Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Ministry of Education
AL-Baha University
College of Arts and Humanities
Department of Foreign Languages
Motivation and Anxiety of EFL Learning among 1st level Female Students of English Department at Al-Baha University
A Thesis Proposal Submitted to the Department of Foreign Languages in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Master Degree in Applied Linguistics
Presented by:
Safia Ahmed Hassan Al-Gamdi
Academic Number:
434015128
Under the Supervision of:
Dr. Haytham Abdalla
Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics
1438-1439 H
2017-2018
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1438-1439
2017- 2018
Table of Contents
Abstract
Table of Contents
Chapter one (Introduction)
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Statement of the Problem
1.3 Aims of the Study
1.4 Significance of the study
1.5 Questions of the Study
1.6 Hypotheses of the Study
1.7 Limitations of the study
Chapter Two (Literature Review)
2.1 Anxiety Factor
2.1.1 Anxiety and SL Acquisition
2.1.2 Decreasing Language Anxiety
2.2 Motivation Factor
2.2.1 Intrinsic (integrative) motivation
2.2.2 Extrinsic (instrumental) Motivation
2.3 Previous related studies
Chapter Three (Methodology)
3.1 Participants
3.2 Instruments
3.3 Procedures
3.4 Data Analysis
Chapter Four (Results & Discussion)
4.1 Results
4.2 Discussion
Chapter Five (Recommendations & Conclusion)
5.1 Recommendations
5.2 Conclusion
References
Appendixes
Abstract
The present study aims to investigate the degree of motivation and anxiety among EFL University female students at Al-Baha City. The methodology of the study is based on the descriptive and statistical approach to analyze and explain the degree of motivation and anxiety on the process of EFL learning among university female students at Al-Baha city. The subjects of the study were chosen randomly from the university at Al-Baha city. They were 100 female students (aged from 19 to 22 studying at Al-Baha University) participated in this study. Two instruments were used to collect the data, the Foreign Language Learning Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) and the motivation questionnaire is that of Gardner's (1985) Attitude Motivation Test Battery Scale (AMTBS). The finding of the study is that there is a negative correlation between anxiety and motivation among EFL 1st level University female students at Al-Baha City. The results of this study indicate that students have a low level of anxiety and a high level of motivation towards learning English language.
1.1 Introduction
Motivation and anxiety are the two affective factors in the psychological field of second language acquisition. They may affect the process of second/foreign language learning. Chastain (1988) recognized that motivation and anxiety are predictors of SL performance. Chastain (1988) defined motivation as some incentive that causes the individual to participate in activity leading toward a goal and to preserve it until the goal is reached. On the other hand, Anxiety is the subjective feeling of tension, apprehension, nervousness and worry associated with an arousal of the autonomic nervous system, (Spielberger, 1983).
These factors have been found to be highly related to EFL achievement. However, fairly few studies have examined the role of these two constructs simultaneously in the context of English as a foreign language (EFL). This study will show the different types of motivation and anxiety that female students have through their learning of English language in the classes.
Foreign language researchers have stated that anxiety and motivation are effective factors are important predictors of foreign language performance (Clement et al, 1994: 417 – 448; Horwitz, E, K et al, 1986: 125-132; Garnder et al, 1992: 1992: 197-214).
Gardner, Day, and MacIntyre (1992) showed that anxiety and motivation are opposite ends of the same dimension, there being motivated, confident students and anxious, unmotivated students. Yan and Horwitz (2008) considered that motivation as an important factor that have a mutual and direct relation with anxiety. Compared to the abundant amount of studies on these two variables, insufficient empirical research has been undertaken to explore the relationship between the two (Liu and Cheng, 2014). This study therefore, hopes to ingrain further the understanding of the two factors and their effects on foreign language learning.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
In Saudi Arabia English teachers often complain that the level of proficiency of English language among students in the university is decreasing, even though students study English for several years at primary, intermediate and secondary school. The students often express their feelings of anxiety, stress or nervousness while learning English, claiming that they have a mental block while learning the language. Learning more about anxiety and motivation may influence the process of language learning that is crucial to prevent an atmosphere that is fraught not only with frustration for teachers, but also with fear and anxiety for students (Mohammed 2015).
From my experience as a teacher of English Language in many schools I noticed that students have less desire and low motivation of learning English language. Even advanced students feel anxious while learning English in some situations. On the other hand, some students show a strong desire to learn English language.
1.3 Aims of the Study
The aim of this study is to
1- Explore motivation and anxiety among the 1st level of English department female students at Al-Baha University.
2- Show the anxiety of female EFL learners if there is any
3- Examine the relationship between language motivation and anxiety of the target subjects.
1.4 Significance of the Study
English language learning is often associated with some factors that influence EFL learning. Therefore, it is important to identify the causes of high language achievers and language underachievers based on anxiety and motivation.
This study will provide English teachers and students in AlBaha city with recommendations for teaching and learning English with reference to the two concerned affective factors. It will familiarize students with some learning strategies and techniques that may help to encourage less anxious and more confident, motivated and skilled students toward learning English language.
1.5 Questions of the Study
1. Do 1st level female students at Al-Baha University have the motivation to study English?
2. Do the female learners show any type of anxiety in learning English as a foreign language?
3. What is the relationship between motivation and anxiety among 1st level female students at Al-Baha University?
1.6 Hypotheses of the Study
To answer the questions of the study the researcher expects the following hypotheses. The hypotheses will be measured by using Gardener's (1985) Attitude/Motivation Test Battery (AMTB) questionnaire.
H1: 1st level of English department female students at Al-Baha University are less motivated to learn English as a foreign language.
H2: 1st level of English department female students at Al-Baha University are highly anxious to learn English as a foreign language. This hypothesis will be measured by using the questionnaire that is based on the Foreign Language Learning Anxiety Scale (FLCAS).
H3: There is a significant correlation between motivation and anxiety among 1st level of English department female students at Al-Baha University. In this hypothesis the relation between motivation and anxiety will be shown in the analyses of the results of the questioners.
1.7 Limitations of the Study
The study will focus on 100 1st level female students and will not be generalized to all levels of students. The study will focus on Saudi female EFL students of English Department at Al-Baha University, whose mother tongue is Arabic.
1.8 Conclusion
This chapter provided an overview of the research topic and presented the problem statement of the research. The chapter also included the research questions, objectives and hypotheses proposed in the present research. Moreover the chapter provided the limitations of the present study.
Chapter two
2.1 Introduction
This chapter will focus on (” 2.2 Anxiety Factor) which explain anxiety, its types, anxiety in SL acquisition and how to decrease anxiety in learning the foreign language, and (”2.3 motivation factor) which explain motivation, its types (Intrinsic/Extrinsic and Integrative /Instrumental), and (”2.4) some previous related studies about anxiety and motivation in learning the foreign language are also explained in this chapter.
2.2 Anxiety Factor
Anxiety is considered to be as one of the most important affective factors, which affect the learner's emotional and behavioral components. Therefore, anxiety creates an unpleasant feeling, fear and worry (Seligman et al, 2001). According to Arnold (2000, p.59), language anxiety ranks high among factors influencing language learning, regardless of whether the setting is informal or formal. Anxiety is also defined as the feeling of tension, worry, nervousness and apprehension associated with an arousal of nervous system (Spielberger, 1983).
Ellis (1994) divides anxiety into three types which are trait anxiety, state anxiety and situation anxiety. Situational anxiety is aroused by a specific type of situation or event such as public speaking, class participation or examination. Trait and state anxiety are related to the learners' nature. The learners tend to be anxious when they compare themselves with others.
Psychologists distinguish two types of anxiety. Personality trait anxiety and transient anxiety. The former is related to personality characteristics while the later is a response to a particular anxiety provoking stimulus such as examination (Spielberger, 1983).
2.2.1 Anxiety and SL Acquisition
Many researchers have showed that anxiety has an important effect on SL acquisition. Krashen (1981) stated that the student who feels at ease in the classroom and likes the teacher may seek out more intake by volunteering and may not be more accepting of the teacher as a source of input. SL anxiety has been 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", (Horwitz, E , K et al, 1986: 125-132). SL anxiety is related to over competitiveness in the foreign language classroom. Students tend to outperform other classmates and have positive feedback from their teacher (Baliely,1983). Language anxiety is a reaction to real difficulties that the learners have processing when they learn SL.(Saito et al,1999).
Gregersen (2004), mentioned that there are nonverbal clues of anxiety that may be attributed to the classroom environment such as : facial expression, less eye contact and regular gestures. There is a question astonishing the teachers of EFL that ''Is there a specific instrument for measuring learning anxiety?''. There is a solution for this problem to identify SL anxiety by developing a systematic instrument which is the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS). This instrument is used to identify student's anxiety experience in language learning.(Aida, 1994:155-168).
2.2.2 Decreasing Language Anxiety
Many studies on language anxiety have suggested a variety of strategies that help of decreasing this problem. First, to make the classroom a safe and less anxious place, the teachers of language must be friendly and they should encourage students to have strong self-confidence. Then the students would feel more comfortable. (Price, 1991). Second, students should believe in their positive personality traits and gather their own strengths to build up their experiences about learning the language. After that the teachers can build the students' self confidence and self esteem in SL ability by encouragement, reassurance, positive reinforcement and empathy (Onwuegbuzie et al, 1999:217-239)
The relationship between language motivation and anxiety has been studied by some researchers (e.g., Gardenar &Lalonde, 1987). In their studies, they have treated anxiety either as a separate factor in its own right or as a secondary factor of EFL self-confidence. When considered as a distinct variable, EFL anxiety was found to be negatively related to EFL motivation. Anxiety was, however, related to self-confidence gained as a result of perceived communicative competence. Lack of anxiety is thus viewed as a predictor of EFL self-confidence characterizing motivated language learners. Also, the relationship between EFL anxiety and self-determination theory of language learning motivation has been examined by some researchers such as Toth (2007) and Liu and Huang(2011). These scholars have shown that anxiety is positively and significantly related to a motivation. They have, however, found that anxiety is more significantly (Khodadady & Khajary 2012).
2.3 Motivation Factor
Motivation is considered to be one of the most important factors that affect the student's language input. Motivation is the learner's orientation with regard to the goal of learning a second language. Gardner (1985), defined motivation as the combination of effort plus desire to achieve the goal of learning the language plus favorable attitudes toward learning the language. Brown (1994), mentioned that motivation is an inner drive, impulse, emotion, or desire that moves one to a particular action.
Research shows that motivation influences how often learners use foreign language learning (FLL) strategies, how much input learners receive, how high their proficiency level becomes, and how long the learners maintain FLL skills, (Oxford, 1992).
Motivation is perceived to be composed of three elements. Firstly, effort which reference to the time spent on studying the foreign language. Secondly, the desire which indicates how much the learner wants to become proficient in the foreign language. Thirdly, the affect which illustrates the learner's emotional reactions to the foreign language (Gardner, 1982).
Motivated students are found to be more active in classes and more likely to interact with other students, the teacher and other members in the society and are less likely to drop out of language study (Gardner & Macintyre, 1991:57-72). Highly motivated learners interact confidently with native speakers of the language which in return increases the amount of input that learners receive, and then they have better results in language learning (Scarcella, & Oxford (1992).
2.3.1 Motivation types
Motivation is divided into two basic types. The integrative and instrumental motivation according to Gardner & Lambert (1972). In the context of language learning, instrumental motivation refers to the learner's desire to learn a language for "utilitarian" purposes. Integrative motivation refers to the desire to learn a language to integrate success fully into the target language community.
2.3.2 Intrinsic or Integrative Motivation
Intrinsic motivation is associated with high educational achievement and enjoyment by students Lepper et al, (1973). Intrinsically motivated behaviors are internal rewards, for example : the joy of doing a particular activity or satisfying one's curiosity, Dornyei (1994). In this type of motivation, the learner is thought to be the most successful when learning a target language because he likes the people who that speak the language, admires the culture and has a desire to become familiar with the society in which the language is used, Falk (1978).
2.3.3 Extrinsic or Instrumental Motivation
It comes from outside of the students. Extrinsically motivated behaviors are the ones in which the student performs to receive award like (excellent grades, money or gifts) or to avoid punishment. In contrast to integrative motivation this type of motivation is referred to as instrumental motivation which generally characterized by the desire to obtain something practical or concrete from the study of SL. Hudson (2000).
2.34 Previous Related Studies
Mohammed (2015) investigated the relationship between two affective variables: language anxiety and motivation in his study about EFL Saudi college students of English included 75 students randomly selected from Shaqra University in Saudi Arabia. The researcher believes that the student anxiety level and the motivational pattern play an essential role in language achievement. He stated that it is important to investigate the causes of students’ anxiety and to find ways to decrease it. Also it is necessary to study the types of motivation to see whether these types are sufficient to help students achieve the proper language progress. The researcher concluded his study with some recommendations for teaching and learning English with relation to the affective factors. The classrooms should be the places where motivation can be increased rather than weakened. Language teachers should familiarized students with pedagogical strategies in the learning process.
Liu & Cheng (2014) have presented a study of assessing language anxiety in EFL students with varying degrees of motivation. These two factors are constantly found among students with different proficiency levels. The participants consisted of 150 university students in Taiwan. The finding of this study is that, the higher levels of motivation are constantly associated with lower levels of anxiety. The researchers also find that the combination of speaking anxiety and fear of negative evaluation acted as a primary source of language anxiety in the EFL classrooms.
Similarly, Jain & Sidhu, (2013) have investigated the relationship between anxiety, attitude, and motivation regarding 60 students at the Faculty of Education in Malaysia. The study showed that anxiety has been an important factor that influences the students learning of SL where science students showed significantly positive attitude than non-science students.
”zg”r & Griffiths (2013) studied the relationship between motivation and language learning. This study was done in a private language school in Istanbul, Turkey. It consisted of four types of motivation: intrinsic, extrinsic, instrumental and integrative. Participants were 22 male and 22 female Turkish students. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the connection between motivation and language learning success. According to results, students' main motivation to learn English was for employment purposes. The strongest motivators are personal satisfaction, self improvement, parents, school, studying abroad and getting a better job. It is also important that extrinsic motivation has negative effect on achievement.
Waseem & Jibeen (2013), have presented a study of anxiety amongst learners of English as SL, which is an examination of motivational patterns in the Pakistani context. The study investigated the interrelatedness of the two affective factors of anxiety and motivation in English learning classrooms. The participants were 170 male and female undergraduate students in Pakistan. The finding of the study showed that instrumental motivation is a significant contributor towards SL anxiety, including fear of negative evaluation, speech apprehension, and fear of tests; whereas integrative motivation only contributed towards fear of negative evaluation.
Chapter Three: Methodology
3.1 Introduction
This chapter will show the (” 3.2) methodology of the study which includes the participants, the instruments and the procedure of the study, validity and reliability, and data analysis.
3.2 Methodology
3.2.1 Participants
This study aims to take the responses from the 1st level Saudi female students at Al-Baha University. For that a total of 100 1st level Saudi female students from Al-Baha University were chosen randomly. Their ages were ranging from 19 to 22. Hence the sample size of the study is 100 respondents.
3.2.2 Instruments
As this study is a quantitative study in nature. The quantitative data was collected for the data analysis. For the collection of data two instruments were used in collecting the data of this study. The first instrument was a questionnaire based on Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS), developed by Horwitz, and Yong (1991). It is the most well-known scale used for measuring anxiety and stress in foreign language classrooms. Participants were asked to answer 22 items presented on a Likert-type scale. The second instrument was the Attitude Motivation Test Battery Scale (AMTBS) adopted from the motivation surveys administered in foreign language setting by Gardner (1985). Participants were asked to answer 22 items presented on a Likert-type scale. The questionnaires are presented in the appendix at the end of the chapter.
3.2.3 Procedure
The questionnaires were distributed among the 100 1st level female students at Al-Baha University, as mentioned earlier that these participants were selected randomly. A prior permission was taken from the university to collect the data from the students and use it in the present study. The questionnaires were self-administered by the researcher and took on average 30 minutes for the reading, understanding and responding.
3.2.4 Reliability and Validity of the Questionnaires.
Both of the questionnaires were checked for the validity and reliability. The validity of the questionnaires was checked using correlation value of the all individual questions with the overall scale of the questionnaire. If the correlation was significant at 0.05 level it was considered to be valid. All the items in both questionnaires were found valid. The results are presented in the next the chapter no 4.
The reliability of the questionnaire was also checked. For this Cronbach’s Alpha of the questionnaire was checked. The benchmark value for Cronbach’s Alpha is 0.7 however for both questionnaires the values were above 0.9 which means both questionnaires were highly reliable. The results for the Cronbach’s Alpha (Reliability) are also presented in the next chapter no. 4.
3.2.5 Data Analysis
The collected data was entered in the software for the analysis. For this SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) version 22.0 was used. This software is sufficient for the data analysis techniques used in this study such as correlation, frequencies, percentages and the reliability and validity measures. The data analysis results and interpretations are presented in the Chapter no. 4.
Chapter Four: Results & Discussion
4.1 Introduction
This chapter will focus on (”4.2 Validity and reliability test ) to check the validity and reliability of the questionnaires and (”4.3 reliability analysis) to show the results of reliability test for both anxiety and motivation and interprets the results and (”4.4 results of research questions) which showed the data analysis of the 100 responses that performed on the data collected through questionnaires.
4.2.1 Validity and reliability test
This section presents the validity analysis performed to check the validity of the questionnaires used in the study. According to results showed in table 1, it showed that all items used into Foreign Language Learning Anxiety scale are valid and measured what intended to measure, since p-value for each item was statistically significant correlated with overall Foreign Language Learning Anxiety scale (P-value less than 0.05).
Table1: validity results for Foreign Language Learning Anxiety Scale
overall scale A
1. I feel nervous when I'm speaking English. r .669**
P-value 0.000
2.I don't like to take more English classes. r .667**
P-value 0.000
3. I feel very embarrassed when I speak English in the class. r .704**
P-value 0.000
4. I get upset when an English teacher corrects my mistakes. r .673**
P-value 0.000
5. I think that other students are better in English than me. r .690**
P-value 0.000
6. I tremble when I know I'm going to be asked in English class. r .636**
P-value 0.000
7. I worry about speaking English in front of others. r .650**
P-value 0.000
8. I feel anxious about the English test, even if I prepared well for it. r .643**
P-value 0.000
9. I get upset when I don't understand what my English teacher says. r .680**
P-value 0.000
10. I get nervous about making mistakes in English classes. r .723**
P-value 0.000
11. During an English class, I think about things not related to the course. r .490**
P-value 0.000
12. I'm afraid when I'm going to be asked in English class. r .678**
P-value 0.000
13. I get upset when my English teacher asks me a question that I don’t prepare for it. r .635**
P-value 0.000
14. I feel panicky when I have to speak English without preparation. r .656**
P-value 0.000
15. I get nervous about speaking English with native speakers. r .671**
P-value 0.000
16.I feel confused when I prepare for the English test. r .694**
P-value 0.000
17.I worry about failing in my English course. r .700**
P-value 0.000
18.I get upset by the number of grammatical rules I have to learn in English. r .585**
P-value 0.000
19.I get nervous when I arrive late to the English class. r .452**
P-value 0.000
20.I feel anxious in the English listening class. r .598**
P-value 0.000
21.I get upset if there is a lot of English vocabulary that I don’t understand. r .658**
P-value 0.000
22.I fear of pronouncing words incorrectly in the English class. r .640**
P-value 0.000
** . Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).
*. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).
Table 2 below shows how the internal validity was measured for Attitude Motivation Test Battery Scale. As it is observed that all items used into Attitude Motivation Test Battery Scale are valid and measured what intended to measure, since p-value for each item was statistically significant correlated with overall scale (P-value less than 0.05).
Table2: validity results for Attitude Motivation Test Battery Scale
overall scale B
1. I'm interested in the English culture. R .489**
P-value 0.000
2. Learning English is an important part in education. R .749**
P-value 0.000
3. Learning English enables me to find a good job in the future. R .640**
P-value 0.000
4. My parents encourage me to learn English. R .671**
P-value 0.000
5. Other students will respect me if I know English very well. R .322**
P-value 0.001
6. Learning English will enable me to get access to the internet. R .526**
P-value 0.000
7. I enjoy speaking English outside the class. R .599**
P-value 0.000
8. I'm interested in reading English books and magazines. R .471**
P-value 0.000
9. I like watching English movies & videos. R .595**
P-value 0.000
10. Learning English will enable me to interact easily with native speakers. R .656**
P-value 0.000
11. I need English when I travel abroad to study. R .727**
P-value 0.000
12. English is important for my academic development in the university. R .718**
P-value 0.000
13. Knowing English will enable me to understand English people. R .736**
P-value 0.000
14. English is an important language in the world. R .632**
P-value 0.000
15. I enjoy learning the English Language. R .575**
P-value 0.000
16. I prefer to spend more time in English class rather than in other classes. R .685**
P-value 0.000
17.English will make me a more knowledgeable person. R .679**
P-value 0.000
18.English will enable me to converse with more and varied people. R .722**
P-value 0.000
19.Native speakers of English are kind and friendly. R .510**
P-value 0.000
20.Learning English gives me a feeling of success. R .753**
P-value 0.000
21.Learning English give me a chance to participate in the English activities. R .641**
P-value 0.000
22.Learning English will enable me to understand English literature. R .690**
P-value 0.000
**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).
*. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).
4. 2.2 Reliability analysis:
As it is illustrated in table 3 below, the results of reliability test for both Foreign Language Learning Anxiety Scale, and Foreign Language Learning Anxiety Scale and since, Cronbach's Alpha values were above than 0.70 for both scales, I can state that both scales are reliable and indicate a high level of internal consistency for this specific sample. For the present study, the two questionnaires need to be reliable so as to check the dimensions of the questions included in the questionnaires are in the same direction. If the questionnaires are not found to be reliable the data collected through the questionnaire is not considered to be reliable hence the analysis and results of the study becomes questionable. That is why the reliability needs to be achieved.
Table 3: reliability results for Foreign Language Learning Anxiety Scale, and Foreign Language Learning Anxiety Scale
Scale Cronbach's Alpha N of Items
Foreign Language Learning Anxiety Scale .931 22
Attitude Motivation Test Battery Scale .922 22
4.3 Results of research questions
As Mohammed (2015) investigated the relationship between two affective variables: language anxiety and motivation in his study about EFL Saudi college students of English included 75 students randomly selected from Shaqra University in Saudi Arabia. The researcher believes that the student anxiety level and the motivational pattern play an essential role in language achievement. In the similar fashion Liu & Cheng (2014) have presented a study of assessing language anxiety in EFL students with varying degrees of motivation. These two factors are constantly found among students with different proficiency levels. The participants consisted of 150 university students in Taiwan. The finding of this study is that, the higher levels of motivation are constantly associated with lower levels of anxiety. Similarly, Jain & Sidhu, (2013) have investigated the relationship between anxiety, attitude, and motivation regarding 60 students at the Faculty of Education in Malaysia. The study showed that anxiety has been an important factor that influences the students learning of SL where science students showed significantly positive attitude than non-science students. In the same way Waseem & Jibeen (2013), have presented a study of anxiety amongst learners of English as SL, which is an examination of motivational patterns in the Pakistani context. The finding of the study showed that instrumental motivation is a significant contributor towards SL anxiety. So it can be said that the results of the present research are also aligned with the other similar studies done not only in the Saudi Arabian context but also the international context. Students in Al-Baha usually have less chance to practice English language outside the classroom. So they suffer from anxiety while learning English and have less motivation to use English language.
The relationship between motivation and anxiety level of the students of foreign language is found to be general phenomena and the same for the English language can be found in the countries where English is not the first language of the people such as the studies from Arab countries, Turkey and Pakistan have presented for example in the study and all found the same relationship between these two variables.
The present research was done in the Saudi Arabian context trying to find out the motivation and anxiety levels and their relationship among the 1st level Saudi females students. There are various studies done on this topic in globally but the interesting result in field of EFL learning among the female university students is relation between motivation and anxiety levels in EFL learning which exist in the female students in the Saudi Arabian Universities.
4.3.1 Do 1st level female students at Al-Baha University have motivation that in learning English as a foreign language?
To find out if first level female students at Al-Baha University have motivation that in learning English as a foreign language, results in table 4 illustrated regards perception towards cultural aspects of English language as 65.7% from them interested in the English culture, with about half of participants that believed Native speakers of English are kind and friendly. Additionally, half of participants ranged from agree to strongly agree with interested in reading English books and magazines, and about 80% like and strongly like watching English movies and videos. Therefore, about 86% of the total participants perceived the English as the important language in the world.
While about 70% of them strongly agreed that Learning English is an important part in education, since Learning English enables them to find a good job in the future with 67.7%. It about 58.9% from all participants expressed that their parents encourage them to learn English. Additionally, participants tend to perceived positively regards learning English language. It observed in their perception towards that Learning English gives them a feeling of success, Learning English gives them a chance to participate in the English activities, Learning English will enable them to get access to the internet, Learning English will enable them to interact easily with native speakers, and Learning English will enable them to understand English literature with percentages 61.6%, 62.6%, 61.6%, 66.7% and 68.7% respectively. Therefore, about 59% of the participants enjoy learning the English Language.
In another way, some participants strongly agree on the usefulness of English language in more than one item such as they need English when travel abroad to study (77%), English is important for academic development in the university (73%), Knowing English will enable them to understand English people (66%), English will deepen their knowledge (56%), and English will enable them to converse with more and varied people (49%). Therefore, about 78% of the participants strongly enjoy speaking English outside the class.
However, participants stated unclear responses regard the relation of confident level with English language, as they ranged between strongly disagree and strongly agree, with almost same percentages in relation to item and other students will respect them if they know English very well. As well as they stated unclear responses (ranged between strongly disagree and disagree with same percentage for all categories) in relation to their preference to spend more time in English classes rather than in other classes.
According to hypothesis 1 (H1) the 1st level of English department female students at Al-Baha University are less motivated to learn English as a foreign language. This hypothesis is not true therefore, the results showed that female students are motivated to learn English language as a foreign language since the overall average score for Attitude Motivation Test Battery Scale was 4.2654”.64547, showed below in table 4 p ( 32 ) which lead to reject the hypothesis .
Table 4: results for Attitude Motivation Test Battery Scale
Items SD D NS A SA
f % f % F % f % f %
1. I'm interested in the English culture. 7 7.1% 1 1.0% 9 9.1% 17 17.2% 65 65.7%
2. Learning English is an important part in education. 3 3.0% 3 3.0% 4 4.0% 20 20.2% 69 69.7%
3. Learning English enables me to find a good job in the future. 2 2.0% 1 1.0% 8 8.1% 21 21.2% 67 67.7%
4. My parents encourage me to learn English. 4 4.0% 4 4.0% 6 6.1% 27 27.3% 58 58.6%
5. Other students will respect me if I know English very well. 5 5.1% 12 12.1% 28 28.3% 21 21.2% 33 33.3%
6. Learning English will enable me to get access to the internet. 3 3.0% 5 5.1% 10 10.1% 20 20.2% 61 61.6%
7. I enjoy speaking English outside the class. 5 5.1% 4 4.0% 9 9.1% 27 27.3% 54 54.5%
8. I'm interested in reading English books and magazines. 7 7.1% 13 13.1% 16 16.2% 29 29.3% 34 34.3%
9. I like watching English movies & videos. 5 5.1% 7 7.1% 8 8.1% 21 21.2% 58 58.6%
10. Learning English will enable me to interact easily with native speakers. 4 4.0% 2 2.0% 9 9.1% 18 18.2% 66 66.7%
11. I need English when I travel abroad to study. 3 3.0% 3 3.0% 3 3.0% 14 14.1% 76 76.8%
12. English is important for my academic development in the university. 3 3.0% 3 3.0% 7 7.1% 14 14.1% 72 72.7%
13. Knowing English will enable me to understand English people. 1 1.0% 3 3.0% 1 1.0% 29 29.3% 65 65.7%
14. English is an important language in the world. 4 4.0% 3 3.0% 7 7.1% 21 21.2% 64 64.6%
15. I enjoy learning the English Language. 2 2.0% 3 3.0% 13 13.1% 23 23.2% 58 58.6%
16. I prefer to spend more time in English class rather than in other classes. 4 4.0% 6 6.1% 25 25.3% 32 32.3% 32 32.3%
17.English will make me a more knowledgeable person. 6 6.1% 4 4.0% 12 12.1% 22 22.2% 55 55.6%
18.English will enable me to converse with more and varied people. 5 5.1% 4 4.0% 13 13.1% 29 29.3% 48 48.5%
19.Native speakers of English are kind and friendly. 3 3.0% 7 7.1% 29 29.3% 17 17.2% 43 43.4%
20.Learning English gives me a feeling of success. 4 4.0% 5 5.1% 3 3.0% 26 26.3% 61 61.6%
21.Learning English give me a chance to participate in the English activities. 4 4.0% 4 4.0% 8 8.1% 21 21.2% 62 62.6%
22.Learning English will enable me to understand English literature. 3 3.0% 1 1.0% 6 6.1% 21 21.2% 68 68.7%
Overall Scale (Mean ” STD) 4.2654” .64547
4.3.2 Do the female students at Al-Baha University show anxiety in learning English as a foreign language?
Table 5 illustrated the frequencies and percentages of each item of Foreign Language Learning Anxiety Scale. Regarding feelings during speaking of the English language, only 24.2% from participants are strongly agree that they feel nervous when they are speaking English, however, it showed that almost 47% of them feel very embarrassed when they speak English in the class, and about 40% were worried about speaking English in front of others. 50% of the participants agree strongly as they feel panicky when they have to speak English without preparation lastly, about 48% of the participants were found to be nervous about speaking English with native speakers.
Concerning anxiety level in English classes, results demonstrated that only37% of the participants agreed strongly that they do not like to take more English classes, and about half of the total participants are nervous, anxious, and afraid about making mistakes in English classes, when they are going to be asked in English class, and feel anxious in the English listening class. However, it showed that no difference in regard to fail the English course. Fear status was observed in some participants when they arrive late to the English class. As well as, more that 50% of the participants had a concern regarding fear to pronounce words incorrectly in the English class.
participants have negative feelings get upset when an English teacher corrects their mistakes (35% from total observed upset), and that about 50% of them do not get upset when they do not understand what the English teacher says.
More than 50% of the participants were demonstrated feeling of confusion when they prepare for the English test, therefore, more than 50% of participants were getting upset if there is a lot of English vocabulary that they do not understand, and were getting upset by the number of grammatical rules that they have to learn in English. According to the results, some of participants have a negative feeling that other students are better in English than their counterparts (more than 50% feeling like that), and during an the English class more than 40% agreed that they think about things not related to the course.
According to hypothesis 2 (H2) that first level of English department female students at Al-Baha University are highly anxious to learn English as a foreign language. This hyoptesis is not true, therefore the results showed that female students are not highly anxious to learn English as a foreign language, since the overall average score for Foreign Language Learning Anxiety Scale was 3.1811”.92057, which showed below in table 5 p ( 35 ) and this leads to reject the hypothesis.
Table5: results for Foreign Language Learning Anxiety Scale
SD D NS A SA
f % f % f % f % f %
1. I feel nervous when I'm speaking English. 29 29.3% 12 12.1% 13 13.1% 21 21.2% 24 24.2%
2.I don't like to take more English classes. 34 34.3% 19 19.2% 9 9.1% 12 12.1% 25 25.3%
3. I feel very embarrassed when I speak English in the class. 16 16.2% 23 23.2% 13 13.1% 30 30.3% 17 17.2%
4. I get upset when an English teacher corrects my mistakes. 28 28.3% 16 16.2% 21 21.2% 19 19.2% 15 15.2%
5. I think that other students are better in English than me. 20 20.2% 13 13.1% 19 19.2% 23 23.2% 24 24.2%
6. I tremble when I know I'm going to be asked in English class. 19 19.2% 21 21.2% 23 23.2% 21 21.2% 15 15.2%
7. I worry about speaking English in front of others. 19 19.2% 19 19.2% 20 20.2% 19 19.2% 22 22.2%
8. I feel anxious about the English test, even if I prepared well for it. 15 15.2% 12 12.1% 22 22.2% 25 25.3% 25 25.3%
9. I get upset when I don't understand what my English teacher says. 11 11.1% 17 17.2% 17 17.2% 28 28.3% 26 26.3%
10. I get nervous about making mistakes in English classes. 18 18.2% 11 11.1% 18 18.2% 27 27.3% 25 25.3%
11. During an English class, I think about things not related to the course. 26 26.3% 13 13.1% 20 20.2% 24 24.2% 16 16.2%
12. I'm afraid when I'm going to be asked in English class. 16 16.2% 14 14.1% 27 27.3% 24 24.2% 18 18.2%
13. I get upset when my English teacher asks me a question that I don’t prepare for it. 14 14.1% 16 16.2% 19 19.2% 19 19.2% 31 31.3%
14. I feel panicky when I have to speak English without preparation. 15 15.2% 13 13.1% 22 22.2% 20 20.2% 29 29.3%
15. I get nervous about speaking English with native speakers. 23 23.2% 9 9.1% 20 20.2% 26 26.3% 21 21.2%
16.I feel confused when I prepare for the English test. 16 16.2% 13 13.1% 19 19.2% 30 30.3% 21 21.2%
17.I worry about failing in my English course. 23 23.2% 18 18.2% 11 11.1% 23 23.2% 24 24.2%
18.I get upset by the number of grammatical rules I have to learn in English. 10 10.2% 16 16.3% 17 17.3% 29 29.6% 26 26.5%
19.I get nervous when I arrive late to the English class. 10 10.1% 20 20.2% 15 15.2% 22 22.2% 32 32.3%
20.I feel anxious in the English listening class. 23 23.2% 10 10.1% 23 23.2% 14 14.1% 29 29.3%
21.I get upset if there is a lot of English vocabulary that I don’t understand. 8 8.1% 12 12.1% 16 16.2% 34 34.3% 29 29.3%
22.I fear of pronouncing words incorrectly in the English class. 20 20.2% 13 13.1% 19 19.2% 20 20.2% 27 27.3%
Overall Scale (Mean ” STD) 3.1811” .92057
4.3.3 What is the relationship between motivation and anxiety among 1st level female students at Al-Baha University?
Table 6 showed that there is a significant relationship between motivation and anxiety among 1st level female students, where P-value less than 0.05, and r = -.309.
Therefore, hypothesis 3 (H3) is true and accepted, it is stated that there is a negative relationship between motivation and anxiety among first level of English department female students at Al-Baha University. As one anxiety level among first level of English department female students decreases, motivation towards English language increases. This finding is similar to the finding in the study of Mohammed (2015), which indicated a low level of anxiety and a high level of motivation among Saudi students at Shaqea University in Saudi Arabia. So in this study there is no significant relationship was found between anxiety and motivation in general.
Table6: relationship between motivation and anxiety among 1st level female students
# Scale 1 2
1 Foreign Language Learning Anxiety Scale r 1 -.309**
P-value .002
2 Attitude Motivation Test Battery Scale r -.309** 1
P-value .002
**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).
4.4 Conclusion
The above chapter provided a detail analysis of validity and reliability of the questionnaire, the results of the hypotheses were provided and discussed in compared with other similar results done.
Chapter Five: Recommendations & Conclusion
5.1 Introduction
This chapter will show (”5.2 conclusion ) which concludes the research with regards to the results found after performing data analysis and link to the different results found in the other contexts and (”5.3 recommendations) which includes the classroom styles of teaching and strategies.
5.2 Conclusion
The findings of this study concerning the female participants’ language learning anxiety, motivation to learn English, and their English proficiency indicated that participant with low anxiety level are more motivated and these results are consistent with the other researches done on the male students. This is consistent with the results observed by Padilla, Cervantes, Maldonado and Garc”a (1988) who observed that female learners are also concerned about language complications like male learners, and they are also anxious and worried like male students. Concerning the participants’ level of motivation, it was noted that the female participants were also motivated to learn English like the male participants, as confirmed by Karahan (2007).
The findings of the investigation demonstrated that most of the Saudi Female EFL students encountered a mid to abnormal state of language learning anxiety. This is commonly upheld by the consequences of past research in such manner (Horwitz, 1987; Horwitz, Horwitz, and Cope, 1986). Concerning the connection between the students being anxious and motivated, it was discovered that the low-level of anxiety gather had the higher motivation to learn English. As it were, the respondents with lower levels of the language learning anxiety were more propelled to learn English. By correlation, those members with more elevated amounts of the language learning anxiety were less persuaded to learn English as appeared by different analysts (e.g., Gardner and Lalonde, 1987; Hashimoto, 2002). This is because of the way that there was a negative connection between the leaners’ anxiety level and motivational level to learn EFL.
Furthermore the findings of this examination demonstrated that students with low level of being anxious are more motivated and their outcomes are predictable with alternate inquires about done on the male understudies. This is linked with the outcomes saw by Padilla, Cervantes, Maldonado and Garc”a (1988) who investigated that female students are additionally worried about language intricacies like male student, and they are likewise restless and stressed like males. On the level of motivation, it was noticed that the female members were likewise spurred to learn English like the male members, as affirmed by Karahan (2007).
The overall results of the study can be concluded that in the context of Saudi Universities the females students are motivated as well as anxious about the language learning however the relationship between the motivation level and the anxiety level is negative and significant which implies that the more anxious students are less motivated while less anxiety leads to high motivation of the Saudi 1st level females students at Al-Baha University. The study is a contribution in the research area.
5.3 Recommendation
The researcher concluded his study with some recommendations for teaching and learning English with relation to the affective factors.
1- The classrooms should be the places where motivation can be increased rather than weakened. Language teachers should familiarize students with pedagogical strategies in the learning process.
2- There should be more motivational activities in the classrooms so that the students are motivated towards learning language and more pedagogical strategies should be learnt by the teachers so that they can apply them in the classroom while teaching to the EFL students.
3- Development of the four skills rather than being rigid on the grammatical issues. In this regard one to one interaction with the EFL learners is recommended so as to understand their concerns regarding the teaching strategies adopted in the class room.
4- Curriculum development should be improved and more motivational strategies should be included and cultural aspects should be considered as the Saudi Arabian culture is an Islamic culture this can be a better way to motivate towards learning while bringing the material and content from their own culture.
5- Anxiety level of the upper level students who have already achieved some proficiency in English should be investigated and compared with the 1st level students to understand how their anxiety level is different or not.
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Appendixes
Questionnaires
Questionnaire1. Foreign Language learning Anxiety Scale
By Elaine Horwitz & Young (1991)
(a modified version).
Please write the number of the appropriate answer that describes your feelings about learning English from 1 to 5 as follows:
1 = strongly disagree, 2 =disagree, 3 =not sure, 4 =agree, and 5 =strongly agree.
Statement strongly agree agree not sure disagree strongly disagree
1. I feel nervous when I'm speaking English.
2.I don't like to take more English classes.
3. I feel very embarrassed when I speak English in the class.
4. I get upset when an English teacher corrects my mistakes.
5. I think that other students are better in English than me.
6. I tremble when I know I'm going to be asked in English class.
7. I worry about speaking English in front of others.
8. I feel anxious about the English test, even if I prepared well for it.
9. I get upset when I don't understand what my English teacher says.
10. I get nervous about making mistakes in English classes.
11. During an English class, I think about things not related to the course.
12. I'm afraid when I'm going to be asked in English class.
13. I get upset when my English teacher asks me a question that I don’t prepare for it.
14. I feel panicky when I have to speak English without preparation.
15. I get nervous about speaking English with native speakers.
16.I feel confused when I prepare for the English test.
17.I worry about failing in my English course.
18.I get upset by the number of grammatical rules I have to learn in English.
19.I get nervous when I arrive late to the English class.
20.I feel anxious in the English listening class..
21.I get upset if there is a lot of English vocabulary that I don’t understand.
22.I fear of pronouncing words incorrectly in the English class.
Questionnaire2.
Attitude Motivation Test Battery Scale
By Gardner (1985)
(a modified version).
Please write the number of the appropriate answer that describes your feelings about learning English from 1 to 5 as follows:
1 = strongly disagree, 2 =disagree, 3 =not sure, 4 =agree, and 5 =strongly agree.
Statement strongly agree agree not sure disagree strongly disagree
1. I'm interested in the English culture.
2. Learning English is an important part in education.
3. Learning English enables me to find a good job in the future.
4. My parents encourage me to learn English.
5. Other students will respect me if I know English very well.
6. Learning English will enable me to get access to the internet.
7. I enjoy speaking English outside the class.
8. I'm interested in reading English books and magazines.
9. I like watching English movies & videos.
10. Learning English will enable me to interact easily with native speakers.
11. I need English when I travel abroad to study.
12. English is important for my academic development in the university.
13. Knowing English will enable me to understand English people.
14. English is an important language in the world.
15. I enjoy learning the English Language.
16. I prefer to spend more time in English class rather than in other classes.
17.English will make me a more knowledgeable person.
18.English will enable me to converse with more and varied people.
19.Native speakers of English are kind and friendly.
20.Learning English gives me a feeling of success.
21.Learning English give me a chance to participate in the English activities.
22.Learning English will enable me to understand English literature.