摘要
近年来,英语学习策略和英语课堂焦虑这两个重要的学习者因素,正受到越来越多的研究者的关注。许多研究表明,英语课堂焦虑阻碍英语学习而英语学习策略对英语学习具有促进作用,运用得当的学习策略可以提高英语学习效率,还可以降低焦虑程度。有研究结果显示,语言焦虑的克服,不能仅仅依靠教师改变教学方法及教学观念,有效地运用学习策略能有助于降低外语课堂焦虑。韩文莉(2003)的研究表明,学习策略使用频率高的学生的英语课堂焦虑相对较低。然而以前的相关研究大多是关于大学生的,那么中学生的英语课堂焦虑状况如何呢?在他们当中是否也存在课堂焦虑?如有,又与学习成绩和学习策略使用是什么关系?本研究主要探讨这几个问题。
本研究以定量和定性分析相结合的方法对551名高三学生进行了调查分析,探讨高三学生英语课堂焦虑状况及其与英语成绩和英语学习策略的关系。研究采用了英语课堂焦虑问卷(在Horwitz等1986年设计的外语课堂焦虑量表FLCAS基础上稍作修改而成)和英语学习策略问卷(在Oxford1990年设计的语言学习策略问卷SILL的基础上加以修改而成)以及英语成绩、开放性问题及个人访谈的方法。
研究结果表明:
1)高三学生中普遍存在英语课堂焦虑,焦虑产生的主要原因在于课堂教学活动,如害怕课堂提问、口头准备不充分等,害怕考试及学生自身的原因,如英语自我观念偏低,过于依赖教师等。
2)英语课堂焦虑就性别而言,差异不显著,但男女生在对待英语课的态度方面差异显著,男生不如女生态度积极。课堂焦虑对女生的英语成绩的预测力大于对男生。
3)课堂焦虑与英语成绩呈显著负相关,但二者并非单纯的线性关系,也非倒U形的关系,而是一种近似于倒∽形的关系,即:低焦虑与高焦虑与英语成绩关系不显著,中等焦虑与英语成绩显著负相关。
4)英语课堂焦虑与英语学习策略呈显著负相关,英语学习策略使用越频繁,课堂焦虑越低。
5)英语课堂焦虑与英语学习策略交互作用于英语成绩时,其作用不显著,原因也许是课堂焦虑对英语成绩的负作用与学习策略的促进作用彼此抵消。本研究结果给与我们的启示是,要想提高学生的英语成绩,必须采取措施降低他们的课堂焦虑。对学生进行学习策略培训是降低英语课堂焦虑,提高英语成绩的有效措施。
Learning strategies and English classroom anxiety, the two important learner factors in English learning have received increasing interest among researchers in recent years. Many researches find that there is the tendency that English classroom anxiety has a negative effect on English learning whereas English learning strategies have positive effects on English learning if properly used. It is also found that foreign language anxiety may not be alleviated simply through certain teaching methodologies and the change of teachers’beliefs. Some research findings suggest that effective learning strategies may help reduce English classroom anxiety. Han Wenli (2003) finds that the more frequently the students use the learning strategies, the less anxious they feel. However, most of the previous studies are about college students. Then what about the high school students? Are they experiencing English classroom anxiety? What’s its relationship with English achievement and English learning strategies? These are what the present study is concerned with.
The focus of the present study is on the English classroom anxiety of high school students, the relationships between English classroom anxiety and English achievement and English learning strategies and on the effect of English learning strategies of reducing English classroom anxiety. Five hundred and fifty one senior grade three high school students in Lianyungang city, Jiangsu province took part in the study as subjects. The English classroom anxiety scale (a modified scale of Horwitz et al’s, (1986) Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale) and the Strategies for English Learning (a modified scale of Oxford’s (1990) SILL) and English achievement were used. Follow-up interviews were carried out after the quantitative study.
Statistical analysis of the data yields the following findings:
1) Most of the high school students in grade three experience English classroom anxiety. The sources of their anxiety are mainly from the classroom activities such as the teacher’s questions, unprepared oral work, tests etc and personal factors, for instance, low self-concept (low self-esteem and low competitiveness), strong dependence on teachers etc.
2) English classroom anxiety has no other gender differences except for the attitude toward English class: girls have more positive attitude to English class than boys. It affects girls more in English learning.
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