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The Role of Teachers in Reducing/Increasing Listening

Comprehension Test Anxiety: A Case of Iranian EFL Learners

Presenter ：Adam Wang Instructor ： Dr. Pi-Ying Teresa HsuDate ：April 29, 2013

Citation

Izadi, A., & Atasheneh, N. (2012). The Role of Teachers in Reducing/Increasing Listening Comprehension Test Anxiety: A Case of Iranian EFL Learners. English Language Teaching, 5(3), 178-187.

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Contents

Introduction1

Literature Review2

Methodology3

Results4

Conclusions5

Reflections6

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Introduction

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Introduction

Background

Many students blame anxiety as the blocking factor in concentrating on the test items and hence triggering poor performance on their exam.

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Introduction

Purpose of the study

To investigate the influence of foreign language anxiety and whether teachers can play a role in reducing students’ foreign language listening anxiety

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Introduction

Research Questions

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Literature Review

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Literature Review

MacIntyre and Gardner (1994) define foreign language learning anxiety as “the feeling of tension and apprehension especially associated with second language context, including speaking, listening, reading and writing“.

(MacIntyre & Gardner, 1994, p.288-290).

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Literature Review

“Anxious students are likely to experience mental block, negative self-talk and ruminate over a poor performance which affects their ability to process information in language learning contexts”.

(MacIntyre & Gardner, 1991a, p.87).

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Methodology

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Methodology

Participants

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Methodology

Materials

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Methodology

Foreign Language Class Anxiety Scale (FLCAS)

A scale developed by Horwtiz, Horwitz, and Cope, was used to be correlated with the testers’ scores in listening comprehension test.

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Methodology

Foreign Language Class Anxiety Scale (FLCAS)

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Strong agree

Agree

Neither agree nor disagree

Disagree

Strong disagree

Methodology

Procedure

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Methodology

Procedure

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Methodology

Procedure

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Results

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Results & Findings

Q1：What is the relationship between Iranian EFL students’ foreign language class anxiety and listening

comprehension?

The results showed a moderate but significant negative correlation between FLCAS and listening comprehension

(r=-.469).

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Results & Findings

Q2：What roles can teachers play in reducing the amount of anxiety triggered in foreign language listening situations?

The high anxious informants had a significant improvement in the second listening comprehension test

results due to the reduction of their level of anxiety in the treatment session.

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Conclusion & Reflection

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Conclusion

Those students who are susceptible to anxiety, are involved in their self-deprecatory thoughts, worry and tension rather than focusing on what is being told to them in a language class or the questions on a test situation.

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Reflection

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Thank you for listening.

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