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Language Anxiety and Teachers’ Support in English class

Graduation ThesisPresented to

The Faculty of the Department ofEnglish Language and LiteratureNotre Dame Seishin University

In Partial Fulfillmentof the Requirement for the Degree

Bachelor of Arts

byAnna Yoshioka

2017

Contents

Abstract

Chapter One: Introduction1. 1 Introduction 11. 2 What is anxiety? 11. 3 What is language anxiety? 51. 4 What causes student’s language anxiety? 61. 5 The connection between language anxiety and teacher’s support 91. 6 Research questions 101. 7 Conclusion 10

Chapter Two: Data Collection2. 1 Introduction 122. 2 The Questionnaire 12 2. 2. 1 Introduction 12 2. 2. 2 Method 122. 3 Results 142. 4 Summary 28

Chapter Three: Discussion3. 1 Introduction 293. 2 Summary of the results 293. 3 Discussion of the results 303. 4 Answering research questions 343. 5 Implications 353. 6 Limitations of the thesis 363. 7 Further research 363. 8 Conclusion 37

References 38Appendices 40

Abstract

English is essential language for our life, but almost of us feel anxious

about learning and using English. In this thesis, we will look at anxiety in school

activity. In English classes, teacher’s support play an important role. If we find

out our anxiety and teacher’s support, we can cope with our anxiety and learn

English more efficiently.

20 students and 7 teachers in Notre Dame Seishin University took the

questionnaire. The questionnaire asked how anxious students feel in each

situation, what teacher’s support students need, and these questionnaires are

divided into four skill’s anxiety that is listening anxiety, speaking anxiety, reading

anxiety and writing anxiety. I also asked teachers what the most common

reason why students feel anxious is.

From the questionnaire data, we will compare student’s data with

teacher’s data. It found that students and teachers have same opinions about

situation, but about teacher’s support, we saw the difference between students

and teachers.

Chapter One: Introduction

1. 1 Introduction

Today, English is one of the necessities of our life because of

globalization. In Japan, English was introduced into as a subject taught in

elementary school recently, and the importance of English has been

emphasized in junior high school and high school, too. Not only students but

also adults learn English because many of them have opportunities to use

English in their life. However, when they try to learn English, they often

encounter the barrier of their negative feelings like pressure, fears, or hesitation.

These negative feelings are called Anxiety and affects the learner’s studying,

and makes them lose their confidence. In English class, these feelings often

grow among students because they care about negative evaluation from

classmates and teachers. In this thesis, I want to explain about what causes

students’ anxiety and what support teachers should give them to make students

comfortable.

1. 2 What is anxiety?

When we try to do something, we sometimes feel unpleasantness such

as pressure, tension, impatience and fear, which is called anxiety. Anxiety is one

of the hateful feelings we humans have, and refers to a vague fear such as the

feeling of being deeply distressed. For example, “I am nervous about

tomorrow’s math test. ” or “What should I do for next class’s speech?” These

feelings are included in anxiety. Just like this, when we learn L2, we feel

anxious. Especially, most of the students worry about anxiety in the foreign

language classes. Students with anxiety care about evaluation of teachers or

friends excessively, and they tend to keep silence in the class. Then what is the

substance of anxiety? Let’s have a look it in the next section.

1. 2. 1 The definition of anxiety

There are some definitions and types of anxiety, and language anxiety

is but one of several anxieties. Here are a few examples:-

1. Anxiety is the subjective feeling of tension, apprehension, nervousness, and

worry associated with an arousal of the autonomic nervous system.

(Spielberger, 1983)

2. The feeling of tension and apprehension specifically associated with second

language contexts, including speaking, listening, and learning. (Onwuegbuzie,

Bailey & Daly, 1999)

In learning L2, many reasons such as personality, motivation, intelligence and

aptitude cause individual differences. These factors are more or less related our

success in acquiring L2. Some of them are impossible to be controlled by

teachers. For example, age, intelligence, and aptitude cannot adjusted by

someone, but negative feelings for L2, anxiety are possible to be lowered by

teachers.

1. 2. 2 Types of anxiety

There are several types of anxiety

1. Trait anxiety

Trait anxiety refers to the stable tendency and negative emotions such

as fears, worries, and anxiety across many situations. Trait anxiety is a state of

being disturbed deeply and at a global level. This anxiety makes recognition

decline and leads to people avoiding situations. People with high-level trait

anxiety are commonly nervous and a lack of stability of their emotions.

Conversely, people with low-level trait anxiety are comparatively moderate and

their emotions are suitable. Thus, trait anxiety describes a personality

characteristic rather than a temporary feeling. For example, people who have

trait anxiety feel nervous easier than ordinary people.

2. State anxiety

State anxiety describes temporary and situational feelings. This anxiety

is caused by the specific situations such as giving a speech in public, taking an

important test, and communicating in foreign language. State anxiety arises

when the person tries to something is a risk for them, and the emotion

continues during the action. However, when they reach the end, state anxiety

goes away at the same time. Thus, state anxiety refers to a temporary condition

in response to some perceived threat.

3. Situation specific anxiety

Situation specific anxiety arises in specific given situations such as

public speaking, calculating some figures, and attending English classes. This

anxiety is temporary and a situational feeling. It is classified into three subtypes

as follows.

(1) Test anxiety

Test anxiety is a type of performance anxiety from a fear of failure.

Almost everyone feels a little nervous and stressed before a test. Having a little

of this anxiety actually helps us to peak perform while we are taking a test.

However, for some people, this anxiety prevents them from doing well. The

nervousness they feel before a test can be so strong that it interferes with their

concentration or performance.

(2) Fear of negative evaluation

Fear of negative evaluation is defined by Watson and Friend (1969) as

“apprehension about other’s elevations, distress over negative evaluations by

others, and the expectation that others would evaluate one negatively.” It is

related to specific personality aspect such as anxiousness, submissiveness,

and social avoidance. Especially students tend to have this anxiety because

they care about their evaluation from teachers in school.

(3) Communication apprehension

Communication apprehension is defined as an individual’s fear or

anxiety associated with either real or anticipated communication with another

person. It is said that 31 percent of elementary school students experience

some level of communication apprehension. This type of anxiety is a type of

shyness characterized by fear or anxiety about communicating with people.

Some of the subjects with communication apprehension are not good at

discussing in groups.

1. 3 What is language anxiety?

The definition of language anxiety is different according to each

researcher. Here are some examples. According to Horwitz, et al. (1986: 128),

foreign language anxiety is defined 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. ”

MacIntyre and Gardner (1994b: 284) refers “the feeling of tension and

apprehension specifically associated with second language contexts, in

particular second language performance. ” Language anxiety varies by the

range of study or concept of the research, so the definition of language anxiety

is not generalized yet.

1. 3. 1 Effect of language anxiety

People with language anxiety tend to lack concentration or easily forget

what they studied. Some of them try to evade learning learning language such

as by purposefully forgetting homework, or being absent from foreign language

classes. As for physical symptom of language anxiety, most people with

language anxiety feel a stomachache or their heart beats faster, when they

perform or learn L2.

Krashen and Terrell (1983) insist that in learning L2, there is an affective

filter that is an emotional barrier associated with success or failure of acquiring

a second language, and it is better to make affective filter low when acquiring

L2. Some solutions to lower the affective filter will be mentioned in this thesis,

and we want to focus on improvement of self-esteem here. Recently, young

people who have self-esteem have decreased, and it is quite related with

learning anxiety.

1. 4 What causes student language anxiety?

According to Horwitz (1986), the view of learning language is different

according to what skill a learner put stress on. Some learners think

pronunciation is very important, others think vocabulary is significant when they

study English. There are various views of learning language. However, when

they are not able to control the skill that they think it is very important, they tend

to feel anxious. In this section, students’ anxiety is divided into four skills,

listening anxiety, speaking anxiety, reading anxiety and writing anxiety.

1) Listening anxiety

Most students feel listening anxiety, because they do not have many

opportunities to practice listening both in English classes and in their study at

home. Here are some causes of listening anxiety.

Learners may feel anxious while listening in the target language

due to many factors such as the authenticity of the listening text,

incomprehensibility of the listening material and some external

environmental factors like noise and inaudibility. (Gonen, 2009)

The reason why many students complain about the difficulties of listening

in FL may also depend on feelings of inadequacies or lack of confidence.

(Dunkel 1991)

Students’ responses focused on the characteristics of the input (nature of

the speech, level of difficulty, lack of clarity, lack of visual support, and lack

of repetition) as being a major source of anxiety. (Vogely, 1998)

Unlike the other three skills, students don’t have enough materials to

understand English because they have to understand by only their hearing.

However, they often encounter these situations when they learn to

communicate in English, so listening competence is significant for students.

(Atasheneh, 2012)

2) Speaking anxiety

Speaking anxiety is common in English classes, because students tend

to feel pressure or be embarrassed when they have opportunity to speak

English such as giving a speech, introducing themselves, or telling information

to classmates. This is because they fear negative evaluation from teachers, or

classmates. In the classroom, students excessively care about how others

thinks about their performance, and this prevents them from speaking naturally

or fluently.

3) Reading anxiety

Reading anxiety seems to be lower than other three skills in terms of

anxiety, but many students have this anxiety in learning English. Some students

encounter problems when reading. They read the paragraphs in the text but are

still unaware of what they have read. (Freese, 1997)

Even when they are able to read the words, they may not be able to

understand the meaning of words, or what the contents are. This is because

reading texts in foreign language makes students encounter unfamiliar cultures

or different writing systems. Addition to this, in the classroom, they have the

limited time to read, and answer the questions about what they read, so some

students fall into a panic, and give up to read the texts.

(Hui-Ju, 2012)

4) Writing anxiety

When students write sentences in English, they have to notice many

things such as grammar, spelling, or writing system. Errors in writing is difficult

for students to find by themselves, so many errors checked by teacher make

their confidence decrease. However, a little writing anxiety is positive effect for

students, because students who have this anxiety tend to check what they write

more carefully. Error correction is deeply related to students’ anxiety.

1. 5 The connection between language anxiety and teachers’

support

Support of teachers play an important role to cope with language

anxiety. “Hallinan (2008) found that students liked school better if they

felt supported with respect and praise from their teachers. The more the

students liked school, the better their academic and social outcomes. It is nearly

impossible to eliminate anxiety entirely, but as Horwitz (2008) suggests,

teachers can help students feel more comfortable. Teachers’ support and

understanding are particularly important. The results from

Abu-Rabia’s (2004) study showed that the attitudes of seventh-grade EFL

learners concerning teacher support were negatively correlated with language-

learning anxiety. ”Therefore, not only what teachers teach but also how they

support students and their attitudes to students closely relate to students’

acquisition.

“Meanwhile, teachers should correct students’ mistakes gently, using

humor and games to create a relaxed and low-anxiety environment, and

engage students in small groups and in pair activities to make them more

comfortable. ”

Teachers’ support, especially in how to correct students’ errors, has a significant

relationship with language anxiety because most students fear of negative

evaluation from teachers, which is one of the types of anxiety.

In my teaching practice, teachers in high school often had time to make

students talk about their answers in pairs. It is important support for students’

understanding.

In my research, I want to see what support students need and what

support teachers give to cope with language anxiety.

1. 6 Research Questions

Language anxiety is closely related to students’ language acquisition,

and teachers’ support play an important role in how to cope with their anxiety

and make their better understanding. However, we do not know what support

students need concretely, and whether what students need and teachers’

support are the same or not. In this thesis we will compare students’ idea with

teachers’ idea. I’ll show the research in four skills, listening, speaking, reading

and writing.

1. How anxious do students feel in each of several situations?

2. What support do students need to cope with their anxiety?

3. What do teachers think about students’ anxiety?

4. What support do teachers give students to cope with their anxiety?

1. 7 Conclusion

Language anxiety has effect on language acquisition, and it often

prevents learners from understanding and / or performing well. There are six

types of anxiety and most students feel anxiety in learning language. In

addition, teachers’ support is closely related to students’ learning. If teachers

can support students effectively, students can feel more comfortable and get

confidence to perform and understand the language.

In Chapter Two, we will look at the result of some research and

compare students’ answers and teachers’ answers.

Chapter 2: The Questionnaire

2. 1 Introduction

In Chapter One, we looked at the definition of anxiety and the effect of

language anxiety in English class. Anxiety means negative feelings like

pressure, fear, or hesitation, which influences language acquisition. To improve

this affective barrier, teachers’ support plays an important role.

In Chapter Two, we will look at the results of a questionnaire about how

anxious students feel in each situation which, divided into the four skills,

listening, speaking, reading and writing, and compare what support students

need with what support teachers give.

2. 2 The Questionnaire

2. 2. 1 Introduction

The questionnaire was designed to figure out how anxious students feel

when learning English and what teachers’ support is effective for students’

English learning. In the questionnaire, I want to discover the difference between

support students need and the support teachers give, and analyze the date to

find the best support to make student comfortable.

2. 2. 2 Method

Aim

The aim of this questionnaire was to find out how anxious students feel

and the difference between what support students need and what support

teachers give. Moreover, we will look at what support is the best in each

situation, which is divided into four skills, listening, speaking, reading, and

writing in the results.

1) Subject

Third year students and fourth year students of Notre Dame Seishin

University answered the questionnaire for students’ anxiety, and 7 teachers in

the English department of this university answered the questionnaire about

teachers’ opinions on anxiety. Third year students are 4 people in the English

department, and fourth year students are 12 people in the English deparment, 2

people in Comtemporary Sociological Studies department and 2 people in

Human Living Sciences department.

2) Test design

The questions were classified into four skills, listening, speaking,

reading, and writing. This questionnaire asked students about “ How anxious do

you feel in each situation?” and “What support do you need to feel more

comfortable?” Also, this asked teachers the subjects about “How anxious do

students feel in each situation?”, “ What are the most common reasons why

students feel anxious?” and “What support do you give to make students feel

comfortable?” About each situation, I made the list by myself. When I made it, I

asked English teachers how activity there are in English class and used some

books about English education as reference.

In the question of “how anxious students feel”, subjects chose one

answer from “I feel very anxious,” “I feel a little anxious,” “I feel a little

comfortable,” or “I feel very comfortable”. The reason why students feel anxious

was an open answer question. For students’ questionnaire, in the question of

“what support do you need from teachers?” there were some choices like “Give

a script” and open answer space, because it is difficult for students to imagine

teachers’ support, and for teachers’ questionnaire, in these questions, only open

answer space was given. In addition, I asked them “what are the most common

reasons why students feel anxious. The questionnaire is in the Appendices.

3) Procedure

The questionnaire for students was put on the Internet and can be

found in the Appendices. Subjects answered it on Google Forms. The

questionnaire for teachers as answered on paper and can be found in the

Appendices. Their answers were analyzed into how many people answer each

question.

2. 3 Results

2. 3. 1 The data about English and anxiety itself

In this section, we will look about how anxious students feel and both

the students’ answers and teachers’ answers about what skill causes anxiety.

Table 1: Do you like studying English? (Students’ answer)

Yes I do not like studying English very much. No

70% 15% 15%

Table 2: Have you felt anxiety in learning English? (Students’ answer)

Often Sometimes Rarely Never

35% 50% 15% 0%

70% of the subjects like studying English. However, no one answered they have

never felt anxiety and 85% of the subjects feel it sometimes or often.

Table 3: What skill do you feel anxiety with the most? (Students’ answer)

Listening Speaking Readin

g

Writing Vocabulary Grammar Pronunciation

0% 65% 5% 5% 5% 10% 10%

Most students feel anxiety about speaking, and 10% of the subjects care about

Grammar and Pronunciation. This is because they have to care about these

skills in school classes, activity or tests.

Table 4: What skill do you think most students feel anxious about? (Teachers’

answer)

Listening Speaking Reading Writing Vocabulary Grammar Pronunciatio

n

23% 46% 0% 0% 8% 8% 15%

Most teachers think students feel anxious about speaking too, but they

think listening and pronunciation cause students’ anxiety.

2. 3. 2 The data about Language Anxiety in four skillsThis section presents the data from the questionnaire about language

anxiety which is divided four skills, and as a choice, I gave these situations that

I thought what situations or activities students experience in the English class.

1) Listening Anxiety

Table 5: How anxious do you feel? (Students’ answer)

Very

anxiou

s

A little

anxious

A little

comfortable

Very

comfortable

1. When speed is too fast 60% 40% 0% 0%

2. When speed is too low 5% 5% 60% 30%

3. When the contents are

complicated55% 40% 0% 5%

4. When the contents are easy 5% 0% 30% 65%

5. When you cannot understand

chunking or clustering30% 70% 0% 0%

6. When you listen to recorded

voice such as CDs or tapes5% 35% 50% 10%

7. When you listen to ALT or

native teachers’ speaking20% 35% 30% 15%

8. When students listen to

Japanese teachers’ speaking5% 30% 50% 15%


unknown sentences25% 65% 5% 5%


sentences which they have a

script

5% 10% 45% 40%


friend’s speaking5% 40% 30% 25%

Most students feel anxious when speed is too fast, when the contents

are complicated, when you cannot understand chunking or clustering and when

students listen to unknown sentences. However, when they listen to sentences

which they have a script, they feel comfortable.

Table 6: How anxious do students feel? (Teachers’ answer)

Very

anxious

A little

anxious

A little

comfortable

Very

comfortable

1. When speed is too fast 100% 0% 0% 0%

2. When speed is too low 0% 13% 38% 49%

3. When the contents are 86% 14% 0% 0%

complicated

4. When the contents are easy 0% 0% 60% 40%

5. When students cannot

understand chunking or

clustering

50% 50% 0% 0%


recorded voice such as CDs or

tapes

0% 43% 57% 0%

7. When students listen to ALT

or native teachers’ speaking29% 42% 29% 0%


Japanese teachers’ speaking0% 33% 50% 17%


unknown sentences24% 63% 13% 0%


sentences which they have a

script

0% 0% 57% 43%


friend’s speaking0% 0% 75% 25%

Most teachers think when speed is too fast, when the contents are

complicated, when students cannot understand chunking or clustering and

when students listen to unknown sentences, students feel anxious, but when

students listen to sentences which they have a script and when students listen

to friend’s speaking, they feel comfortable.

2) Speaking Anxiety

Table 7: How anxious do you feel? (Students’ answer)

Very

anxious

A little

anxious

A little

comfortable

Very

comfortable

1. When you talk in pairs 5% 45% 40% 10%

2. When you talk in groups

(4~6people)20% 50% 30% 0%

3. When you speak in front of

classmates such as making a

speech

35% 45% 10% 10%

4. When you speak with

Japanese teacher15% 45% 25% 15%

5. When you speak with ALT or

a native teacher30% 30% 30% 10%

6. When you speak about

themselves20% 35% 30% 15%

7. When you tell their ideas or

opinions30% 30% 35% 0%

8. When you tell information

about news, movie and so on5% 55% 35% 5%

9. When you answer the

teachers’ questions5% 70% 20% 0%

10. When you have a

manuscript5% 25% 40% 30%

Most students feel anxious when you talk in groups (4~6 people), when

you speak in front of classmates such as making a speech, and when you

answer the teachers’ questions. In this table, only when you have a manuscript,

most of the students feel comfortable.

Table 8: How anxious do students feel? (Teachers’ answer)Very

anxious

A little

anxious

A little

comfortable

Very

comfortable

1. When students talk in pairs 0% 0% 50% 50%

2. When students talk in groups

(4~6people)0% 0% 90% 10%

3. When students speak in front

of classmates such as making a

speech

50% 50% 0% 0%

4. When students speak with

Japanese teacher0% 33% 33% 34%

5. When students speak with

ALT or a native teacher38% 38% 24% 0%

6. When students speak about


7. When students tell their ideas

or opinions34% 56% 10% 0%

8. When students tell

information about news, movie

and so on

14% 29% 57% 0%

9. When students answer the

teachers’ questions13% 75% 12% 0%

10. When students have a

manuscript0% 50% 17% 33%

When students talk in pairs and when students talk in groups (4~6

people), 100% of teachers think they feel comfortable. On the contrary, 100% of

teachers think they feel anxious, when students speak in front of classmates

such as making a speech.

3) Reading AnxietyTable 9: How anxious do you feel? (Students’ answer)

Very

anxious

A little

anxious

A little

comfortable

Very

comfortable

1. When you translate

sentences10% 35% 35% 20%

2. When you read aloud by


3. When you read aloud in pairs 10% 25% 50% 15%

4. When you read as one 5% 10% 35% 50%

5. When you read silently 5% 15% 30% 50%

6. When you read and answer

some questions5% 50% 35% 10%

7. When you recite sentences 10% 45% 25% 20%

8. When you have to read fast

(limit time to read)20% 45% 20% 15%

9. When you have enough time

to read5% 15% 30% 50%

10. When you find a word which

you do not know the meaning30% 50% 20% 0%

Most students feel comfortable, when you read as one, when you read

silently and when you have enough time to read. When you find a word which

you do not know the meaning, they feel anxious.

Table 10: How anxious do students feel? (Teachers’ answer)Very

anxious

A little

anxious

A little

comfortable

Very

comfortable

1. When students translate

sentences0% 43% 57% 0%

2. When students read aloud by


3. When students read aloud in

pairs0% 14% 86% 0%

4. When students read as one 0% 0% 57% 43%

5. When students read silently 0% 0% 43% 57%

6. When students read and

answer some questions0% 43% 57% 0%

7. When students recite

sentences0% 33% 50% 17%

8. When students have to read

fast (limit time to read)10% 90% 0% 0%

9. When students have enough

time to read0% 14% 57% 29%

10. When students find a word

which students do not know the

meaning

25% 63% 12% 0%

When students read as one and when students read silently, 100% of

teachers think they feel comfortable, and when students have enough time to

read, most teachers think they feel comfortable too. Contrarily, when students

find a word which students do not know the meaning, 88% of teachers think

they feel anxious.

4) Writing AnxietyTable 11: How anxious do you feel? (Students’ answer)

Very

anxious

A little

anxious

A little

comfortable

Very

comfortable

1. When you summarize a story

in a textbook25% 45% 15% 15%

2. When you translate Japanese

into English20% 40% 35% 5%

3. When you write your opinion

about something you read15% 40% 40% 5%

4. When you write an Email 20% 60% 20% 0%

5. When you write letters 20% 60% 20% 0%

6. When you write a manuscript

which you have a speech15% 35% 45% 5%

When you write an Email and when you write letters, most students feel

anxious.

Table 12: How anxious do students feel? (Teachers’ answer)

Very

anxious

A little

anxious

A little

comfortable

Very

comfortable

1. When students summarize a

story in a textbook14% 57% 0% 29%

2. When students translate

Japanese into English0% 43% 57% 0%

3. When students write their

opinion about something they

read

29% 29% 29% 13%

4. When student write an Email 0% 14% 43% 43%

5. When student write letters 0% 43% 43% 14%

6. When students write

manuscripts that they have a

speech

50% 50% 0% 0%

Most teachers think students feel anxious, when students summarize a

story in a textbook and when students write manuscripts that they have a

speech. When students write an Email, they think students feel comfortable.

2.3.3 The most common reasons why students feel anxious

This section presents the data from the questionnaire for students of

“why do you feel anxiety?” and the questionnaire for teachers of “what are the

most common reasons why students feel anxious?”

Table 17: teachers’ answer

Listening ・Fear of missing vital information (2)

・Assessment

・They are afraid they won’t understand.

・Speaker’s speed is too fast.

・When they have no background information about the topic.

・When they do not have a large vocabulary.

・Lack of comprehension (3)

・They are afraid others understand, but only they do not.

Speaking ・Fear of mistakes, errors, not being understood (4)

・Fear of not meeting pre-set objectives

・They are not sure about the concept.

・They are concerned about any questions.

・Fear of not being able to respond appropriately, quickly

enough, and naturally enough.

・Fear of sounding strange or foolish.

・Nervousness in general about using a second language.

・Afraid to show their language level to others.

・Lack of practice.

Reading ・Feel lost and helpless.

・Feel pressured to understand something beyond their ability.

・Lack of vocabulary.

・Lack of background knowledge of the subject.

・They do not understand enough of the content.

・Feel the material is too difficult.

・More focused on task than enjoying or engaging with the

material.

・Being assessed.

・English sentence style is the different of Japanese style.

Writing ・Focus on accuracy over content.

・Belief there is “only one” answer (only correct way to

translate).

・Limited amount of writing exercises. (2)

・Tasks which leads to unfamiliarity with other types of writing

tasks they have encounter.

・Lack of writing fluency.

・They feel they must get it right the first time.

・They do not understand the writing process and that

revisions are almost always needed.

・Perhaps they are unable to suitably express the ideas or

opinions in their heads in Japanese into English.

・Interference in Japanese.

・Lack of vocabulary.

About the listening section, most teachers said the reason why students

feel anxious is they are afraid they won’t understand and lack of comprehension

because when students listen to English, they fear to miss vital information.

In the speaking section, there were many opinions about fear of

mistakes, errors, not being understand, because they do not have confidence in

their pronunciation.

On the reading section, some teachers said about the material such as

feel the material is too difficult or lack of background knowledge of the subject.

Finally, in the writing section, most teachers said they do not understand

the writing process because of limited amount of writing exercises and lack of

writing fluency.

2.3.4 The data about Teachers’ supportThis section presents the data from the questionnaire for students of

“what teachers’ support do you want?” and that for students of “what support

do you give to make students feel comfortable?”

Table 13: Teachers’ support for listeningStudents’Answer

I want teachers to...・teach pronunciation. (6)・teach change of pronunciation such as linking, assimilation, or elision. (4)・give a script. (7)・teach difficult vocabulary before listening. (8)・stop the voice by a sentence or chinking. (6)・introduce the topic of contents before listening. (9)・teach the point which they have to listen carefully. (2)・change the speed of voice by their ability. (1)・tell them the meaning of questions. (1)

Teachers’Answer

The support which I give student is ...・compensation strategies (Could you say that again? / I do not understand.... / What does ~ mean?)・to give enough input to understand listening・to repeat a lot (2)・to make students repeat the voice.・to try to speak more slowly and clearly.・to advise them to practice listening online outside of class・to make them check with their partner (in Japanese)・to do 15~20 minutes of dictation practice in every class.・multiple listening.

1) listen to the content for a purpose2) read the text for content comprehension3) focus on language4) listen again

・variety of listening activities.・progressive and manageable enabling and terminal objectives.

About students’ answer, most students said they wanted teacher to

introduce the topic of contents before listening or teach difficult vocabulary

before listening. On the contrary, most teachers said the supports, which they

gave students, was to repeat a lot, to make students repeat the voice and to

listen again.

Table 14: Teachers’ support for speakingStudents’Answer

I want teachers to...・check a manuscript before speaking. (10)・check pronunciation or intonation. (10)・set a situation or topic. (4)・give time to check with a partner. (2)・correct error. (7)

Teachers’Answer

The support which I give student is ...・to create atmosphere that leads to low affective filters.・opportunities for them to control content and dictate outcomes.・time to prepare.・to teach communication strategies: circumlocution, word coining, approximately.・besides checking homework or reading something prepared, I rarely put students on the spot to speak freely in front of the whole classes.・most speaking is done in pairs or groups – it’s less stressful.・not to correct all errors.・try to avoid Katakana pronunciation.・give responses. (to make conversation smoothly)

Most students want teachers to check a manuscript before speaking

and to check pronunciation or intonation, and seven students said they

wanted teachers to correct error. However, one teachers said the support,

which he gave, is not to correct all errors.

Table 15: Teachers’ support for readingStudents’Answer

I want teachers to...・listen to CD (model reading) . (6)・give time to practice with a partner. (2)・introduce the new words . (12)・read the sentences as a model . (7)・read aloud with them. (4)・show pictures or videos to understand the contents easily. (5)・allow to use the dictionary.・tell me about the topic.

Teachers’Answer

The support which I give student is ...・to make students try to guess the meaning from the context. (2)・to read the story which is used various sentence structure.・to allow students to read for pleasure or a suitable level for them.・reading at an appropriate ‘Goldilocks’ (not too hard, not too easy) level to build confidence.・to provide manageable amount of material.・to provide interesting/ engaging material.・to use students selected material.・to use a variety of pre/past reading activities.・to read for contents.・to focus on language.・pre reading-speaking tasks that elicit the content and vocabulary.

Most students want teacher to introduce the new words and to read

the sentences as a model. The support which teachers give students are to

make students try to guess the meaning from the context, to provide

interesting/engaging material, and so on.

Table 16: Teachers’ support for writingStudents’Answer

I want teachers to...・give help with making correct sentences . (8)・actually correct my sentences by giving me to correct words. (7)・check grammar. (14)・give grammar points to write. (11)・check spelling (5)・give some vocabularies (3)・teach only error points ( not to give correct answer) (2)

Teachers’Answer

The support which I give student is ...・to allow them to choose topics they write about.・to focus on form and content equally ( do over emphasize one).・to let students know of improvement they have done.・to focus more process than result.・to make the students share their papers with other students which encourages them to try to make them more interesting.・multiple chances to rewrite based upon a correction code.・model texts.・clear instructions.・to try to give balanced feedback stressing good points and explaining with mistakes need to be corrected.

14 students, which is the most answer in this subject, said they

wanted teachers to check grammar. However, no teachers said anything

about grammar, but one teacher said let students know of the improvement

they have made.

2.4 SummaryIn this chapter, we found how anxious students feel anxious in each

situation and how anxious teachers think students feel it. About teacher’s

answer, we also found teacher’s ideas about common reasons why students

feel anxious. We also looked both student’s opinions and teacher’s opinions

about teacher’s support. In next chapter, we will reveal the results of this

questionnaire and compare these data.

Chapter 3 Discussion

3.1 Introduction

In Chapter One, we looked at the definition of anxiety, which is the

feeling of tension and apprehension specifically associated with second

language acquisition, and there are six types of anxiety, which are trait

anxiety, state anxiety, test anxiety, fear of negative evaluation and

communication apprehension. Additionally, we looked at listening anxiety,

speaking anxiety, reading anxiety and writing anxiety, and its effect on L2

learning. Finally, we discussed the connection between language anxiety and

teachers’ support.

In Chapter Two, we found how anxious do students feel in four skills,

and what support students need to be more comfortable, and also looked at

teachers’ opinions about these things. In addition, we saw their ideas about

the most common reasons why students feel anxious.

In this chapter, we will compare the students’ answer with teachers’

answer in each question, and find out what the difference between the

students’ needs and the teachers’ support.

3.2 Summary of the results

In this chapter, we will look at the questionnaire results. The data were

collected from 20 students and 7 teachers in Notre Dame Seishin University.

This questionnaire was designed to find out how anxious students feel in each

situations and how they cope with their anxiety. In the results section, I

compared students’ opinion with teachers’ opinion, about which situations

students feel anxious and found some situations are different, but their

answers were almost the same. However, about the reason of anxiety and

teachers’ support, their answers varied.

3.3 Discussion of the results

3.3.1 Introduction

Now, we will compare the students’’ answer and teachers’ answer in

each category, and makes the difference clear. We also look about the reason

why students feel anxious.

3.3.2 Discussion in Listening situation category

Most students answered they feel anxious “when speed is too fast,”

“when the contents are complicated,” and “when students listen to unknown

sentences.” Most teachers answered they think students feel anxious in these

situations. Subjects who answered they feel anxious “when speed is too fast”

said “when speed is too fast, I can’t concentrate on contents in a hurry.”

Subjects who answered they feel anxious “when the contents are

complicated” said “when the contents are complicated, I can’t understand the

meaning at the same time.” One teacher said the reason why students can’t

understand the contents is that students have no background information

about the topic. Other students said “when the contents are complicated, I

worry that other students understand and I am the only student who can’t

understand.” The negative feeling is peer pressure. Teachers said same

reasons that they are afraid others understand, but only they do not. About

“when students listen to unknown sentences”, most students said the reason

is a lack of vocabulary. Most teachers said the reason why students feel

anxious in listening activities is fear of missing vital information.

3.3.3 Discussion in Speaking situation category

Most students answered they feel anxious “when students talk in

groups,” “when students speak in front of classmates such as making a

speech” and “when students answer the teachers’ questions.” About “when

students talk in groups”, however, most teachers answered they think most

students feel comfortable. Students who answered they feel anxious “when

students speak in front of classmates” said they do not have confidence in

their pronunciation. Other students said I confuse the same meaning words

such as “tell” and “say”. Most students said they feel anxious about grammar.

Most teachers said the reason why students feel anxious about

speaking activities is fear of mistakes, errors, and not being understood. In

reading or writing activities, they can correct their errors, but in speaking

activities, they have to respond quickly, so they fear of not being able to

respond appropriately and naturally enough, and fear sounding strange or

foolish.

3.3.4 Discussion in Reading situation category

Most students answered they feel anxious “when students find a word

which they do not know the meaning”, and they feel comfortable “when

students read as one,” “when students read silently,” and “when students

enough time to read.” Most teachers answered the same results in these

situations. Most students said the reason why they feel anxious about reading

is a lack of vocabulary, and the speed of reading is low. However, some

students feel comfortable about reading, because they can understand the

meaning by reading before and after.

Most teachers said the reason why students feel anxious in reading

activities is that they feel material is too difficult and more focused on task

than enjoying or engaging with the material. One students said English

sentence style is different from the Japanese style. About this opinion, some

students said they do not understand grammar of the sentence.

3.3.5 Discussion in Writing situation category

Most students answered they feel anxious “when students write an

Email” and “when students write letters”. Most teachers answered they think

students feel anxious “when students summarize a story in a textbook” and

“when students write manuscripts that they have a speech”. Most students

feel the reason they feel anxious about writing is that they do not understand

about grammar and a lack of words. Other students said they have fear of

making errors. However, some students said they feel comfortable because in

writing activities, they can use a dictionary and have enough time to think.

Most teachers said the reason why students feel anxious in writing

activities is the limited amount of writing exercises. Other students said

students do not understand the writing process and that revisions are almost

always needed.

3.3.6 Discussion in Teachers’ support for Listening anxiety

Most students answered they want teachers to introduce the topic of

contents before listening. This means they want to have background about

the contents of listening. Other students answered they want teachers to

teach difficult vocabulary before listening. Many students feel they want to

ready to listen by giving new words or knowledge. Some students answered

they want teachers to teach pronunciation or stop the voice for a sentence or

by chunking. The big difference between Japanese pronunciation and English

pronunciation such as assimilation makes students uncomfortable, so they

want to care a lot about pronunciation in listening activity.

Teachers’ answer varied. About the speed of listening, some teachers

answered, they try to speak more slowly and clearly and repeat a lot. About

the comprehension of the contents, they make students check with their

partner in Japanese and give enough input to understand listening. Most

teachers answered they give variety of listening activities or listen again, so to

cope with listening anxiety, practice makes perfect.

3.3.7 Discussion in Teachers’ support for Speaking anxiety

Most students answered they want teachers to check a manuscript

before speaking. Some students said they make manuscripts to feel

comfortable when they have to speak. Other students answered they want

teachers to check pronunciation, or intonation. This is related to the reason

why students feel anxious about listening and having a lack of confidence in

pronunciation. Some students answered they want teachers to correct errors

because they have fear of making errors and negative evaluation from

teachers or classmates, so they care about their errors too much, and it cause

their anxiety.

Most teachers answered the support which they give students is to

create atmosphere that leads to low affective filters. Speaking skill ability is

greatly related to the environment where they speak English, and a good

atmosphere is caused by classmate’s motivation and the contents of activities

and so on. Other teachers answered most speaking is done in pairs or groups

to be less stressful. In the speaking situation category, speaking in pairs is the

most comfortable for students, but about speaking in groups, some students

feel anxious, so we have to think about how many people we should gather to

make a comfortable group.

3.3.8 Discussion in Teachers’ support for Reading anxiety

Most students answered they want teachers to introduce the new

words. This is related to a lack of confidence which is the biggest reason why

students feel reading anxiety. Other students answered they want teachers to

read the sentences as a model and listen to CD (model reading), because

when they read aloud, they feel anxious about their pronunciation and do not

understand chunking or clustering. Some students answered they want

teachers to show pictures or videos to help them understand the contents

easily. Recently, various audio visual aids have introduced in English classes,

and it helps students more deeply understanding and interesting.

Most teachers answered the support which they give students is to

make students try to guess the meaning from the context. This is the

important exercise to improve reading skills. It is important to start to read the

material at the suitable level. Most teachers said reading at an appropriate

level to build confidence and to allow students to read for pleasure or a

suitable level for them. The feeling that they are interesting in contents and

they can read English sentences improves their confidence.

3.3.9 Discussion in Teachers’ support for Writing anxiety

Most students answered they want teachers to check grammar and

give grammar points to write. Many students care about grammar and it is

related to in English classes, grammar is too focused, so students care too

much about errors

about grammar. About correcting errors, some students said they want

teachers to correct their sentences by giving them the correct words. Other

students said they want teachers to teach only error points (not to give correct

answer).

About evaluation of writing, some teachers answered they focus more

process than results. Other teachers answered they make the students share

their papers with other students which encourages them to try to make them

more interesting. This leads to students’ improvement. Some teachers

answered they try to give balanced feedback stressing good points and

explaining with mistakes need to be corrected.

3.4 Answering research questions

In this chapter, we looked at the results of the questionnaire, and we

will now present the answers for research questions.

1. How anxious do students feel in each of several situation?Students feel anxious in different situations. Most students feel a lack

of vocabulary or knowledge is the reason why they feel anxiety in four skills.

In every situation, the feeling “they do not know” causes them anxiety.

2. What support do students need to cope with their anxiety?In Listening and Reading activities, most students want teachers to

give background such as concept of the story, new vocabulary and

knowledge. In Speaking and Writing activity, they want teachers to correct

their errors.

3. What do teachers think about students’ anxiety?

About situations, they gave almost the same results. They think the

reason why students feel anxious is different depending on the activity. In

listening activities, they think the reasons is fear of missing vital information.

About speaking activities, they think the reason is fear of mistakes, not being

understood. In reading activities, they think the reason is reading material is

too difficult, and about writing activities, they think the reason is limited

amount of writing exercise.

4. What support do teachers give students to cope with their anxiety?In Listening and Reading activities, they give students various

exercises to cope with students’ anxiety. For example, about reading, they

make students check understand of the story or pronunciation in pairs. In

Speaking activities, they create atmosphere to less stressful such as make

pairs or groups. However, some students feel anxious about group activity. In

Writing activities, they focus more their process than results.

3.5 Implications

Most students feel anxiety in learning L2, and language anxiety

prevents students perform successfully. In English classes, many students

feel anxious about various activities. The most common reason why students

feel anxious is feeling that they do not know. If they encounter the words that

they do not know the meaning or situations that they do not know how to cope

with, they are afraid of mistakes or negative evaluations from teachers and

classmates. This makes their confidence and motivations decrease.

In English class, teachers’ support plays an important role to cope

with students’ anxiety. When students perceive that their teacher emotionally

supports them, they tend to engage them more actively and make a greater

effort in English activity.

In Chapter Two,, students and teachers have the same opinions about

anxiety in various situation, but about teachers’ support, we saw the difference

between students and teachers. Students want teachers to give new words or

concept of the story to be less stressful. Teachers will give them, but they give

other supports such as checking with partner to make students comfortable.

3.6 Limitations of the Experiments

There are some limitations with this experiment that we have to aware

of it. First, this experiment was conducted only on students and teachers in

Notre Dame Seishin University. The questionnaire should have been

conducted more widely.

Second, only university students were asked. If the experiment had

been conducted with Junior high school students or High school students, we

could find some differences. About teachers’ support, if the questionnaire is

conducted on teachers in Junior high school or High school, we could know

opinions about modern English class in school.

3.7 Further research

There are a few areas that we can research in the future.

Firstly, in this thesis, we looked only negative aspects of anxiety.

However, there are positive aspects of anxiety to study hard. In fact, some

students said about positive effect of anxiety. For example, one students said

“If I feel anxiety about the speed of other speaking, I can have confidence

because I feel that my English skill is accepted.” If we research about positive

aspects of anxiety, we can cope with our anxiety positively.

Secondly, we considered anxiety in English class. However, we also

speak English in another situation. For example, when we are in office, we

have to use business English. In this case, we feel anxious because we have

to care about politeness, communicating information appropriately, and so on.

If we research about anxiety in another situations, we can learn language

anxiety more deeply.

3.8 Conclusion

It is important for us to know the relationship between anxiety and

learning L2, because anxiety relates deeply with our performance and

motivation. Most of us feel anxious when we learn English, but it is natural.

The important thing is that we know about our anxiety and how we cope with

it.

The reason why we feel anxious is various, but in this thesis, we knew

that most students feel the reason is a lack of knowledge. It is necessary for

us to improve our English skill to feel more comfortable, because it leads to

our confidence.

In English class, teachers’ support plays very important role to make

students feel comfortable. Teachers’ support is different by teachers,

atmosphere in classroom, or what activity we do.

References

Books

Horwitz,E.& Dolly, J. Young. 1991. Language anxiety: From Theory and Research Classroom Implications. Englewood Cliffs.

Horwitz, E., Horwitz, M & Cope, J. 1986. Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety. The modern Language Journal, 70 (2). pp.125-132

Wang, L. 2008. 第二言語における心理的不安の研究、ひつじ書房

瀧口　優　2003.　「苦手」を「好き」に変える英語授業、大修館書店

佐野　正之　2000.　アクション・リサーチのすすめ、大修館書店

齋藤　栄二　1996.　英語授業レベルアップの基礎、大修館書店

齋藤　栄二　1998. 英語授業実践への成功、大修館書店

三浦　孝　2006.　ヒューマンな英語授業がしたい！、研究社

Websites accessed

河　内　千栄子英語学習に対する学習者の不安要因* ―専攻、性差、およびその変化―http://repository.kurume-u.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/11316/444/1/gaiken23_15-40.pdf#search='%E8%8B%B1%E8%AA%9E%E5%AD%A6%E7%BF%92%E3%81%AB%E3%81%8A%E3%81%91%E3%82%8B%E5%AD%A6%E7%BF%92%E8%80%85%E3%81%AE%E4%B8%8D%E5%AE%89%E8%A6%81%E5%9B%A0'. Accessed July 20, 2016

Hui-Ju W. Anxiety and Reading Comprehension Performance in English as a Foreign Language.http://asian-efl-journal.com/PDF/Volume-13-Issue-2-wu.pdf#search='Anxiety+and+reading+comprehension+performance'. Accessed August 4, 2016

http://asian-efl-journal.com/PDF/Volume-13-Issue-2-wu.pdf#search='Anxiety+and+reading+comprehension+performance

http://asian-efl-journal.com/PDF/Volume-13-Issue-2-wu.pdf#search='Anxiety+and+reading+comprehension+performance

http://repository.kurume-u.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/11316/444/1/gaiken23_15-40.pdf#search='%E8%8B%B1%E8%AA%9E%E5%AD%A6%E7%BF%92%E3%81%AB%E3%81%8A%E3%81%91%E3%82%8B%E5%AD%A6%E7%BF%92%E8%80%85%E3%81%AE%E4%B8%8D%E5%AE%89%E8%A6%81%E5%9B%A0



Naser A. The Role of Teachers in Reducing/Increasing Listening Comprehension Test Anxiety: A Case of Iranian EFL Learners

http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/elt/article/view/15278

Accessed in August 4, 2016

Shufen H. (Corresponding author) Department of Teaching, Learning, and Culture, The Relationship between Teacher and Peer Support and English-Language Learners’ Anxiety

http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/elt/article/view/5200, Accessed in August 4, 2016



Appendices

Questionnaire for students (English version)

The questionnaire about language anxiety and teacher's supportHello, I'm Anna Yoshioka. I'm writing my undergraduate thesis about language anxiety, and I want to compare student's idea and teacher's idea. Please think and answer ALL question's situations as in ENGLISH classes. If you confuse, please let me know. Thank you for your time and kindness.*必須

Names *

回答を入力Do you like studying English? *YesI don't like studying English very much.No

Do you plan to be an English teacher in the future? *YesMaybe, I've not decided.No

Have you felt anxiety in learning English? *oftensometimesrarelynever

What skill do you feel anxiety with the most? *ListeningSpeakingReadingWritingVocabularyGrammarPronunciation

Anxiety about listening

These questions are about listening anxiety. Please think all situations about listening ENGLISH.How anxious do you feel? *

Very anxious A little anxious A little comfortable Very comfortableWhen speed is too fastWhen speed is too slowWhen the contents are complicatedWhen the contents are easyWhen you cannot understand chunking (意味のまとまり）or clustering（区切り）.When you listen to recorded voice such as CDs or tapes.When you listen to ALT or native speaking.When you listen to Japanese teacher's speaking.When you listen to unknown sentences.When you listen to sentences which you have a script.When you listen to friend's speaking.Why do you feel this? *

回答を入力What teacher's support do you want ? *Teaching pronunciation

Teaching change of pronunciation such as linking (音の連結）, assimilation（音の同化）or elision（音の脱落）

Give a script

Teaching difficult vocabulary before listening

Stop the voice by a sentence or chunking（意味のまとまり）

Introduce the topic of contents before listening

その他:

必須

What can you do to make you feel comfortable about listening? *

回答を入力Anxiety about speakingThese questions are about speaking anxiety. Please think all situations about speaking in ENGLISH.How anxious do you feel? *

Very anxious A little anxiety A little comfortable Very comfortableWhen you talk in pairsWhen you talk in group (4~6people)When you speak in front of classmatesWhen you speak with Japanese teachersWhen you speak with ALT or a native teacherWhen you speak about yourselfWhen you tell your idea or opinionWhen you tell information about news, movie and so onWhen you answer the teacher's questionsWhen you have a manuscriptWhy do you feel this? *

回答を入力What teacher's support do you want ? *Check a manuscript before speakingCheck pronunciation or intonationSet the situation or topicGive time to check with a partnerその他:

What can you do to make you feel comfortable about speaking? *

回答を入力Anxiety about readingThese questions are about reading anxiety. Please think all situations about reading ENGLISH.How anxious do you feel? *

Very anxious A little anxiety A little comfortable Very comfortableWhen you translate sentencesWhen you read aloud by yourselfWhen you read aloud in pairsWhen you read as one (一斉に）When you read silentlyWhen you read and answer some questionsWhen you recite (暗唱する) sentencesWhen you have to read fast (limit time to read)When you have enough time to readWhen you find a word which you don't know the meaning

Why do you feel this? *

回答を入力What teacher's support do you want ? *Give time to practice with a partner

Introduce the new wordsTeacher reads sentences as a modelListen to CDTeacher reads togetherShow the picture or movie to understand contents of the story easilyその他:

What can you do to make you feel comfortable about reading? *

回答を入力Anxiety about writingThese questions are about writing anxiety. Please think all situations about writing in ENGLISH.How anxious do you feel? *

Very anxious A little anxiety A little comfortable Very comfortableWhen you summarize a story in a textbookWhen you translate Japanese into EnglishWhen you write your opinion about something you readWhen you write EmailWhen you write lettersWhen you write a manuscript which you have a speechWhy do you feel this? *

回答を入力What teacher's support do you want ? *Check grammarCheck spellingGive free writing tasksGive some vocabularies to writeGive grammar points to writeGive help with making correct sentencesGive help showing how to put a whole text togetherActually correct my sentences by giving me to correct wordsDon't tell me the exact mistake - just underline it so I can think for myselfその他:

What can you do to make you feel comfortable about writing? *

回答を入力

Questionnaire for students (Japanese version)*必須名前、学科、年齢を教えてください *

回答を入力あなたは英語を勉強するのが好きですか？ *はいいいえどちらでもない

あなたは将来英語の教師になる予定がありますか？ *はいまだ決めていないいいえ

あなたは英語学習において不安を感じた経験はありますか？ *よくある時々あるめったにないまったくない

あなたは次のうち、どの技能に最も不安を感じますか？ *リスニングスピーキングリーディングライティング語彙文法発音リスニングこれらの質問はリスニングの不安についてです。

あなたは次の活動においてどの程度不安を感じていますか？ *とても不安を感じる少し不安を感じるあまり不安を感じないまったく不安を感じないリスニングのスピードが速すぎるときリスニングのスピードが遅すぎるとき内容が複雑（難しい）とき内容が簡単なとき音声の意味のまとまりや区切りがわからないときCD やテープなどの録音したものを聞くときALT やネイティブの先生の話を聞き取るとき日本人の先生の英語を聞き取るとき知らない文章が出てきたときスクリプト（原稿）を与えられたものを聞くとき友達が話しているのを聞くとき

上記以外でリスニングにおける不安な活動はありますか？また上記で不安を感じるも

のがあったとき、それはどのような原因があると思いますか？　（回答例：ネイティ

ブが話すと緊張するから　など） *

回答を入力あなたはリスニング活動時に教師からどのようなサポートをしてもらいたいですか？ *発音を教えてほしい

原稿を与えてほしい

難しい単語についてあらかじめ教えてほしい

意味のまとまりごとに音声を止めてほしい

リスニング前に内容の導入をしてほしい

選択肢 6

必須上記以外であなたが思う教師のサポートはありますか？また、あなた自身が不安を軽減

するために出来ることは何かありますか？（回答例：積極的に英語を聞くようにする　

など） *

回答を入力スピーキングこれらの質問はスピーキングの不安についてです。

あなたは次の活動においてどの程度不安を感じていますか？ *とても不安を感じる少し不安を感じるあまり不安を感じないまったく不安を感じないペアで会話する4~6 人のグループで話し合いをするクラスメイトの前で話をする日本人の先生と会話するALT やネイティブの先生と話をする自分のことについて話す自分の考えや意見を伝えるニュース、映画などの情報を伝える先生の質問に答える原稿をもって話す上記以外でスピーキングにおける不安な活動はありますか？また上記で不安を感じる

ものがあったとき、それはどのような原因があると思いますか？　（回答例：自分の

発音に自信がないから　など）　 *

回答を入力あなたはスピーキング活動時に教師からどのようなサポートをしてもらいたいです

か？

話す前に原稿をチェックしてほしい

発音やイントネーションをチェックしてほしい

シチュエーションやトピックを設定してほしい

ペアで確認する時間がほしい

誤りを訂正してほしい

誤りを訂正されたくない

上記以外であなたが思う教師のサポートはありますか？また、あなた自身が不安を軽減

するために出来ることは何かありますか？（回答例：原稿をあらかじめ作っておく　

など） *

回答を入力これらの質問はリーディングの不安についてです。

あなたは次の活動においてどの程度不安を感じていますか？ *とても不安を感じる少し不安を感じるあまり不安を感じないまったく不安を感じない文章を訳すとき声に出して一人で読むとき声に出してペアで読むとき声に出して一斉に読むとき黙読するとき読んでいくつかの質問に答えるとき暗唱するとき速読するとき（時間制限がある）熟読するとき（時間制限なし）意味の分からない単語が出てきたとき

上記以外でリーディングにおける不安な活動はありますか？また上記で不安を感じる

ものがあったとき、それはどのような原因があると思いますか？　（回答例：読むス

ピードが遅い　など） *

回答を入力あなたはリーディング活動時に教師からどのようなサポートをしてもらいたいです

か？ *ペアで練習する時間を与えてほしい

新出単語を確認してほしい

先生にモデルリーディング（お手本）をしてほしい

CD を聞かせてほしい

先生も一緒に読んでほしい

内容が理解しやすいように写真や動画をみせてほしい


するために出来ることは何かありますか？（回答例：事前に単語を調べておく　など）

*

回答を入力これらの質問はリーディングの不安についてです。

あなたは次の活動においてどの程度不安を感じていますか？ *とても不安を感じる少し不安を感じるあまり不安を感じないまったく不安を感じない文章を要約するとき日本語を英訳するとき自分が読んだものについて意見を書くときメールを書くとき手紙を書くときスピーチの原稿を書くとき上記以外でライティングにおける不安な活動はありますか？また上記で不安を感じる

ものがあったとき、それはどのような原因があると思いますか？　（回答例：単語が

でてこない　など） *

回答を入力あなたはライティング活動時に教師からどのようなサポートをしてもらいたいです

か？ *文法をチェックしてほしい

スペルをチェックしてほしい

自由記述にしてほしい

いくつか語彙を与えてほしい

文法を設定してほしい（現在完了を使いなさい。など）

誤りを訂正してほしい

文章校正を手伝ってほしい

誤りの箇所だけ教えてほしい（直しは自分でやりたい）


するために出来ることは何かありますか？（回答例：辞書を使う　など） *

回答を入力

Questionnaire for teachers (English version)

The questionnaire about language anxiety and teacher’s support in English class1. What skill do you think most students feel anxiety, and Why?

・Listening ・Speaking ・Reading ・Writing ・Vocabulary ・Grammar・Pronunciation　・other（　　　　　　　　　　　　　）

Why?

2. N e x t q u e s t i o n a r e d i v i d e d i n t o f o u r s k i l l s , l i s t e n i n g , s p e a k i n g , r e a d i n g , a n d writing. Please think all situations about when students are using ENGLISH.

2.1 Listening anxiety2.1.1 How anxious do students feel in each situation? Please make a circle in

the blank which you think.very anxious

a little anxious

a little comfortable

very comfortable

1.When speed is too fast2.When speed is too slow3.When the contents are complicated4.When the contents are easy5.When students cannot understand chunking or clustering6.When students listen to recorded voice such as CDs or tapes7.When students listen to ALT or native speaking8.When students listen to Japanese teacher’s speaking9.When students listen to unknown sentences10.When students listen to sentences which they have a script11.When students listen to friend’s speaking

2.1.2 What situations cause students listening anxiety?2.1.3 What are the most common reasons why students feel anxious when

they are listening?2.1.4 What support do you give to make students feel comfortable?

2.2Speaking anxiety2.2.1 How anxious do students feel in each situation? Please make a circle in

the blank which you think.very a little a little very

anxious anxious comfortable comfortable

1.When students talk in pairs2.When students talk in group (4~6 people)3.When students speak in front of classmates such as making a speech4.When students speak with Japanese teacher5.When students speak with ALT or a native teacher6.When students speak about themselves7.When students tell their ideas or opinions8.When students tell information about news, movie and so on9.When students answer the teacher’s questions10.When they have a manuscript

2.2.2 What situations cause students speaking anxiety?2.2.3. What are the most common reasons why students feel anxious when they are speaking? 2.2.4 What support do you give to make students feel comfortable?　2.3 Reading anxiety2.3.1 How anxious do students feel in each situation? Please make a circle in the blank which you think.

very anxious

a little anxious


very comfortable

1.When students translate sentences2.When students read aloud by themselves3.When students read aloud in pairs4.When students read as one5.When students read silently6.When students read and answer some questions7.When students recite sentences8.When students have to read fast (limit time to read)9.When students have enough time to read10.When students find a word which they don’t know the meaning

2.3.2 What situations cause students reading anxiety?2.3.3 What are the most common reasons why students feel anxious when they are reading?2.3.4 What support do you give to make students feel comfortable?

2.4 Writing anxiety2.4.1 How anxious do students feel in each situation? Please make a circle in the blank which you think.

very anxious

a little anxious


very comfortable

1.When students summarize a story in a textbook2.When students translate Japanese into English3.When students write their opinions about something they read4.When students write an Email5.When students write letters6.When students write a manuscript which they have a speech

2.4.2 What situations cause students writing anxiety?2.4.3 What are the most common reasons why students feel anxious when they are writing?2.4.4 What support do you give to make students feel comfortable?Questionnaire for teachers (Japanese version)１．あなたはどのくらいの間、中学校もしくは高等学校で勤務したことがありま

すか？無い場合は無記入でお願いします。

中学校　（　　）年　　　　　　　　　　　　高等学校（　　）年

２．次のうち、生徒が最も不安に感じる技能はどれですか？理由もお書きください。

・リスニング　・スピーキング　・リーディング　・ライティング　・語彙　・文法・発音　・その他（　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　）理由

３．次の質問はリスニング、スピーキング、リーディング、ライティングの四技能に分かれています。すべて、英語を使う際の学習として考えてください。

３．１　リスニングにおける学習不安３．１．１　生徒はそれぞれのリスニングの学習場面において、どの程度の不安を感じると思いますか？該当する空欄に○を書いてください。

不安をとても感じる

不安を少し感じる

あまり不安を感じない

まったく不安を感じない

１．音声の速度が速すぎるとき２．音声の速度が遅すぎるとき３．内容が複雑なとき４．内容が簡単なとき

５．意味のまとまりや区切りが分からないとき６．CD やテープなど録音した音声を聞くとき７．ALT やネイティブの教師が話しているのを聞き取るとき８．日本人の教師が話しているのを聞き取るとき９．知らない単語が出てきたとき１０．スクリプト（原稿）をもった状態で聞くとき１１．友達が話しているのを聞くとき

３．１．２　他に生徒の不安を引き起こすリスニングの学習場面はありますか？あれば具体的にどのような場面かお書きください。３．１．３　生徒がリスニングで学習不安を感じる要因は何だと思いますか？３．１．４　生徒の不安を改善するために、リスニングの指導において、どんなサポートをしますか？３．２　スピーキングにおける学習不安３．２．１　生徒はそれぞれのスピーキングの学習場面において、どの程度の不安を感じると思いますか？該当する空欄に○を書いてください。





１．ペアで話すとき２．４～６人のグループで話すとき３．スピーチをするなどクラスメイトの前で話すとき４．日本人の教師と話をするとき５．ALT やネイティブの教師と話をするとき６．自分自身のことについて話をするとき７．自分の意見や考えを伝えるとき８．ニュースや映画などの情報を伝えるとき９．教師の質問に答えるとき１０．話す原稿を持っているとき

３．２．２　他に生徒の不安を引き起こすスピーキングの学習場面はありますか？あれば具体的にどのような場面かお書きください。３．２．３　生徒がスピーキングで学習不安を感じる要因は何だと思いますか？３．２．４　生徒の不安を改善するために、スピーキングの指導において、どんなサポートをしますか？３．３　リーディングにおける学習不安３．３．１　生徒はそれぞれのリーディングの学習場面において、どの程度の不安を感じると思いますか？該当する空欄に○を書いてください。





１．文を訳すとき２．自分で声にだして読むとき３．ペアで声にだして読むとき４．一斉に声にだして読むとき

５．黙読するとき６．読んでいくつかの質問に答えるとき７．暗唱するとき８．速読するとき（読むのに時間制限があるとき）９．熟読するとき（読む時間が十分にあるとき）１０．意味の知らない単語が出てきたとき

３．３．２　他に生徒の不安を引き起こすリーディングの学習場面はありますか？あれば具体的にどのような場面かお書きください。３.３．３　生徒がリーディングで学習不安を感じる要因は何だと思いますか？３．３．４　生徒の不安を改善するために、リーディングの指導において、どんなサポートをしますか？３．４　ライティングにおける学習不安３．４．１　生徒はそれぞれのライティングの学習場面において、どの程度の不安を感じると思いますか？該当する空欄に○を書いてください。





１．文章を要約するとき２．日本語を英訳するとき３．自分が読んだものについて意見を書くとき４．メールを書くとき５．手紙を書くとき６．スピーチの原稿を書くとき

３．４．２　他に生徒の不安を引き起こすライティングの学習場面はありますか？あれば具体的にどのような場面かお書きください。３．４．３　生徒がライティングで学習不安を感じる要因は何だと思いますか？３．４．４　生徒の不安を改善するために、ライティングの指導において、どんなサポートをしますか？

· web viewmost students answered they feel anxious “when students find a word which they do...

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