1. Presenter: Kuo, Szu-Wei
THE EFFECTS OF BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON EFL LEARNERS’ FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANXIETY AND ACADEMIC SELF-SCHEMAS
Presenter: Kuo, Szu-Wei

2. Outline of the Presentation
Introduction
Literature Review
Methodology
Results
Q&A

3. INTRODUCTION

4. Introduction Learning happens only if students’ attitudinal variables
exist and presented, input can pass through the “affective
filter” and be used by the learner.
(Krashen,1982)
The “affective filter” is a mental block.

5. Introduction
“foreign language anxiety as a distinct complex of self-perceptions, beliefs, feelings and behaviors related to classroom language learning arising from the uniqueness of the language learning process”
(Horwitz et al.,1986,p.128)
Self-schemas refer to individual perception related to
self-image; established individuals values’ in particular
domain (Markus, 1977)

6. Purpose of Study
to investigate the effects of foreign language anxiety
and self-schemas on EFL learners' foreign language
abilities.

7. Research Questions
Is there a difference in degrees of foreign language anxiety between non-English majors and English majors?
Is there a difference in degrees of academic self-schemas between non-English majors and English majors?
What are the differences in foreign language anxiety in terms of background variables such as gender, regional differences, different lengths of time of learning English, and the number of hours spent studying English after class?

8. Research Questions
What are the differences in academic self-schemas in terms of background variables such as gender, regional differences, different lengths of time of learning English, and the number of hours spent studying English after class?
What are EFL learners’ perceptions of foreign language anxiety?
What are EFL learners’ perceptions of academic self-schemas?

9. LITERATURE REVIEW

10. Horwitz et al’s Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale

11. Horwitz et al’s Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale
Communication Apprehension
“the fear or anxiety an individual feels about orally
communicating.” (Daly,1991,p.3)
The CA associated with
a) oral communication anxiety
b) stage fright
c) listening
d) learning a spoken message
(Horwitz &Young,1991)

12. Horwitz et al’s Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale
Test Anxiety
“refers to a type of performance anxiety stemming from a fear of failure”
(Horwitz et al.,1991,p.30)
Put unrealistic demands on themselves and view the mistakes as a failure
(Horwitz et al.,1986)

13. Horwitz et al’s Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale
Fear of Negative Evaluation
“apprehension about others’ evaluations, distress over their
negative evaluation, avoidance of evaluative situations, and
the expectation that others would evaluate oneself negatively”
(Watson & Frirnd, 1969, p.449)

14. Garcia and Pintrich’s Self-Schemas Model
Affective Dimension
Self-Schemas
Model
Temporal Dimension
Value Dimension
Efficacy Dimension

15. Garcia and Pintrich’s Self-Schemas Model
Temporal Dimension
Discriminate between possible selves in the past, the
present, and the future.
(Garcia et al., 1994)
People reconstruct their past selves as a standard to
determine whether they need to change, improving, or
declining their conception.
(Greenwald, 1980 )

16. Garcia and Pintrich’s Self-Schemas Model
Value Dimension
The centrality and the importance of self-schemas.
Individual may carry different degrees of importance in self-schemas.
(Garcia &Pintrich,1993)

17. Garcia and Pintrich’s Self-Schemas Model
Efficacy Dimension
Learners’ belief that one has the capability to maintain, attain, change, or avoid a particular self-conception.
(Garcia et al.,1994)
Task persistence and individual’s exert effort are strongly bound up with self-efficacy.
(Schunk, 1995)

18. METHODOLOGY

19. Pilot Study Purpose of the Pilot Study:
Appraise the reliability of the questionnaire
Subjects’ background information
28 university English-major students

20. The Reliability of the FLCAS
Cronbach’s α
Communication Apprehension
.93
Fear of Negative Evaluation
.79
Test Anxiety
.84

21. The Reliability of the MSLQ
Self-Schemas
Cronbach’s α
Affective Dimension
.67
Temporal Dimension
.80
Efficacy Dimension
.74
Value Dimension
.92

22. Participants 75 non-English-majors 84 English-majors
159 university students
75 non-English-majors
84 English-majors

23. Instruments for Data Gathering
Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS)
Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ)
Interview

24. Instruments -33 items (5 point Likert scale)
Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS)
-33 items (5 point Likert scale)
- communication apprehension (items 1 to 14)
- fear of negative evaluation (items 15 to 30)
- test anxiety (items 31 to 33)
- Chinese version of the FLCAS: Wu (2005)

25. Instruments Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ)
- 24 items (5 point Likert scale)
- temporal dimension (items 34 to 40)
- efficacy dimension (items 41 to 50)
- value dimension (items 51 to 57)
- Chinese version of the MSLQ: Xu (2002)

26. Instruments Interview
- 6 interviewees were voluntary participated in this interview
- developed based on the questionniare& linteratures

27. Data Analysis Quantitative Data Analysis Qualitative Data Analysis
Independent-sample t test
SPSS for Windows 10.0
One-Way ANOVA
quantitative research results in-depth
Interview

28. RESULTS

29. Data Analysis of Normal Distribution
Nonparametric tests
Kolmogorov-Smirnov Z Test
Conduct Principal Component Analysis
Implement KS Z Test
multiply the condensed principal component

30. Results of Research Question 1
Is there a difference in degrees of foreign language anxiety
between non-English majors and English majors?

31. Results of Research Question 1

32. Results of Research Question 1

33. Results of Research Question 1

34. Results of Research Question 2
Is there a difference in degrees of academic self-schemas
between non-English majors and English majors?

35. Results of Research Question 2

36. Results of Research Question 2

37. Results of Research Question 2

38. Results of Research Question 3
What are the differences in foreign language anxiety
in terms of background variables such as genders,
residences, the lengths of learning English, and
different hours of studying English after class?

39. Results of Research Question 3

40. Results of Research Question 3

41. Results of Research Question 3

42. Results of Research Question 4
What are the differences in academic self-schemas
in terms of background variables such as genders,
residences, the lengths of learning English, and
different hour of studying English after class?

43. Results of Research Question 4

44. Results of Research Question 4

45. Results of Research Question 5
What are EFL learners’ perceptions toward foreign
language anxiety?
Most interviewees express:
most stressed -oral presentations
most anxious- instructors single them out to speak
English in class

46. Results of Research Question 6
What are EFL learners’ perceptions toward academic self-schemas?
Most interviewees express:
positive learning experience
- increase their learning willingness
negative learning experience
- withdraw them from effective learning

47. CONCLUSION

48. Summary of the Research Findings
First, there are no significant differences on foreign language anxiety between non-English majors and English majors.
Second, learners’ academic self-schemas such as temporal dimension, value dimension, and efficacy dimension are significantly related to EFL learners’ English performance.
Third, females have higher degree of communication apprehension in compared with males.
Fourth, there are significant differences among different residences in test anxiety.

49. Summary of the Research Findings
Fifth, significant differences are found in different hours of studying English after class in test anxiety.
Sixth, past learning experience have higher impact on males than females.
Seventh, there are significant differences among different hours of studying English after class in learners’ belief.
Next, interviewees proposes that they feel most anxious if they do not preview in advance because they are afraid of being called up to answer the questions.
Ninth, most of the interviewees state that learning experiences determine whether they need to study hard or not.

50. THANK YOU