Phillip Bailey

Factors associated with foreign language anxiety

Foreign language anxiety is a complex phenomenon that has been found to be a predictor of foreign language achievement. This study of 210 university students examined factors that predict 1 foreign language anxiety. A setwise multiple regression analysis revealed that seven variables (i.e., age, academic achievement, prior history of visiting foreign countries, prior high school experience with foreign languages, expected overall average for current language course, perceived scholastic competence, and perceived self-worth) contributed significantly to the prediction of foreign language anxiety. An analysis of variance, which included trend analysis, revealed that freshmen and sophomores reported the lowest levels of foreign language anxiety, and that anxiety levels increased linearly as a function of year of study. The educational implications of these findings for understanding foreign language anxiety and for increasing foreign language learning are discussed, as are suggestions for future research.

Cognitive, affective, personality, and demographic predictors of foreign-language achievement

Abstract The ability of cognitive, affective, personality, and demographic variables to predict second-language acquisition among college students was investigated. An all possible subsets regression analysis was used to compare the proportion of variance in foreign-language achievement explained by each variable. The analysis revealed that variables from each of the 4 domains were important predictors of foreign-language achievement. Overall, academic achievement, as measured by GPA average, was the best predictor, explaining 11.5% of the variance in foreign-language achievement. Foreign-language anxiety, the next best predictor, explained 10.5% of the variance. The educational implications of these findings for understanding foreign-language achievement are discussed, along with suggestions for future research.

The Validation of Three Scales Measuring Anxiety at Different Stages of the Foreign Language Learning Process: The Input Anxiety Scale, the Processing Anxiety Scale, and the Output Anxiety Scale

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Input Anxiety Scale, the Processing Anxiety Scale, and the Output Anxiety Scale, which measure anxiety at the input, processing, and output stages of the foreign language learning process. These scales were administered to 258 university students. Evidence of structural validity was provided via 3 separate exploratory factor analyses. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that the 3 scales didnot represent either a single unidimensional construct underlying foreign language anxiety or P. D. MacIntyre and R. C. Gardners (1994b) 3-stage model of anxiety. However, when some items were removed, the scales confirmed the 3-stage model, suggesting that modifications to the scales are needed.

Correlates of Anxiety at Three Stages of the Foreign Language Learning Process

Foreign language anxiety is a complex phenomenon that occurs at each stage of the language learning process (i.e., input, processing, and output). This study of 205 university students attempted to identify a combination of variables that might be correlated with these three types of anxiety. Canonical correlation analyses revealed that students with the highest levels of anxiety at the input, processing, and output stages tend to be older; have lower expectations of their achievement in foreign language courses, low perceived global self-worth, low perceived scholastic competence, low perceived intellectual ability, and low perceived job competence; and have taken few or no high school foreign language courses. Academic achievement acted as a suppressor in the model by increasing the predictive power of the independent variables. The educational implications of these findings for understanding foreign language anxiety and for increasing foreign language learning are discussed, as are suggestions for future research.

Using learning style to predict foreign language achievement at the college level

Abstract Although researchers have examined the role of learning styles in foreign language achievement, many studies have investigated isolated dimensions of this construct (e.g. field independence/dependence). Relatively few studies have used a comprehensive learning styles instrument to determine predictors of achievement in college foreign language classes. Thus, the purpose of this study was to use a broadly focused learning style instrument to identify a combination of learning styles that might be correlated with foreign language achievement at the college level. It was hoped that findings from this study would facilitate the identification of college students who are at risk of underachieving in foreign language classes. Participants were 100 university students enrolled in either French or Spanish first and second semester courses. All possible subsets multiple regression analyses revealed that higher achievers in foreign language courses tend to like informal classroom designs and to prefer not to receive information via the kinesthetic mode. Certain learning style variables (i.e. responsibility and mobility), when included in the model, acted as suppressors, increasing the predictive power of classroom design preference and kinesthetic orientation with respect to achievement. The educational implications of these findings for understanding the potential relationships between learning styles and foreign language achievement are discussed, as are suggestions for future research.

Relationships between Anxiety and Achievement at Three Stages of Learning a Foreign Language

Anxiety in foreign language courses has been conceptualized as occurring at each of three stages of input, processing, and output. Specifically, input anxiety refers to the learners apprehension when receiving information in the foreign language; processing anxiety refers to the apprehension experienced by learners when learning and thinking in the foreign language; and output anxiety refers to the apprehension experienced when speaking or writing in the foreign language. The present purpose was to investigate the relationship between achievement and anxiety at each of these three stages of learning a foreign language. Participants were 224 college students from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds, enrolled in Spanish, French, or German classes. Small but significant negative associations were found between achievement in the foreign language and scores on the Input Scale, the Processing Scale, and the Output Scale. These indicate educators should consider more than just the output stage of learning in foreign language classes.

The Role of Study Habits in Foreign Language Courses

The purpose of this study was to determine which study habits distinguish successful from unsuccessful foreign language learners. Participants were 219 college students from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds, enrolled in either Spanish, French, German or Japanese classes. A canonical discriminant analysis (F [6, 117], p < 0.0001; canonical R = 0.92) revealed that, compared to their high-performing counterparts, students with the lowest levels of foreign language performance tended to report that: (a) they frequently include a lot of irrelevant or unimportant information in their notes; (b) when they have difficulty with their assignments, they do not seek help from their instructor; (c) they put their lecture notes away after taking the test and never consult them again; (d) they have to be in the mood before attempting to study; (e) they have a tendency to doodle or to daydream when they are trying to study; and (f) they do not look up in a dictionary the meanings of words that they do not understand. Implications are discussed.

Anxiety about Foreign Language among Students in French, Spanish, and German Classes

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether anxiety reported by students while studying foreign language courses in college was similar for 253 college students from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds, who were enrolled in either Spanish, French, or German classes. Analysis indicated no difference in anxiety about foreign languages among students in the three classes. In addition, a moderate negative relationship was found between anxiety about learning a foreign language and achievement for all three classes. Recommendations for research are made, including investigating anxiety about other foreign languages.

Study Habits and Anxiety about Learning Foreign Languages

The purpose was to investigate the relationship of self-reported study habits to anxiety about learning foreign languages. 219 college students from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds were enrolled in either Spanish, French, German, or Japanese classes. Correlational analyses, using the Bonferroni adjustment, indicated that students with the highest anxiety about foreign languages tended to report that (1) they spend too much time on some subjects and not enough time on others, (2) they frequently do not get enough sleep and feel sluggish in class or when studying, (3) they do not try to space study periods to avoid becoming too tired while studying, and (4) they have trouble settling down to work and do not begin to study as soon as they sit down. The implications of these findings are discussed.