Download pdf
Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety among Chinese Students
- 1 NingboTech University
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Foreign language speaking anxiety is a significant issue faced by many students worldwide, particularly among Chinese learners. The Chinese educational system strongly emphasizes written examinations and rote memorization. These factors often result in a relative lack of focus on developing oral communication skills. This educational approach, when coupled with cultural factors that discourage public speaking and a fear of making mistakes, can have a profound effect on students' anxiety when required to speak in a foreign language. Additionally, the high societal expectations and pressure placed on students to excel academically can increase stress levels. This study investigates the impact of foreign language speaking anxiety on Chinese students, emphasizing its causes, manifestations, effects, and strategies for reduction. A literature analysis approach is employed to identify the key factors contributing to this anxiety, and specific ways in which it manifests among Chinese students are examined, such as avoidance of speaking in class and heightened nervousness during oral exams. Furthermore, the paper explores the broader effects of speaking anxiety on students' overall language acquisition and psychological well-being. To mitigate these challenges, the study proposes a series of strategies to reduce speaking anxiety, including creating a supportive learning environment, implementing positive reinforcement techniques, integrating anxiety-reducing activities into the curriculum, and providing psychological support. These findings underscore the need for educators to adopt comprehensive strategies to alleviate anxiety and foster an atmosphere conducive to active participation and communication. This research contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of foreign language speaking anxiety and offers practical recommendations to improve language education practices in China.
Keywords
Foreign language speaking anxiety, Chinese students, Literature analysis
[1]. Oteir, I., & Al-Otaibi, A. (2019). Foreign language anxiety: A systematic review. SSRN.
[2]. Yu, Q. (2024). Foreign language anxiety research in System between 2004 and 2023: Looking back and looking forward. Frontiers in Psychology.
[3]. Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M. B., & Cope, J. (1986). Foreign language classroom anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 70(2), 125-132. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1986.tb05256.x
[4]. Liu, M., & Jackson, J. (2008). An exploration of Chinese EFL learners' unwillingness to communicate and foreign language anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 92(1), 71-86.
[5]. Yuan, R. (2023). Chinese University EFL learners’ foreign language classroom anxiety and enjoyment in an online learning environment during the COVID-19. ResearchGate.
[6]. Zhai, L. (2023). Comparison of foreign language anxiety based on four language skills in Chinese college students. BMC Psychiatry.
[7]. Jiang, Y., & Dewaele, J.-M. (2020). The predictive power of sociobiographical and linguistic variables on foreign language anxiety of Chinese university students. System.
[8]. Bai, S. (2023). Foreign language speaking anxiety among Chinese English majors: Causes, effects, and strategies. Journal of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences.
[9]. Wu, H. (2019). Chinese TESOL students’ perception of their speaking anxiety in workshops. Journal of Language and Cultural Education, 7(2), 21-34.
[10]. Yusuf, N. Y. C., Yulianto, S. W., & Maulida, I. (2023). Students’ English speaking anxiety: Levels and causes. Teaching & Learning English in Multicultural Contexts, 7(2), 112-149.
[11]. Chen, Q., Sun, W., & Wang, X. (2022). The influence of cognitive presence, social presence and teaching presence on online foreign language speaking anxiety, L2 motivational self and intended effort: A structural equation modeling approach. Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Computer Supported Education.
[12]. Dong, W. (2023). Anxiety and self-efficacy in foreign language learning speaking among Chinese students. Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media, 27, 285-289.
[13]. Liu, M., Lin, C. H., & Zhang, Y. (2023). Editorial: Dynamic roles of anxiety and motivation in second/foreign language acquisition. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1145368. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1145368
[14]. Amoah, S., & Yeboah, J. (2021). The speaking difficulties of Chinese EFL learners and their motivation towards speaking the English language. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 17(1), 56-69. DOI: 10.52462/jlls.4.
[15]. Chen, M. R. A., & Hwang, G. J. (2020). Effects of experiencing authentic contexts on English speaking performances, anxiety, and motivation of EFL students with different cognitive styles. Interactive Learning Environments. DOI: 10.1080/10494820.2020.1734626.
[16]. Turner, J. E., Li,B., & Wei, M. (2021). Exploring effects of culture on students' achievement motives and goals, self-efficacy, and willingness for public performances: The case of Chinese students' speaking English in class. Learning and Individual Differences, 85, 101943.
[17]. Li, C., & Wei, L. (2023). Anxiety, enjoyment, and boredom in language learning amongst junior secondary students in rural China: How do they contribute to L2 achievement? Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 45(1), 93-108.
[18]. Oruç, E., & Demirci, C. (2020). Foreign language anxiety and English language achievement in higher education: The mediating role of student engagement. European Journal of Education Studies.
[19]. Chen, Z., & Zhang, P. (2022). Trait emotional intelligence and second language performance: a case study of Chinese EFL learners. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 43(8), 731-745.
[20]. Dikmen, M. (2021). EFL Learners' Foreign Language Learning Anxiety and Language Performance: A Meta-Analysis Study. International Journal of Contemporary Educational Research, 8(3), 206-222.
[21]. Park, H., & French, B. F. (2013). Gender differences in the foreign language classroom anxiety scale. System, 41(2), 462-471.
[22]. Zhou, J. (2016). Foreign language reading anxiety in a Chinese as a foreign language context. Reading in a Foreign Language, 28(2), 215-232.
[23]. Yan, J. X., & Horwitz, E. K. (2008). Learner's perceptions of how anxiety interacts with personal and instructional factors to influence their achievement in English: A qualitative analysis of EFL learners in China. Language Learning, 58(1), 151-183.
[24]. He, D. (2017). How to cope with foreign language speaking anxiety effectively? The case of university students in China. Electronic Journal of Foreign Language Teaching, 14(2).
[25]. Jin, Y., Dewaele, J. M., & MacIntyre, P. D. (2021). Reducing anxiety in the foreign language classroom: A positive psychology approach. System, 101, 102604.
[26]. El Shazly, R. (2021). Effects of artificial intelligence on English speaking anxiety and speaking performance: A case study. Expert Systems, 38(3), e12667.
[27]. Woodrow, L. (2006). Anxiety and speaking English as a second language. RELC Journal, 37(3), 308-328.
Cite this article
Yan,K. (2024). Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety among Chinese Students. Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media,54,253-261.
Data availability
The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.
Disclaimer/Publisher's Note
The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of EWA Publishing and/or the editor(s). EWA Publishing and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.
About volume
Volume title: Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Education Innovation and Philosophical Inquiries
© 2024 by the author(s). Licensee EWA Publishing, Oxford, UK. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and
conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. Authors who
publish this series agree to the following terms:
1. Authors retain copyright and grant the series right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this
series.
2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the series's published
version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial
publication in this series.
3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and
during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See
Open access policy for details).