1、毕 业 论 文Effects of Anxiety on Undergraduate Students Productive Skills of English Learning焦虑对大学生在英语学习中产出性技能的影响系 别： 外语系专 业 名 称： 英语学 生 姓 名：学 号： 指导教师姓名、职称 ： 完成日期 年 月 日iAbstractAnxiety is regarded as a significant factor of affective factors in second language acquisition. Many learners have suffered dif
2、ferent levels of anxiety in their learning. Generally speaking, second language learning can be divided into four aspects: listening, reading, writing and speaking, among which speaking and writing are considered to be the input or production of language, which plays a vital role in universitys Engl
3、ish learning.In order to comprehend effects of anxiety on undergraduate students productive skills in English learning, this thesis attempts to elaborate what is anxiety from psychological perspective and cognitive perspective. What is productive skills comes to the next. By questionnaires and inter
4、views , I find out that some undergraduates are exposed to anxiety on productive skills in English learning. According to researches and analyses done by psychologists, in writing, anxiety may impose influence on ones writing habits, learning attitude, quantity and quality of writings and choices of
5、 career. In speaking, anxiety may affect learners expression in oral exams, eye-contact and ones attitude towards tests.Moreover, some methods to reduce anxiety are proposed in order to help undergraduates realize the effects of writing and speaking anxiety on ones examinations, studies and life, wh
6、ich can reduce anxiety, improve academic achievement and learning efficacy.Key words: anxiety; productive skill; effects ii摘 要在第二语言的学习中，焦虑，被认为是情感因素中一个重要的因素，而大多数的学习者在第二语言的学习的过程中，都有过不同程度的语言焦虑。二语学习通常可被分为听、说、读、写四种形式，其中说和写是语言的产生，或被称为语言输入，它们在大学英语学习中都是不可替代的角色。为了了解二语焦虑对大学生产出性技能的影响，本文会先从心理的角度和认知的角度的出发，来阐述什么焦
7、虑。其次，本文会阐述什么是语言学习中的产出性技能。通过对大学生进行问卷调查和访谈，我们发现焦虑对现在的大学生在英语学习中的产出性技能（写作和口语）上有着不同程度的影响。根据调查和心理学家们的分析：在英语写作中，焦虑会对学生写作的行为习惯，学习写作的态度，作文的长度和质量以及对职业选择都会有不同程度的影响。而在英语口语方面，焦虑会影响学生在口语考试中的发挥，使用英语时的肢体动作，眼神交流和对考试的心态。本文还针对产出性技能的两个方面提出了一些减缓焦虑的方法，希望帮助大学生认识到写作焦虑和口语焦虑对考试、学习和生活的影响，并且可以采取有效的措施来降低焦虑，提高学习成绩和学习效率。关键词：焦虑；产出
8、性技能；大学生；影响 CONTENTSIntroduction 1Chapter One Anxiety and Productive Skills21.1 Definition of Anxiety .21.2 Classification of Anxiety21.3 Productive Skills.2Chapter Two A Research Study on Anxiety 52.1 Aims 52.2 Subjects.52.3 Instruments .52.3.1 Questionnaires.52.3.2 Interviews 62.4 Analysis of the R
9、esearch 6Chapter Three Anxiety on Writing in Undergraduates English Learning .83.1 Definition of Writing Anxiety 83.2 Effects of Anxiety on Writing 83.3 Methods to Reduce Writing Anxiety9Chapter Four Studies of Speaking Writing Anxiety on Undergraduates English Learning 114.1 Definition of Speaking
10、Anxiety114.2 Effects of Anxiety on Speaking114.3 Methods to ease Writing Anxiety.12Conclusion.14References .15Acknowledgements.171IntroductionWith the rapid development of globalization, English, an universal language, plays a vital role in peoples work and study. As a compulsory course in universit
11、y, more and more undergraduates attach importance to it. Traditional studies on second language acquisition usually think highly of intelligent factors while ignore non-intelligent factors, such as anxiety, motivation and attitudes. However, anxiety, a psychological reaction, is considered to be one
12、 of the emotional factors in foreign language learning. life is filled with countless communications while speaking is the most frequent way we used to communicate. Meanwhile, English writing is a significant course in English learning, which is recognized as the basic and difficult task by teachers
13、 and students. Thereby, productive skills can be a reflection of ones English ability.As we known , there is a negative correlation between anxiety and productive skills. In this thesis, I want to find out how does anxiety affect undergraduates on their productive skills. By implementing the researc
14、h, we can know that anxiety can be reflect by students behavior, attitude towards English learning even their eye contact and career choice. According to the analyses of the research, some suggestions for undergraduates to reduce their anxiety would be given.In this thesis, chapter one illustrate de
15、finitions and classifications of anxiety and productive skills.Chapter two describe the research implemented by questionnaires and interview, including the analysis of the research.Chapter three and four reveal specific definition of writing anxiety and speaking anxiety respectively and clarify the
16、effect of anxiety on writing and speaking. Suggestions for students to reduce writing and speaking anxiety are also represented. 2Chapter OneAnxiety and Productive skillsDifferent types of anxiety and some basic definitions needed to be illustrated at first in order to provide a valid background and
17、 a well-founded preparation for the following research and discussions of causes and effects.1.1 Definition of AnxietyAnxiety is a high-frequency vocabulary in psychology, which generally refer to a complex feeling including worry, fear, distress and malaise etc. Although many psychologists, educato
18、rs and well-known scholars have already defined anxiety from different aspects, they have never settled an accurate and universal meaning for anxiety till now. Spielberger(1972), a famous scholar, said that anxiety is an unpleasant emotional state or condition that is characterized by subjective fee
19、lings of tension, apprehension, and worry, and by activation or arousal of the automatic nervous system. Hilgrad and Atkinson(1971) defined anxiety as a state of apprehension, a vague fear that is indirectly associated with an object. Some language teachers and learners also believe anxiety impose a
20、n adverse effect in learners academic performances and achievements.1.2 Classification of anxietyAnxiety is generally categorized into psychological aspect and cognitive aspect. Since 1980s, some scholars put forward a new concept, called foreign language anxiety, in order to study the anxiety in fo
21、reign language learning.1.2.1 Psychological Aspect Anxiety is classified into trait anxiety, state anxiety and situation-specific anxiety according to MacIntyre and Gardner(1991).Trait anxiety is defined as individual likelihood of becoming anxious in any situation(Steinberg.1986). Spielberger(1983)
22、 said it is considered to be an aspect of personality for a person to be anxious in a number of different situations. He(Spielberger,1983) also said state anxiety can be defined as apprehension that is experienced at a particular moment in times as a response to definite situation. In 1991, 3Maclnty
23、re and Gardner thought as a combination of trait anxiety and situation-specific anxiety, this emotional state is transient and changeable in time. These famous psychologists have already put forward many theories and opinions on the classification of anxiety. A heated discussion about the classifica
24、tion had existed for a period of time and some of them faced criticism from other psychologists. They thought that trait anxiety and state anxiety is not precise and practical .The fact is that trait anxiety needs a specific context .Otherwise, it is meaningless; and in state anxiety, psychologists
25、dont take the sources of anxiety into consideration. Therefore, situation-specific anxiety is regarded as a better explanation of anxiety. This type of anxiety is more practical and valued. It can enhance peoples comprehension towards anxiety; meanwhile, it provided us with significant results and p
26、ractical experimental data.1.2.2 Cognitive Aspect In cognitive aspect, scholars categorized anxiety into two perspectives. One is facilitating anxiety, the other is debilitating anxiety. Based on the effects of anxiety on performances of language learners, a distinction was made between facilitating
27、 anxiety and debilitating anxiety. (Alpert some scholars think many revisions are needed in the theory. Owing to the controversy in anxiety and practical effect in foreign language learning, this theory still becomes the key interest in this area.1.3 Productive SkillsProductive skill, also called ac
28、tive skills, is the competency to communicate actively in the foreign tongue, including speaking and writing. When learners begin to learn a foreign language, most of them are exposed to productive skills subconsciously. Productive skills exist in language learning with the support of receptive ones
29、. For example, listening and reading are passive knowledge. Both of them are beneficial to learners to activate their grammar structure, vocabulary lists, and sounds of a foreign language. That is to say, receptive skills and productive skills are closely related and cannot exist without the other,
30、which means they enjoy a reciprocal relationship in foreign language learning. When we learning the foreign language, receptive skills are prior to productive skills and neither of 5them can be omitted. Otherwise, the final outcome of learning will be incomplete. Moreover, learners understanding of
31、language normally surpass ones ability to speak. According to Swain(1985), if we do not take productive skills seriously, students are likely to master only the usage of the language instead of the use of language. Therefore, many instructors attach importance to promote communicative competence ins
32、tead of concentrate attention to a accuracy.6Chapter TwoA Research Study on AnxietyIn order to make a logical and reliable data for this thesis, I use questionnaires and interviews to see the current anxiety state of undergraduates.2.1 Aim . The aim of this research is to examine whether undergradua
33、tes suffer anxiety in English learning and to see the general anxiety state of undergraduates. As the result, analyses and conclusions can be found out in the research. Meanwhile, some specific suggestions can be given to ease undergraduates anxiety in English learning in order to control the anxiet
34、y in a suitable range and help undergraduates to improve their academic performance in English learning and enhance teachers teaching effectiveness in classes.2.2 SubjectsParticipants in this research are 50 undergrauates, consisting 21 males and 29 females. Most of them have learned English more th
35、an 12 years since primary school. All of them are willing to take part in this research and some of them want to know the result and gain some effective suggestion to improve their English study.2.3 InstrumentsQuestionnaires and interviews are used to investigate whether university students have the
36、 feeling of anxiety in English Learning.2.3.1 QuestionnairesThis Questionnaire is consisting of 12 questions which are adapted from the FLCAS (Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale) by Horwitz et al (1986) and the SLWAI(Second Language Writing Anxiety Inventory) designed by Cheng(2004).FLCAS deve
37、loped by Horwitz(1986) consist of three main sources of anxiety which are communication apprehension, test anxiety and fear of negative evaluation. I choose two question from each source. Question 1 and question 6 are responsible for test anxiety. 7Question 2 and 4 belong to negative evaluation. Que
38、stion 3 and 5 belong to communication apprehension.SLWAI created by Cheng(2004) is used to measure anxiety in English Writing. The scale have divided into three categories, including somatic anxiety(question 2 therefore, they can speak freely in the interview. The topic of the interview is what may
39、cause you have the feeling of anxiety in English speaking and writing. 2.4 Analysis of the ResearchIn questionnaires, there are four question answered by fifty participants. 9In interviews, most of the participants were active and willing to share their opinions and feeling. All of the participants
40、said that they had ever experienced the feeling of anxiety in English learning. Some of them said it frequently happened in class when they failed to answer teachers questions. The other said they felt anxious when they could not understand others saying during the communication.When it comes to the
41、 cause of anxiety especially in speaking and writing, most of them gave more than three reasons to the answer by specific examples. Among various answers, the following three are frequently said by participants.In speaking:1. I would become nervous if I have to answer questions in English class with
42、out any preparation.2. I would be nervous when I speak with the native speaker.103. I sometimes think other students can speak a better language than me in classes.In writing:4. I cannot write very well in writing from childhood.5. I think I lack practices and skills in writing.6. I think I cannot f
43、ind out the accurate words in writing.After finishing questionnaires and interviews, a clear conclusion is that some undergraduates have experienced the feeling of anxiety during learning English and the level of anxiety is not high. In questionnaires, more undergraduates suffer speaking anxiety on
44、communication apprehension and negative evaluation comes the second. In writing anxiety, somatic anxiety impose more negative influence on undergraduates and avoidance anxiety is the next.In interview, it is not hard to figure out communication apprehension affect most people in language learning an
45、xiety and a negative evaluation comes to the second. The result of this research also accord with Horwitzs theory.Chapter ThreeStudies of Anxiety on Writing in Undergraduates English LearningWriting is one aspect of productive skill. Writing anxiety has a specific definition and effects in English L
46、earning including in behaviors, attitudes and written products.Facing with writing anxiety, some methods are provided for teachers to use.3.1 Definition of Writing Anxiety Writing anxiety is regarded as writing apprehension, coined by Daly and Mille (1975).It refers to a situation and subject specif
47、ic individual difference associated with a persons tendencies to approach or avoid situations perceived to potentially require writing accompanied by some amount of perceived evaluations (Daly for instance, high expectations .students willingness and motivation may get influenced by anxiety.3.2 Effe
48、cts of Anxiety on WritingWriting anxiety is related to students poor performances on English writing exams and in job requiring writing (Cheng, 2004).In Daly(1978)s opinion, he believes writing apprehension impose certain influence on individuals general predisposition to respond favorably or unfavo
49、rably in different situation where writing is required. According to the essay written by Daly and his colleagues in 1981, they said writing anxiety influences ones behaviors, attitude and written products and I summarize his finding as followed:In behaviors:1. They are willing to choose careers which need little or no writing.2. They are inclined to refuse the courses which need writing as a basis.3. They write little after class.4. They do not necessarily lack motivation.In attitudes:1. Most of them have lower self-confidence.2. They may have received nega
