The Correlation Between Foreign Language Motivation and Classroom Anxiety at Various Proficiency Levels

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to examine whether strongly motivated foreign language learners experience the decrease in classroom anxiety. As the subjects of her research the author is going to use 3rd year students of English in The Teacher Training College in Tychy and 1st and 2nd year students of English in the Higher School of Labour Protection Management in Katowice. As her research tools she is going to use Horwitz’s (1987) Beliefs about Language Learning Inventory, Gardners’s (2004) Attitude/Motivation Test Battery and Horwitz et al. (1986) Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale. By comparing the answers obtained as a result of administering the above mentioned research tools the author hopes to confirm her assumption that, depending on the proficiency level, low anxiety increases motivation but also that highly motivated learners suffer from lower level of anxiety. In the author’s opinion anxiety influences motivation to a larger extent among less proficient learners who seem to be more anxious than more proficient learners.

Appendices

Appendix 1

Beliefs about Language Learning (Horwitz 1987)

Read each belief and circle the number that shows your opinion.

It is easier for children than adults to learn a foreign language	1	2	3	4	5
Some people have a special ability for learning foreign languages	1	2	3	4	5
People from my country are good at learning foreign languages	1	2	3	4	5
It is easier for someone who already speaks a foreign language to learn another one	1	2	3	4	5
People who are good at maths or science are not good at learning foreign languages	1	2	3	4	5
I have a special ability for learning foreign languages	1	2	3	4	5
Women are better than men at learning languages	1	2	3	4	5
People who speak more than one language are very intelligent	1	2	3	4	5
Everyone can learn to speak a foreign language	1	2	3	4	5
Some languages are easier than others	1	2	3	4	5
The English language is: 1 = very difficult; 2 = difficult; 3 = medium difficult; 4 = easy; 5 = very easy	1	2	3	4	5
If someone spent 1 h a day learning a language, how long would it take them to speak the language very well? 1 = less than a year;2 = 1-2 years;3 = 3-5 years;4 = 5-10 years; 5 = you can’t learn a language in 1 h per day	1	2	3	4	5
It is easier to speak than understand a foreign language	1	2	3	4	5
It is easier to read and write in English than to speak and understand it	1	2	3	4	5
It is necessary to learn about English speaking cultures to speak English	1	2	3	4	5
It is best to learn English in an English speaking country	1	2	3	4	5
The most important part of learning a foreign language is learning new words	1	2	3	4	5
The most important part of learning a foreign language is learning grammar	1	2	3	4	5
Learning a foreign language is different than learning other academic subjects	1	2	3	4	5
The most important part of learning English is learning how to transfer from my own language	1	2	3	4	5
It is important to speak English with an excellent pronunciation	1	2	3	4	5
You shouldn’t say anything in English until you can say it correctly	1	2	3	4	5
I enjoy practicing English with the English I meet	1	2	3	4	5
It’s OK to guess if you don’t know a word in English	1	2	3	4	5
It is important to repeat and practice a lot	1	2	3	4	5
I feel shy speaking English with other people	1	2	3	4	5
If beginning students are allowed to make mistakes in English, it will be difficult for them to speak correctly later on	1	2	3	4	5
It’s important to practice with cassettes/tapes or CD Roms	1	2	3	4	5
I believe I will learn to speak English very well	1	2	3	4	5
People in my country feel that it is important to speak English	1	2	3	4	5
I would like to learn English so that I can get to know the English better	1	2	3	4	5
If I learn to speak English very well I will have better job opportunities	1	2	3	4	5
I want learn to speak English very well	1	2	3	4	5
I would like to have English friends	1	2	3	4	5

1. 1 = strongly agree, 2 = agree, 3 = neither agree nor disagree, 4 = disagree, 5 = strongly disagree

Appendix 2

Attitude/Motivation Test Battery (Gardner 2004)

Following are a number of statements. Please circle one alternative below each statement according to the amount of your agreement or disagreement with that item.

I wish I could speak many foreign languages perfectly	1	2	3	4	5	6
My parents try to help me to learn English	1	2	3	4	5	6
I don’t pay much attention to the feedback I receive in my English class	1	2	3	4	5	6
I don’t get anxious when I have to answer a question in my English class	1	2	3	4	5	6
I look forward to going to class because my English teacher is good	1	2	3	4	5	6
Learning English is really great	1	2	3	4	5	6
If Poland had no contact with English-speaking countries, it would be a great loss	1	2	3	4	5	6
Studying English is important because it will allow me to be more at ease with people who speak English	1	2	3	4	5	6
I have a strong desire to know all aspects of English	1	2	3	4	5	6
My English class is really a waste of time	1	2	3	4	5	6
I would get nervous if I had to speak English to a tourist	1	2	3	4	5	6
Studying foreign languages is not enjoyable	1	2	3	4	5	6
I make a point of trying to understand all the English I see and hear	1	2	3	4	5	6
I don’t think my English teacher is very good	1	2	3	4	5	6
Studying English is important because I will need it for my career	1	2	3	4	5	6
I never feel quite sure of myself when I am speaking in our English class	1	2	3	4	5	6
Knowing English isn’t really an important goal in my life	1	2	3	4	5	6
I hate English	1	2	3	4	5	6
I feel very much at ease when I have to speak English	1	2	3	4	5	6
I would rather spend more time in my English class and less in other classes	1	2	3	4	5	6
I wish I could read newspapers and magazines in many foreign languages	1	2	3	4	5	6
My parents feel that it is very important for me to learn English	1	2	3	4	5	6
I don’t bother checking my assignments when I get them back from my English teacher	1	2	3	4	5	6
I feel confident when asked to speak in my English class	1	2	3	4	5	6
My English teacher is better than any of my other teachers	1	2	3	4	5	6
I really enjoy learning English	1	2	3	4	5	6
Most native speakers are so friendly and easy to get along with, we are fortunate to have them as friends	1	2	3	4	5	6
Studying English is important because it will allow me to meet and converse with more and varied people	1	2	3	4	5	6
If it were up to me, I would spend all of my time learning English	1	2	3	4	5	6
I think my English class is boring	1	2	3	4	5	6
Speaking English anywhere makes me feel worried	1	2	3	4	5	6
I really have no interest in foreign languages	1	2	3	4	5	6
I keep up to date with English by working on it almost every day	1	2	3	4	5	6
The less i see of my English teacher, the better	1	2	3	4	5	6
Studying English is important because it will make me more educated	1	2	3	4	5	6
It embarrasses me to volunteer answers in our English class	1	2	3	4	5	6
I sometimes daydream about dropping English	1	2	3	4	5	6
I would rather spend my time on subjects other than English	1	2	3	4	5	6
It doesn’t bother me at all to speak English	1	2	3	4	5	6
I wish I could have many native English speaking friends	1	2	3	4	5	6
I enjoy the activities of our English class much more than those of my other classes	1	2	3	4	5	6
I would really like to learn many foreign languages	1	2	3	4	5	6
My parents feel that I should continue studying English all through school	1	2	3	4	5	6
I put off my English homework as much as possible	1	2	3	4	5	6
I am calm whenever I have to speak in my English class	1	2	3	4	5	6
My English teacher has a dynamic and interesting teaching style	1	2	3	4	5	6
English is a very important part of the school program	1	2	3	4	5	6
My parents have stressed the importance English will have for me when I leave school	1	2	3	4	5	6
Native English speakers are very sociable and kind	1	2	3	4	5	6
Studying English is important because it will enable me to better understand and appreciate the English way of life	1	2	3	4	5	6
I want to learn English so well that it will become natural to me	1	2	3	4	5	6
To be honest, I really have little interest in my English class	1	2	3	4	5	6
Native English speakers have much to be proud about because they have given the world much of value	1	2	3	4	5	6
It would bother me if I had to speak English on the telephone	1	2	3	4	5	6
It is not important for us to learn foreign languages	1	2	3	4	5	6
When I have a problem understanding something in my English class, I always ask my teacher for help	1	2	3	4	5	6
My parents urge me to seek help from my teacher if i am having problems with my English	1	2	3	4	5	6
My English teacher is one of the least pleasant people I know	1	2	3	4	5	6
Studying English is important because it will be useful in getting a good job	1	2	3	4	5	6
It worries me that other students in my class seem to speak English better than I do	1	2	3	4	5	6
I’m losing any desire I ever had to know English	1	2	3	4	5	6
Learning English is a waste of time	1	2	3	4	5	6
I would feel quite relaxed if I had to give street directions in English	1	2	3	4	5	6
I like my English class so much, I look forward to studying more English in the future	1	2	3	4	5	6
If I planned to stay in another country, I would try to learn their language	1	2	3	4	5	6
My parents are very interested in everything I do in my English class	1	2	3	4	5	6
I tend to give up and not pay attention when I don’t understand my English teacher’s explanation of something	1	2	3	4	5	6
I don’t understand why other students feel nervous about speaking English in class	1	2	3	4	5	6
My English teacher is a great source of inspiration for me	1	2	3	4	5	6
I plan to learn as much English as possible	1	2	3	4	5	6
I would like to know more native English speakers	1	2	3	4	5	6
Studying English is important because I will be able to interact more easily with speakers of English	1	2	3	4	5	6
I would like to learn as much English as possible	1	2	3	4	5	6
To be honest, I don’t like my English class	1	2	3	4	5	6
I would feel uncomfortable speaking English anywhere outside the classroom	1	2	3	4	5	6
Most foreign languages sound crude and harsh	1	2	3	4	5	6
I really work hard to learn English	1	2	3	4	5	6
I would prefer to have a different English teacher	1	2	3	4	5	6
Studying English is important because other people will respect me more if I know English	1	2	3	4	5	6
I get nervous when I am speaking in my English class	1	2	3	4	5	6
To be honest, I really have no desire to learn English	1	2	3	4	5	6
I think that learning English is dull	1	2	3	4	5	6
I would feel comfortable speaking English where both Polish and English speakers were present	1	2	3	4	5	6
I look forward to the time I spend in English class	1	2	3	4	5	6
I enjoy meeting people who speak foreign languages	1	2	3	4	5	6
My parents encourage me to practice my English as much as possible	1	2	3	4	5	6
I can’t be bothered trying to understand the more complex aspects of English	1	2	3	4	5	6
Students who claim they get nervous in English classes are just making excuses	1	2	3	4	5	6
I really like my English teacher	1	2	3	4	5	6
I love learning English	1	2	3	4	5	6
The more I get to know native English speakers, the more I like them	1	2	3	4	5	6
I wish I were fluent in English	1	2	3	4	5	6
I have a hard time thinking of anything positive about my English class	1	2	3	4		6
I feel anxious if someone asks me something in English	1	2	3	4	5	6
I would rather see a TV program dubbed into our language than in its own language with subtitles	1	2	3	4	5	6
When I am studying English, I ignore distractions and pay attention to my task	1	2	3	4	5	6
My English teacher doesn’t present materials in an interesting way	1	2	3	4	5	6
I am sometimes anxious that other students in class will laugh at me when I speak	1	2	3	4	5	6
I haven’t any great wish to learn more than the basics of English	1	2	3	4	5	6
When I leave school, I will give up the study of English because i am not interested in it	1	2	3	4	5	6
I would feel calm and sure of myself if I had to order a meal in English	1	2	3	4	5	6
English is one of my favorite courses	1	2	3	4	5	6
My parents think I should devote more time to studying English	1	2	3	4	5
You can always trust native speakers	1	2	3	4	5	6

1. 1 = strongly disagree, 2 = moderately disagree, 3 = slightly disagree, 4 = slightly agree 5 = moderately, agree 6 = strongly agree

Rate each of the following items in terms of how you feel about it. Each item is followed by a scale that has a label on the left and another on the right, and the numbers 1 to 7 between the two ends. For each item, please circle any one of the numbers from 1 to 7 that best describes you.

• 1. My motivation to learn English in order to communicate with English speaking people is:

  WEAK____1:____2:____3:____4:____5:___6:___7: STRONG

• 2. My attitude toward English speaking people is:

  UNFAVORABLE___1:___2:___3:___4:___5:___6:___7:FAVORABLE

• 3. My interest in foreign language is:

  VERY LOW____1:___2:___3:___4:___5:___6:___7: VERY HIGH

• 4. My desire to learn English is:

  WEAK____1:____2:____3:____4:____5:____6:____7:STRONG

• 5. My attitude toward learning English is:

  UNFAVOURABLE____1:___2:___3:___4:___5:___6:___7:FAVORABLE

• 6. My attitude toward my English teacher is:

  UNVAFOURABLE___1:___2:___3:___4:___5:___6:___7:FAVORABLE

• 7. My motivation to learn English for practical purposes (e.g. To get a good job) is:

  WEAK___1:___2:___3:___4:___5:___6:___7:STRONG

• 8. I worry about speaking English outside of class:

  VERY LITTLE___1:___2:___3:___4:___5:___6:___7: VERY MUCH

• 9. My attitude toward my English course is:

  UNFAVORABLE___1:___2:___3:___4:___5:___6:___7: FAVORABLE

• 10. I worry about speaking in my English class:

  VERY LITTLE___1:___2:___3:___4:___5:___6:___7 VERY MUCH

• 11. My motivation to learn English is:

  VERY LOW___1:___2:___3:___4:___5:___6:___7: VERY HIGH

• 12. My parents encourage me to learn English:

  VERY LITTLE___1:___2:___3:___4:___5:___6:___7: VERY MUCH

Appendix 3

Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (Horwitz et al. 1986)

Circle the appropriate number which refers to the opinion you agree with most.

I never feel quite sure of myself when I am speaking in my foreign language class	1	2	3	4	5
I don’t worry about making mistakes in language class	1	2	3	4	5
I tremble when I know that I’m going to be called on in language class	1	2	3	4	5
It frightens me when i don’t understand what the teacher is saying in the foreign language	1	2	3	4	5
It wouldn’t bother me at all to take more foreign language classes	1	2	3	4	5
During language classes, I find myself thinking about things that have nothing to do with the course	1	2	3	4	5
I keep thinking that the other students are better at languages than I am	1	2	3	4	5
I am usually at ease during tests in my language class	1	2	3	4	5
I start to panic when I have to speak without preparation in language class	1	2	3	4	5
I worry about the consequences of failing my foreign language class	1	2	3	4	5
I don’t understand why some people get so upset over foreign language classes	1	2	3	4	5
In language class, I get so nervous I forget things I know	1	2	3	4	5
It embarrasses me to volunteer answers in my language class	1	2	3	4	5
I would be nervous speaking the foreign language with native speakers	1	2	3	4	5
I get upset when I don’t understand what the teacher is correcting	1	2	3	4	5
Even if I am well prepared for language class, I feel anxious about it	1	2	3	4	5
I often feel like not going to my language class	1	2	3	4	5
I feel confident when I speak in foreign language class	1	2	3	4	5
I am afraid that my language teacher is ready to correct every mistake I make	1	2	3	4	5
I can feel my heart pounding when I’m going to be called on in language class	1	2	3	4	5
The more I study for a language test, the more confused I get	1	2	3	4	5
I don’t feel pressure to prepare very well for language class	1	2	3	4	5
I always feel that the other students speak the foreign language better than I do	1	2	3	4	5
I feel very self-conscious about speaking the foreign language in front of other students	1	2	3	4	5
Language class moves so quickly I worry about getting left behind	1	2	3	4	5
I feel more tense and nervous in my language class than in my other classes	1	2	3	4	5
I get nervous and confused when I am speaking in my language class	1	2	3	4	5
When I’m on my way to language class, I feel sure and relaxed	1	2	3	4	5
I get nervous when I don’t understand every word the language teacher says	1	2	3	4	5
I feel overwhelmed by the number of rules you have to learn to speak a foreign language	1	2	3	4	5
I am afraid that the other students will laugh at me when I speak the foreign language	1	2	3	4	5
I would probably feel comfortable around native speakers of the foreign language	1	2	3	4	5
I get nervous when the language teacher asks questions which I haven’t prepared in advance	1	2	3	4	5

1. 1 = strongly agree, 2 = agree, 3 = neither agree nor disagree, 4 = disagree, 5 = strongly disagree