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Article published In:
Dutch Journal of Applied Linguistics
Vol. 4:1 (2015) ► pp.67–85

Factors associated with foreign language anxiety

A study of Chinese university learners of Japanese and English

| University of Groningen

This paper reports a study that investigates and compares the effects of foreign language proficiency, social status of a learner’s family, self-esteem, and competitiveness on FL anxiety. Chinese university students (N = 146), who were learning Japanese and English, participated in this study. Social status data were collected once with the Social Status Scale. Other variables were measured twice over a two-month interval, using the Competitiveness Index, the Self-esteem Scale, the English/Japanese Classroom Anxiety Scale, and the English/Japanese Proficiency Scale. Results showed that foreign language proficiency, competitiveness, and self-esteem all significantly predicted foreign language anxiety levels. Foreign language proficiency was the best predictor, followed by self-esteem, then competitiveness. A negative relationship was revealed between these predictor variables and foreign language anxiety. Social status was not related to foreign language anxiety, either directly or indirectly.

Keywords: Social status, foreign language proficiency, foreign language anxiety, competitiveness, self-esteem
Published online: 17 August 2015
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/dujal.4.1.07jin
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