T BING 1201663 Chapter1

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Asep Dadang, 2014

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANXIETY

Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia | repository.upi.edu | perpustakaan.upi.edu

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

This study is intended to investigate elementary school students’ language anxiety at one

private school in Kabupaten Bandung Barat. The subsequent sections present background of the study, research questions, purpose of the study, significance of the study, scope of the study, definition of terms, and finally the organization of the thesis.

1.1 Background of the study

Language mastery and proficiency are two main goals in our language education. Teachers do great efforts with various techniques to lead their students achieve the goals. However, not all of the students acquire the same level of neither mastery nor proficiency with the technique. Some of them may cut class, fail to prepare for class or to do homework, or are unable to answer even simple questions about the topic being studied in the class.

In the last three decades, the study of second language has shifted from the field of teaching methods to the learner characteristics. The shift is an attempt to better understandings of difficulties in learning a second or foreign language. Therefore, the research into potential relationships between foreign language acquisition and learner characteristics, especially anxiety have been increasing. Some findings concerning the relationship show how anxiety has no relationship or positively related to performance (Pimsleur, Mosberg, & Morrison, 1962; Backman, 1976; Scovel, 1978 in Tseng, 2012).

On the contrary, other researchers have found different results from the previous findings. Higher level of anxiety creates a lower level of achievement. It means researchers find a negative correlation between anxiety and second language achievement. The higher level of anxiety creates a low level of performance. (Awan, Azher, Anwar, & Naz, 2010; Chan & Wu, 2004; Horwitz, 2001).

Much research has been conducted on foreign language anxiety and some researchers

assume that “foreign language anxiety is more relevant to language learning among adults”

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William, 2009; Awan, Azher, Anwar, & Naz, 2010). In the Indonesian context, anxiety among high school students was observed by Indrianty (2012) who focused on the speaking skill.

However, foreign language anxiety is also observed in children (Cha, 2006) and as compared to other age group, there is still a small amount of research investigating young

learner’s anxiety. Previous research has paid little attention to the language anxiety that young

learners may experience in learning a foreign language. Only some research has been carefully designed to study the language anxiety among young learners, for example, Chang & Wu (2004)

and Cha (2006). Further, the young learners’ anxiety and their strategies coping with it in an

Indonesian context have not been fully investigated yet.

As the response to the issues elaborated above, this study attempts to explore the

components and causes of young learners’ language anxiety. Their strategies to cope with the

anxiety are explored as well.

1.2 Research Questions

The inquiry would be guided by the following questions:

1. Are there any differences in English learning anxiety among young learners in terms of communication anxiety, test anxiety, and fear of negative evaluation?

2. How is young learners’ anxiety when they involve in language anxiety categories? 3. What are the causes of young learners’ language anxiety?

4. How do young learners cope with their language anxiety?

1.3 Purpose of the Study

Departing from the problem mentioned in the statement of the problem, this study was designed to investigate:

1. Categories of language anxiety which are different among young learners in learning English;

2. Young Learners’ anxiety in the language anxiety categories; 3. Causes of language anxiety on young learners;

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Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia | repository.upi.edu | perpustakaan.upi.edu 1.4 Significance of the Study

With regard to the significance of the study, this study has the potential of the theory and education practices. Theoretically, the result of this study will be of great importance to enrich the literature on understanding young learners’ anxiety in EFL class.

Practically, the result of this study will be useful for teachers in providing information on the description of young learners’ anxiety in terms of language anxiety components , causes of

learners’ language anxiety and the learners’ effort coping with the anxiety. Furthermore, the

result may help teacher in helping learners to cope with their language anxiety.

1.5 The Scope of the Study

This study is a study of elementary school students’ anxiety in Kab. Bandung Barat. The students were the fifth and sixth graders. They were selected to be the respondents for this study during English classes which is one of local contents that the school has. This class aims to introduce English to young learners as they are prepared to enter favorite junior high schools. A questionnaire, observations and interview analysis attempt to find out the kinds and causes of

young learners’ language anxiety and also their strategies to cope with the anxiety.

1.6 Definition of Terms

There are several terms to be defined, which are anxiety, foreign language, foreign language anxiety and foreign language anxiety scale.

1. Anxiety is a “subjective feeling of tension, nervousness, and worry associated with an arousal of the autonomic nervous system” (Spielberger, 1983 in Horwitz, 2001, p. 113).

2. Foreign language: A language learned in one's own culture with few immediate opportunities to use the language within the environment of that culture, for example, the English learned in Indonesia.

3. Foreign Language Anxiety (FLA) 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 (Horwitz, 1988).

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composite of communication apprehension, fear of negative evaluation and test anxiety. The scale is a 33-item 5-point Likert scale which includes 24 positively worded and 9 negatively worded items.

1.7 Organization of the Thesis