Foreign Language Listening Anxiety Factors Affecting Listening Performance of Chinese EFL Learners

Abstract

Foreign language listening anxiety (FLLA), which consists of various factors influencing listening performance, has been extensively investigated in English as a foreign language (EFL) contexts. However, little attention has been given to the effects of FLLA factors in different listening proficiency levels. This paper investigated 78 English majors from a Chinese university to examine the differences between and the effects of FLLA factors on listening performance in low (n = 20) and high-proficient (n = 19) EFL listeners. The participants were required to complete a 25-item FLLA questionnaire and take a listening test. The Mann-Whitney U test revealed that the two groups were significantly different in their self-belief in listening proficiency. Sequential multiple regression analyses showed that the listening-anxiety factor was a negative predictor, and the (lack of) self-belief factor was a positive predictor, for less proficient listeners. However, the three factors (including the decoding-skills factor) had no explanatory power in the high-proficient group's listening performance. Additionally, dissatisfaction with one's current listening proficiency may facilitate the less proficient listeners' performance but has a considerably detrimental impact on higher proficient listeners. Finally, pedagogical implications of FL listening anxiety and research suggestions are included.

Changes in and Effects of Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety and Listening Anxiety on Chinese Undergraduate Students’ English Proficiency in the COVID-19 Context

“…Prior to any statistical analysis, the adapted FLCAS and FLLAS were subjected to rotated (varimax) principal components analysis in both phases, as done in many existing studies (e.g., Liu and Huang, 2011;Zhang, 2013;Liu and Xiangming, 2019;Wang and Cha, 2019) which sometimes reveal different components in different situations. The analysis of FLCAS yielded seven factors in phase 1 and six factors in phase 2, with all eigenvalues exceeding 1 (see Appendix Table A1).…”

“…In addition to actively interacting with their peers and course instructors and engaging themselves in all classroom activities, students themselves should make use of all resources they can find to increase their exposure to and use of English, such as BBC and VOA news, Ted talks and TV episodes (Zhang, 2013;Liu and Xiangming, 2019;Wang and Cha, 2019). Autonomous learning and active responses to the unexpected pandemic are always beneficial.…”

“…Studies have evidenced that FLLA is distinguishable from general foreign language anxiety but positively correlated with it (Kim, 2002;Elkhafaifi, 2005;Bekleyen, 2009;Wang, 2010;Golchi, 2012;Serraj and Noordin, 2013). Studies have also revealed a significantly negative association of FLLA with foreign language listening performance (Elkhafaifi, 2005;Kim, 2002;Mills et al, 2006;Golchi, 2012;Serraj and Noordin, 2013;Zhang, 2013;Liu, 2016;Wang and Cha, 2019). For example, Elkhafaifi (2005) examined the effects of general foreign language learning anxiety and FLLA of 233 postsecondary students of Arabic as a foreign language on their final grades and listening comprehension scores.…”

“…Meanwhile, the current literature shows that FFLA interacts with various variables such as language proficiency, strategy use, self-efficacy and motivation to collaboratively affect listening learning outcomes, as does FLCA (e.g., Kim, 2002;Mills et al, 2006;Golchi, 2012;Liu, 2016;Xu and Huang, 2018;Wang and Cha, 2019). For example, learners with high self-efficacy in their listening capabilities become less anxious while listening to a foreign language (Kim, 2002;Mills et al, 2006).…”

“…The results showed that FLLA and strategy use were closely correlated but FLLA was not a powerful predictor for listening test performance when strategy use was considered. Wang and Cha (2019) examined the FLLA of 78 English majors of different English proficiency levels and its effect on their listening performance. They found that English proficiency mediated the effect of FLLA on students' listening performance.…”