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LANGUAGE ANXIETY AND ITS EFFECTS IN ORALPERFORMANCE
OF STUDENTS IN ENGLISH 1
CHERYLL G. IGCASAMAODETTE B. QUIAL-QUIALRAE KATHRYN C. SIMON
PRECY A. TAGAROGWENDOLYN C. VALLE
SUBMITTED TO
PROFESSOR ARMIN L. RUBI
PROFESSOR IN ENGLISH 25, LANGUAGE RESEARCH
NEW VISAYAS, PANABO CITY, IN PARTIAL
FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE DEGREE OF
BACHELOR OF SECONDARY EDUCATION
(MAJOR IN ENGLISH)
March 2011
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Chapter I
INTRODUCTION
I feel nervous when called to speak straight EnglishUncomfortable and anxious if someone asked something in
EnglishI feel insecure with others who can speak English wellI am afraid to be embarrassed in front of others because I could
not speak English well.I have lexical scarcity I have stage fright due to lack of self-confidence.
Such statements are commonly uttered by language learners
and are so familiar to the language teachers as well. The above-stated
statements indicate the inability of the students to speak English and
even express their ideas using the said language.
Almost all of the students acknowledge and accept their
weakness in the correct usage of English as the classroom medium of
instruction. Each learner has different strengths in other learning fields
involving his/her skills but when it comes to the use of English
language especially in any oral performances, they really find
difficulties. They claim to have a ‘mental block’ against it.
What then hinders or stops them to succeed in learning our
Second language/English language? Anxiety, nervousness, insecurities,
lack of self –confidence may impede their language learning and
performance abilities. Both teachers and students are that anxiety is a
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major hurdle/barrier to be overcome when learning to speak another
language.
There are two questions that are to be briefly explained in this
research study. These are; (1) what kind of anxiety is Language
anxiety and how difficult it is to use a foreign language as a medium of
instruction, in this case English language? (2) How Second language
anxiety differs from First/ native language anxiety?
The said study would likewise serve as an effective tool in
knowing the weaknesses as well as the limitations of the students
especially in English language in terms of their oral performances and
even communication.
Background Information
The academic literature has offered a somewhat confusing account
of language anxiety. Some researchers reported a negative relationship
between language anxiety and achievement. It is also said that the higher
the language anxiety of the learners, the lower the performance
(Clement, Gardner, & Smythe, 1977, 1980: cited in Onwuegbuzie et al.,
1999: 218). Others reported no relationship, or a positive relationship
(Pimsleur,Mosberg, & Morrison, 1962, Backman, 1976, Scovel, 1978: cited
in 1999: 218). The relationship between anxiety and achievement is still
unresolved up to this point.
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Objectives of the Research study
The major purpose of the research is to find out why ESL learners
feel anxious or embarrassed while learning to speak English Language
and what influence it casts on their communication in the target
language. In other words, what are the factors or sources that make
speaking English more stressful in some situations than in others. This
study seeks to discover the phenomenon of language anxiety from
both within and outside of the language classroom setting in a wider
social context. This includes considering the factors originate from the
learner’s own sense of self, from the language learning process, or
from the situation or social environment he/she is a part of.
The second objective of this study is to help the students develop
their communication skills in expressing their thoughts/ideas without
any hesitations brought by too much anxiety.
The third most important aim of this study is to find out whether
there exist significant relationship between language anxiety and oral
performance of students.
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Finally, integrating the findings of this research on language
anxiety - regarding its nature, sources, effects and treatment – with
the existing literature is also an underlying consideration of the study.
Significance of the Study
This study is conducted to raise some suggestions about the
management of Language anxiety of the learners especially in English.
The said suggestions would include the remedies and solutions for
Socio-cultural factors, affective factors, and the like.
In connection with the study, there are those involved individuals
who are the practitioners for the significance of managing learners
with language anxiety. Supervisors, principals and teachers are in need
to be aware of the Language anxiety problem of the learners as well as
its effect to the academic performances of the students involving oral
activities.
Scope and Delimitations of the Study
This study is conducted to the first year Bachelor of Secondary
Education students in Davao del Norte State College. This study used
the experimental research. “The Mountain and the Squirrel” is the
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literary selection/poem used as the springboard of the experiment
conducted.
After the researchers shared the poem entitled, “The Mountain
and the Squirrel”, the students are asked to answer orally some
question using the English language as the medium of instruction.
Every student is asked to answer the questions using the Second
Language.
Another tool used in the study is the questionnaire in which the
students are asked to rate by checking the indicators stated on how
they assess themselves in managing their language anxiety.
Finally, the above-listed facts are the scope and delimitations of
the study within the bound of the quantitative and qualitative research.
Definition of Terms
1. ESL- refers to English as the Second Language
2. Language – refers to English language where the respondents are
using it as
a second language.
3. Language anxiety – refers to the feeling of nervousness, being
uncomfortable and anxious, feeling of insecurity, hesitancy,
afraid to be embarrassed, lexical scarcity and stage fright due to
lack of self-confidence.
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4. IED Students – refers to the respondents of the study composed of
four (4)
majors – English, Math, Biological Sciences and Technology
Livelihood Education students of Davao del Norte State College
located at New Visayas, Panabo City.
5. L2/FL – refers to second language or foreign language.
6. SLA – refers to second language acquisition.
Chapter II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES
A vague unpleasant emotion that is experienced in anticipation
of some (usually ill-defined) misfortune this definition was taken from
the online dictionary.
Traditionally, the focus of research in second language
acquisition (SLA) has been primarily on issues such as language
pedagogy (Grammar Translation Method, Audio-lingual, etc.), contents
of pedagogical instructions, and ways to improve them. Consequently,
the implications of this research remained restricted to the learning
and teaching of the language itself; that is to say, to the cognitive
domain with little attention being paid to the affective variables
learners bring with them into language classroom. It was only in late
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twentieth century, in the 1970s, that the SLA researchers began to
study the significant role played by personality and motivational
variables in second language acquisition (Shams, 2006: 5). They
posited that, in order to gain a holistic understanding of this process,
learners’ affective variables need to be taken into account to cater for
their needs and interests (Samimy, 1994: 30).
In addition, as the focus of L2/FL instruction has shifted from the
narrow concern for developing learners’ linguistic competence to the
need for communicative competence, learners are challenged to be
able to speak in the target language spontaneously in various social
contexts. In order to meet this challenge, attention has diverted to
studying the role of affective variables like ‘learning styles’,
motivation, personality traits, etc. that can impede the process of
learning and speaking a second/foreign language. Among these
affective variables, learner anxiety has come to be recognized as an
important area of study in second language acquisition because of the
negative influence it can have on students’ performance.
In general, there are two approaches to the description of
language anxiety: (1) Language anxiety in the broader construct of
anxiety as a basic human emotion that may be brought on by
numerous combinations of situational factors (McIntyre, 1995; McIntyre
& Gardner, 1989: cited in Tittle, 1997: 11). For example, (a) a shy
student may feel anxious when asked to give a short talk in front of the
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whole class; (b) Language anxiety as a combination of other anxieties
that create a separate form of anxiety intrinsic to language learning
(Horwitz et al., 1986: 128). The later approach believes that there is
something unique to the language learning experience that makes
some individuals nervous. When this nervousness or anxiety is
restricted to the language-learning situations, it falls into the category
of specific anxiety. Psychologists use the term specific anxiety reaction
to differentiate people who are generally anxious in a variety of
situations from those who are anxious only in specific situations (1986:
125). Researchers appear to differ in their views about the definition
and construct of language anxiety but there is merit, as MacIntyre
(1995: cited in Tittle, 1997: 11) opines, in discussing language anxiety
as a unique construct because it classifies the source of anxiety for the
reader. Students may feel anxiety in learning other subjects like
mathematics, statistics, etc. (Onwuegbuzie et al., 1999: 218) and the
fundamental motivations behind being anxious may be similar for
learners in various disciplines, but the sources of anxiety will also be a
unique experience for each learner (Tittle, 1997: 11).
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Oral
Performan
ce in
English
Conceptual Framework
IndependentVariable
DependentVariable
LanguageAnxiety ( social andcultural views,affectivefactors andlexicalscarcity)
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Fig. 1.2 Schematic Diagram of the Study
Language anxiety is related to the oral performance evaluation within
the academic and social context and the related performance anxieties: (1)
nervousness, (2) when called upon to use English very much at ease, (3)
anxious if someone asked something in English, (4) uncomfortable speaking
in English under any circumstances, (5) quite relaxed if told to ask straight
directions in English, (6) bothered if told to speak English on the telephone,
(7) insecure with others who can speak English well, (8) afraid to be
embarrassed, (9) not so sure of oneself in speaking English, (10) lexical
scarcity, (11) stage fright due to lack of self confidence. The above-stated
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variables are the causes of language anxiety of the students that also greatly
affect their oral performances in English.
Hypotheses
Sub-problems 1 and 2 are null hypotheses free. The following hypotheses below
will be tested;
Ho1 There is no significant difference between language anxiety and oral
performance of first year college students;
Ho2 There is no significant relationship between language anxiety
and oral
performance of first year college students;
CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
RESPONDENTS OF THE STUDY
This research will be conducted in order to determine whether
the language anxiety questionnaire play a significant role in the oral
performance of the students. The advantages and disadvantages as
well as the reliability of this instrument will also be part of the
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objectives. In order to answer these research goals, the researcher will
obtain the views of the students in line with this topic. Specifically, a
total of 80 respondents from the 4 majors – Biological Science,
Mathematics, English, and TLE, offered in the Institute of Education at
Davao del Norte State College in Panabo City will be randomly selected
to make up the sample. Selected participants will answer a survey
questionnaire structure in Likert format. Data gathered from this
research instrument will then be computed for interpretation. Along
with primary data, the researcher will also make use of secondary
resources in the form of published articles and literatures to support
the survey results.
RESEARCH DESIGN
The descriptive method of research will be used for this study. To
define the descriptive type of research, Creswell (1994) stated that the
descriptive method of research is to gather information about the
present existing condition. Descriptive research on the other hand is a
type of research that is mainly concerned with describing the nature or
condition and the degree in detail of the present situation. This
method is used to describe the nature of a situation, as it exists at the
time of the study and to explore the cause/s of particular a
phenomenon. The aim of descriptive research is to obtain an accurate
profile of the people, events or situations. With this research type, it is
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essential that the researcher already has a clear view or picture of the
phenomena being investigated before the data collection procedure is
carried out. The researcher will use this kind of research to obtain first
hand data from the respondents so as to formulate rational and sound
conclusions and recommendations for the study. The descriptive
approach is quick and practical in terms of the financial aspect.
The research is using 1st year Education students from 4 majors –
English, Biological Science, Mathematics, and TLE, as respondents from
Davao del Norte State College in order to gather relevant data; the
descriptive method is then appropriate as this can allow the
identification of the similarities and differences of the respondents’
answers. For this research, two types of data were gathered. These will
include the primary and secondary data types. The primary data will be
derived from the answers the participants will give during the survey
process. The secondary data on the other hand, were obtained from
published documents and literatures that are relevant to personality
questionnaire. With the use of the survey questionnaire and published
literatures, this study take on the combined quantitative and
qualitative approach of research. By means of employing this
combined approach, the researcher will be able to obtain the
advantages of both quantitative and qualitative approaches and
overcome their limitations.
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The researchers are opted to integrate the qualitative approach in this
study due to its significant advantages. The use of qualitative data
gathering method is advantageous as they are more open to changes
and refinement of research ideas as the study progresses; this implies
that qualitative data gathering tools are highly flexible.
Participants
In order to determine whether the language anxiety
questionnaire does play an important role in conducting language
anxiety researches, a total of 80 respondents are asked to participate.
To achieve pertinent information, certain inclusion criteria are
imposed. The participants qualified for sample selection must be a
student who took up English subjects. This qualification will ensure that
the participants understand the nature of the second language, making
the survey items easy for them to accomplish. The respondents are
selected from 4 majors offered at Davao del Norte State College, thus,
a total of 10 students in the Bio Sci, 10 in English, 10 in Math, and 10 in
TLE are selected for every major; as the study also aimed to determine
whether language anxiety questionnaire play an important role in
assessing the capabilities of the students in acquiring the second
language. The researchers have chosen the said fields as they have
the same language subjects taken.
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Sampling Technique
Simple random sampling was done for the sample selection. This
sampling method is conducted where each member of a population
has an equal opportunity to become part of the sample. As all
members of the population have an equal chance of becoming a
research participant, this is said to be the most efficient sampling
procedure. In order to conduct this sampling strategy, the researcher
defined the population first, listed down all the members of the
population and then selected members to make the sample.
Research Instrument
The survey questionnaire will be used as the main data-gathering
instrument for this study. The questionnaire will be divided into two
main sections: a profile and the survey proper. The profile contains
socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents such as age,
gender, civil status, the grade/year of the students in the school. The
survey proper will explore the perceptions of students on language
anxiety questionnaire, particularly on its usability and reliability in
acquiring the second language. The questionnaire proper section also
contains questions that identify the advantages and disadvantages of
using personality questionnaires. The questions are structured using
the Likert format. In this survey type, four choices are provided for
every question or statement. The choices represent the degree of
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agreement each respondent has on the given question. The scale
below will be used to interpret the total responses of all the
respondents for every survey question by computing the weighted
mean:
Range Interpretation
3.01 – 4.00 Strongly Agree
2.01 – 3.00 Agree
1.01 – 2.00 Disagree
0.00 – 1.00 Strongly Disagree
Validation of the Instrument.
In order to test the validity of the questionnaire used for the
study, the researchers will test the questionnaire to five respondents.
These respondents as well as their answers are not part of the actual
study process and are only used for testing purposes.
Refinement and Finalization of the Instrument
After the questions will be answered, the researcher will asked
the respondents for any suggestions or any necessary corrections to
ensure further improvement and validity of the instrument. The
researcher will revise the survey questionnaire based on the
suggestion of the respondents. The researcher then will exclude
irrelevant questions and change vague or difficult terminologies into
simpler ones in order to ensure comprehension.
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Scoring of the Instrument
After gathering all the completed questionnaires from the
respondents, total responses for each item are obtained and tabulated.
In order to use the Likert-scale for interpretation, weighted mean to
represent each question will be computed. Weighted mean is the
average wherein every quantity to be averages has a corresponding
weight. These weights represent the significance of each quantity to
the average. To compute for the weighted mean, each value must be
multiplied by its weight. Products should then be added to obtain the
total value. The total weight will also be computed by adding all the
weights. The total value is then divided by the total weight.
Mean. This statistical tool was used in the computations of the
arithmetic mean in science, using the formula below:
ΣX
X = x 100
N
Where:
X = Mean Percentage
ΣX = Mean Score
N = Number of Cases
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Pearson “Product Moment” Coefficient of Correlation ®.
This tool will be used to determine if there exist relationship between
respondents’ language anxiety and oral performance. The formula is:
dxdy------
Nr = --------------------------
----------- -----------2 2
d x d y------ -------
n1 n2
Where:
r = Pearson “Product Moment” Coefficient of Correlation
dxdy = Summation of the Product of the Deviation of the
First and Second Variables
2d x = Summation of the Squared Deviation of the
FirstVariables
2d y = Summation of the Squared Deviation of the
FirstVariables
√ = Square Root
N = Number of Cases
N = Number of Cases of the First Group1
N = Number of Cases of the Second Group2
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t-test. This tool will used to determine whether there is
a
significant relationship between language anxiety and oral
performance. The formula is:
_____________ r N - 2
t = ---------------------------------
21 – r
Where:
t = Test on Significance of Relationship
r = Pearson “Product Moment” Coefficient of Correlation
2r = Squared Pearson “Product Moment” Coefficient
of Correlation
N = Number of Case
1 = Constant
2 = Unit
Statistical Treatment
In all statistical tests, the level of significance on the difference
and relationship was set at .05 alpha using the SPSS.
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Discussion and Analysis
The following are the gathered data of the researchers from the
respondents. The data are arranged in tabulated form for easy interpretation.
Below is the modified Likert scale used to analyze and interpret the result
of the questionnaire.
Table 1 Computed Mean of Second Year BSE Students of the Four Majors inUsing the English as a Second Language Outside the Classroom
A. A. When I need to use English outside theclassroom, I…..
Total Mean
1. get nervous if I have to speak in English; 104 2.6
2. am very much at ease when called upon to useEnglish;
101 2.5
3. am anxious if someone asked something in
English;
93 2.3
4. am uncomfortable speaking in English underany Circumstances;
98 2.5
5. am quite relaxed if told to ask straight directionsin English;
112 2.8
6. am bothered if told to speak English on thetelephone;
104 2.6
7. am insecure with others who can speak English
well.
95 2.4
Shown in Table 1 is the computed mean of second year BSE Students of
the Four Majors in Using the English as a Second Language Outside the
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Classroom which shows that, with 2.8 mean, the respondents are quite relaxed if
told to ask straight directions in English outside the classroom.
Table 2 Computed Mean of Second Year BSE Students of the Four Majors inUsing the English as a Second Language Inside the Classroom
B. When I need to use English inside theclassroom, I…
Total Mean
1. refrain from speaking English because I amafraid to
be embarrassed;
106 2.7
2. am not so sure of myself in speaking English; 99 2.5
3. am lexically scarce; 99 2.5
4. have stage fright due to lack of self confidence 99 2.5
5. feel confident when asked to volunteer in myEnglish
class
96 2.4
Shown in Table 2 is the computed mean of second year BSE Students of
the Four Majors in Using the English as a Second Language Inside the
Classroom which shows that, with 2.7 mean, the respondents refrain from
speaking English because they are afraid to be embarrassed inside the
classroom.
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Conclusion
The computed means of the students were successfully identified. Most of
the indicators got high extent of responses which shows that the respondents are
quite relaxed if told to ask straight directions in English outside the classroom but
they are afraid to be embarrassed inside the classroom. This indicates that
anxiety is seen with the help of the responses of the respondents. Reading and
frequent use of the language is recommended to conquer the said anxiety that
affects the respondents’ confidence in using the language thus, making this a
hindrance in their communication with the target language.
The gathered data was useful bases of coming up an effective course
design and an effective lesson plan catering the anxiety of the students in using
the language to be used in the field of teaching the English as a Second
Language to the ESL learners.