Who Are Our Students? A Synthesis of Foreign and Second Language Research on Individual Differences with Implications for Instructional Practice

Oxford, Rebecca L.

doi:10.18806/tesl.v9i2.602

Cited by 62 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…In addition, the level of teaching materials, learners' motivation levels, teachers, learners' perceptions of the target culture are some of the factors that are related to FLA (Bailey, 1983;Oxford, 1992;Price, 1991;Sparks & Ganschow, 1991;Young, 1990). However, the effects of FLA vary when the learning process and beneficial and harmful outcomes are considered.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Descriptive Study on Foreign Language Anxiety among Children

Aydın¹,

Harputlu²,

Çelik³

et al. 2017

HUJE

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While research demonstrates that foreign language anxiety (FLA) has both facilitating and debilitating effects on achievement in the foreign language learning process, there are no data on the mentioned issue in the Turkish context regarding children who learn English as a foreign language (EFL). Therefore, this study aims to investigate the levels of FLA among Turkish children who learn EFL at school settings. The sample group in the study consisted of 494 Turkish EFL learners enrolled at primary and secondary schools. The data collection instruments consisted of a background questionnaire and the Children's Foreign Language Anxiety Scale (CFLAS). The frequencies, mean scores and standard deviations were calculated. The results indicated that examinations and grammar-based language activities are the reasons of a moderate level of anxiety. Unpreparedness before speaking, fear of making mistakes, unfamiliar topics, negative evaluation by other students and fear of failing are other sources of a high level of FLA among children. Given that FLA constitutes a considerable problem in the Turkish EFL context regarding children, several practical recommendations are given.Keywords: Children, English as a foreign language, foreign language anxiety ÖZ: Yapılan araştırmalar, kaygının yabancı dil öğrenme süreci üzerinde hem faydalı hem de zararlı etkilerinin olduğunu göstermekle beraber, İngilizceyi yabancı dil olarak öğrenen çocuklar arasında kaygı düzeyleri üzerine yeterli ölçüde veri de bulunmamaktadır. Bu nedene dayalı olarak, mevcut çalışma, okul ortamında İngilizceyi yabancı dil olarak öğrenen çocuklar arasındaki olası kaygıyı inceleme amacı taşımaktadır. Çalışmanın örneklem grubu, ilk ve ortaokul düzeyine öğrenim gören ve yaşları 7 -12 arasında değişen 494 çocuktan oluşmaktadır. Veri toplama aracı olarak bir arka plan anketi ve Çocuklarda Yabancı Dil Kaygı Ölçeği kullanılmıştır. Toplanan veri için yüzdelik frekans, aritmetik ortalama ve standart sapma hesaplanmıştır. Sonuçlar, sınavların ve dilbilgisi tabanlı dil öğretme ve öğrenme etkinliklerinin ılımlı düzeyde kaygı nedeni olduğunu göstermektedir. Ek olarak, konuşma etkinliklerine hazırlıksız olarak katılma, hata yapma korkusu, içeriği bilinmeyen konular ve başarısızlık korkusunun çocuklarda yüksek düzeyde kaygı doğurmaktadır. Çalışmanın sonunda, çocuklar arasındaki yabancı dil kaygısının önemli bir sorun olduğu dikkate alınarak, bir takım öneriler sıralanmıştır.Anahtar sözcükler: Çocuklar, yabancı dil olarak İngilizce, yabancı dil kaygısı

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Descriptive Study on Foreign Language Anxiety among Children

Aydın¹,

Harputlu²,

Çelik³

et al. 2017

HUJE

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Learners' individual differences, such as age and learning strategies uses, have been ignored as a part of the instructional process. Many studies revealed that individual differences play an important role in second or foreign language acquisition (Ehrman, 1990;Galbraith & Gardner, 1988;Oxford, 1992;Oxford & Ehrman, 1993;Scarcella & Oxford, 1992;Skehan, 1989). Among these individual-difference variables, "language learning strategies appear to be among the most important variables influencing performance in a second language" (Oxford, 1989, p. 21).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Age Differences in the Use of Language Learning Strategies

Chen

2014

ELT

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The purpose of the study was to investigate language learning strategies used by English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners at different educational levels and explored the influence of age on the use of language learning strategies. A total of 1,023 students participated in the study. Out of the participants, there were 250 primary students (aged 10-12), 245 junior high school students (aged 13-15), 249 senior high school students (aged 16-18), and 279 tertiary students (aged 20-22). The instrument for data collection was the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL). Results showed that statistically significant relationships existed between different age groups and the use of memory strategies, compensation strategies, metacognitive strategies, and affective strategies. Specifically, secondary and tertiary students reported using compensation strategies more frequently than primary students (p = .000). Tertiary students used social and affective strategies more frequently than did other age groups. The result indicated that age increase is likely to encourage learners to use strategies with more emphasis on the social and functional strategies. Implications are that it is critical for teachers to be more aware of the differences in their students and adjust their teaching practices to meet the developmental needs of students.

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“…While some of them indicated learners' beliefs about learning a foreign language, teachers' beliefs about teaching a foreign language, classroom procedures and testing as the main sources of anxiety (Young, 1990), the others showed the level of language course, language skills, motivation, and proficiency as being other factors arousing anxiety (Ellis & Rathbone, 1987;Oxford, 1992;Price, 1991;Sparks & Ganschow, 1991). But, it can be said prior studies focused on the identification of foreign language anxiety.…”

Section: Anxiety and Foreign Language Learningmentioning

confidence: 99%

The prediction of undergraduates’ self-regulation strategies, motivational beliefs, attitudes towards English, and speaking anxiety on foreign language classroom anxiety

2017

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Individual differences are considered as important factors in the language learning process. Apart from individual differences, affective factors such as attitudes and motivation of individuals and their anxiety levels which affect the individuals' language learning directly or indirectly are also believed as significant impacts in this process. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to examine the relationship between self-regulation strategies, motivational beliefs, attitudes, speaking anxiety and foreign language classroom anxiety and to investigate the predictive power of these variables for foreign language classroom anxiety. The relational model was used in the current study. The research group included 320 male (65.6 %) and 168 female (34.4 %) English preparatory students at Istanbul Technical University. Attitudes toward English Lesson Scale, Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety Questionnaire, The Motivational Strategies for Learning Questionnaire, and Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale were used as the data collection tool. The statistical methods used for analyses were correlation and multiple regression. The findings indicated that there is a significant positive correlation between foreign language classroom anxiety and self-regulation, test anxiety, and foreign language speaking anxiety. Also, there is significant negative correlation between foreign language classroom anxiety and selfefficacy intrinsic value perception, and attitude towards English. Moreover, self-efficacy, test anxiety, attitude towards English, and foreign language speaking anxiety are predictors of the university students' foreign language classroom anxiety.

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Who Are Our Students? A Synthesis of Foreign and Second Language Research on Individual Differences with Implications for Instructional Practice

Cited by 62 publications

References 30 publications

A Descriptive Study on Foreign Language Anxiety among Children

A Descriptive Study on Foreign Language Anxiety among Children

Age Differences in the Use of Language Learning Strategies

The prediction of undergraduates’ self-regulation strategies, motivational beliefs, attitudes towards English, and speaking anxiety on foreign language classroom anxiety

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