficacy in English Language.

The study on the writing anxiety levels of primary school 6, 7 and 8th year students in terms of several variables

The purpose of this study is to examine the writing anxiety levels of primary school 6, 7 and 8th year students in terms of several variables using the “writing anxiety scale” developed by Yaman (2010). The study group is composed of 1407 students enrolled at the 6, 7 and 8th years of 10 primary schools in AžarkiAŸla district of Sivas province. The higher scores obtained from the “writing anxiety scale” are interpreted as the writing anxiety levels of the students in their native language are lower. According to this, it is determined that the writing anxiety levels of the students significantly differ in terms of their gender, their status of enjoying Turkish language courses, the number of the books they have read in the last month and the status of their keeping diaries. Key words: Native language, writing, anxiety, writing anxiety.

Self-Efficacy, Foreign Language Anxiety as Predictors of Academic Performance among Professional Program Students in a General English Proficiency Writing Test

Questionnaires were administered to 120 students. Cluster analysis was used to examine whether specific groups could be described by a writing self-efficacy scale, English writing anxiety scale, and a written General English Proficiency Test. Three clusters were observed. Demographic variables were compared for each cluster, including age, sex, program of study, years of English instruction, native language, and number of English speaking acquaintances. Efforts to reduce writing anxiety and promote writing self-efficacy could enhance writing scores of participants.

A measure of second language writing anxiety: Scale development and preliminary validation

Evidence has been accumulating that shows the promise of multidimensional conceptualizations of anxiety in investigating the effects of anxiety on different aspects of human behavior and intellectual performance. In view of the lack of an L2 writing anxiety scale explicitly developed from a multidimensional perspective, this study aims to develop and evaluate a self-report L2 writing anxiety measure that conforms to a three-dimensional conceptualization of anxiety. Sixty-five EFL learners’ reports of L2 writing anxiety were drawn upon to generate an initial pool of scale items. A pilot test was conducted on the initial pool of items to help establish a preliminary version of L2 writing anxiety scale for further refinement and evaluation in the formal study. A sample of 421 EFL majors enrolled in seven different colleges in Taiwan participated in the formal study. Exploratory factor analysis was employed to determine the final make-up of the Second Language Writing Anxiety Inventory (SLWAI) that consists of three subscales: Somatic Anxiety, Cognitive Anxiety, and Avoidance Behavior. In addition to reliability coefficients, the validity of the SLWAI total scale and subscales was assessed by means of correlation and factor analysis. The results suggest that both the total scale and the individual subscales of the SLWAI have good reliability and adequate validity.

GENDER INFLUENCES ON THE LANGUAGE PROCESSES OF COLLEGE BASIC WRITERS

Deming and Gowen (1989) conducted a study during the 1989 winter quarter at a suburban junior college to examine the association between gender, writing processes, and the written products of 33 male and female basic college freshmen writers. Students were administered the Daly and Miller Writing Anxiety Scale (1975), and wrote two drafts, one on a reflexive topic, and the other, on an extensive one (Perl, 1980). Topics were randomly assigned with one topic concerned with discipline of children and the other with the importance of friendship in school. Students were interviewed concerning their writing processes and topic preferences. Sixty‐six drafts were analyzed for length, time of production, pronoun usage, and examples of advice giving. The results of the study confirmed the work of earlier researchers and contributed new information. College basic female writers used more first person pronouns than males, and both genders used fewer pronouns when writing extensive essays. Males used “you” more often...