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1、A Graduation Thesis of Some Effects of Anxiety in University English Listening ExaminationsContentsAcknowledgementsAbstractChapter One Introduction-11.1 Background of the thesis-11.2 Significance of the thesis-11.3 Outline of the thesis-2Chapter Two Literature Review -22.1 Research on foreign langua
2、ge anxiety-22.2 Research on language learning strategies-32.3 Research on the relationship between listening anxiety and listening strategies-3Chapter Three Data Research - 43.1. Research design and subjects-43.2. Instruments-43.3 Data collection-4Chapter Four Data Analysis-44.1 Background informati
3、on of the subjects-44.2 The linguistic factors effect on listening anxiety by listeners-44.3. The non- linguistic factors effect on listening anxiety by listeners-54.4.The Relationship of listening anxiety, listening level and listening strategies-64.5 Some suggestions about listening strategies-64.
4、5.1 The listening strategies of teachers-64.5.2 The listening strategies of students-6Chapter Five Conclusion-7BibliographyQuestionnaireAcknowledgementsI am greatly indebted to my supervisor, Lecturer Liao Xiaoli, who provided me with different sources of information to help me form and develop the
5、idea of this thesis. I owe much gratitude to her kindness and patience in checking my work in great detail.My indebtedness goes to all the professors who taught me in the last four years. My appreciation also goes to my roommates and classmates for their great help and encouragement.Abstract：Accordi
6、ng to the recently situation of advanced education in China, English examinations plays an extremely important role in the pursuit of all kinds of certifications, that is the reason why students feel anxious in English examinations. English studying covers listening, speaking, reading and writing. S
7、ince the mark of listening comprehension in English examinations is very high, it at most extent aroused English listening anxiety easily. Studies on English listening anxiety began in the 1980s. E.Horwitz and John Cope (1986) points out that anxiety is the most obviously psychological phenomenon in
8、 listening and speaking process, and listening obstacle caused by anxiety is worth studying. Studies on listening comprehension strategies also began at that time.Domestic studies began in the 1990s, and these studies have made great progress both in width and depth based on the previous studies. Th
9、is thesis aims at some effects of anxiety in university English listening examinations, and tries to find out the relationships between English listening anxiety and listening comprehension strategies so as to build effective ways to promote the achievement. Therefore, this thesis obtained data thro
10、ugh random sampling at English major in foreign language school of Northwest University for Nationalities. The results show that students have experienced listening anxiety in a large number, and they think listening anxiety is negatively related to listening level and achievements. Students try to
11、explore appropriate strategies to reduce listening anxiety and improve listening level.Key words: English listening anxiety in examination; listening achievements; listening strategies;中文摘要：纵观当今中国高等教育现状，英语考试在获取各种证书中扮着举足轻重的作用，这也是学生易在考试中产生焦虑情绪。英语学习涵盖了听说读写四个方面技能，因为英语考试中听力理解所占分值相当高，从某种程度上这部分易发焦虑情绪。对英语听力
12、焦虑的研究始于20世纪80年代。E.Horwitz 和 John Cope (1986)指出焦虑很大程度上是听说过程中的心理现象，并且这种引发听力障碍的焦虑很值得研究。对于听力理解策略也始于那时候。国内关于这方面的研究始于20世纪90年代，基于之前的研究，这些研究在深度和广度上取得一定的进步。这篇论文着眼于对引发英语听力考试中产生焦虑因素的研究，以次试图找出英语听力焦虑与听力策略之间的关系，从而为提升英语成绩探讨有效之策。这篇论文的调查数据是基于西北民族大学外国语学院英语系的同学进行随机抽样得出。调查结果显示大部分学生有过英语听力考试焦虑，他们也认为这会对听力水平和考试成绩产生消极影响，并试图
13、探讨减少焦虑感，提升听力水平的合适之策。关键词：英语听力考试焦虑感 听力成绩 听力策略Chapter One Introduction1.1 Background of the thesisWith the advanced education focuses on English examinations, it plays an extremely important role in the pursuit of all kinds of certifications, and that is the reason why students feel anxiety in English
14、examinations. Although many people are paying attention to the importance of listening and it cant deny a fact that listening is the most difficult skill for students to master. Besides, many students in China have difficulty in listening, which hinder their other three skills developments. So we sh
15、ould take it seriously. Horwitz (2001) regards the individuals affective variables such as self-esteem, motivation, inhibition, anxiety, and tolerance of ambiguity as the rudimental solutions to the language learning success particularly with equal intelligence in the same or similar educational env
16、ironments. Among the variables, anxiety seems to have attracted a lot of second language researchers. Meanwhile many linguists and psychologists believe that anxiety is negatively associated with language learning outcomes and they insist that reducing anxiety might enhance learners motivation and i
17、mprove their foreign language learning (MacIntyre,1995; MacIntyre & Gardner, 1989;etc).From this, it can be further assumed that the improvement in learners listening performance might enhance their self-confidence in foreign language learning. More self-confidence and self-fulfillment will probably
18、 result in less anxiety, fear or sense of frustration. In order to research the problem, this thesis obtained data through random sampling at English major in foreign language school of Northwest University for Nationalities. The results show that students have experienced listening anxiety in a lar
19、ge number, and they think listening anxiety is negatively related to listening level and achievements. Whats more, students should try to explore appropriate strategies to reduce listening anxiety and improve listening achievements.1.2 Significance of the thesisSince the Foreign Language Classroom A
20、nxiety Scale(FLCAS)was designed and published by Horwitz (1986),research on foreign language anxiety has been made great process. Researchers and educators all agree that foreign language anxiety can be measured validly and reliably and it plays an important role in foreign language learning. As stu
21、dies go more deeply, they find that foreign language anxiety is pervasive and has a negative correlation with foreign language learning. In the past few years, researchers claim that foreign language anxiety related with listening, speaking, reading, writing and translating is quite different. As is
22、 well known, listening comprehension proves to be anxiety-arousing and the debilitating anxiety prevents the learners from “taking in” the message contained in the listening materials. Therefore, it is no doubt to say that the issue of listening comprehension anxiety is worth more detailed research.
23、The significance of the present study is as follows: firstly, it can help Chinese foreign language learners explore some effects of anxiety in university English examinations listening and be aware of importance of foreign language listening anxiety .It can let learners know how to reduce their list
24、ening anxiety. Then, it is of great importance to create a low-anxiety and supportive examination environment that facilitates language learning. 1.3 Outline of the thesisWhat this thesis concerns is the correlation between English examination listening anxiety and listening comprehension consequenc
25、e and find appropriate listening comprehension strategies. A questionnaire is designed to measure university students English examination listening anxiety and then further research will be done to find strategies to reduce students English examination listening anxiety and to enhance their listenin
26、g marks.The present thesis will be profiled in the following way:Chapter One briefly introduces the background information, it tells readers the present research conditions of this field and the reasons why the author chooses this field to research. Then the theoretical aim and significance of this
27、thesis are described and the structure of this thesis is seen.Chapter Two is background theories of the thesisforeign language anxiety, listening strategies and their relationship.Chapter Three aims at the way research adopted in this thesis. Chapter Four, the objective of this study, investigates t
28、he statistical results and discussion of students ratings on each item of the questionnaire, as well as the English listening comprehension strategy(ELCS). The last chapter presents the findings of the present study and its implications. Chapter Two Literature ReviewAccording to the outline of the t
29、hesis, this chapter will present a review of relevant literature material by researchers and educators both at home and abroad, which begins with foreign language anxiety and English listening anxiety. The research comes from the famous linguists and psychologists throughout the world.2.1 Research o
30、n foreign language anxietySince 1980,research on anxiety has been combined with specific language skills such as listening, reading, speaking and writing. Among them, Horwitz &Cope (1986) thinks that listening might be the most anxiety-provoking and problematic for foreign language learners. Foreign
31、 language anxiety has many sources: some may be associated with students, teachers, the methodology or instructional practice. Anxiety may also originate from low self-esteem, specious beliefs regarding the learning of language, negative experiences associated with the foreign language or culture, o
32、r the general experiences of language learning. To foreign language learners, tests and examinations are an intrinsic part of their lives. As Horwitz(1986)put it “test anxiety is the tendency to view with alarm the consequences of inadequate performance in an evaluative situation.” According to the
33、previous research, highly test-anxious learners have lower learning motivation, typically perform more poorly in tests, and result in lower test scores and grades particularly when the tests are administered under stressful, evaluative conditions. MacIntyre and Gardner(1991)review earlier studies th
34、at exams anxiety in causal models and suggest that foreign language anxiety plays an important role in the language learning process. 2.2 Research on language learning strategiesResearch on language learning strategies began in the 1970s, which is very important for students in their language learni
35、ng. In his famous article “What the good language learner can teach us”, Rubin(1975) defines language learning strategies as“ the techniques or devices which a learner may use to acquire knowledge”. Chamot(1987)believes that learning strategies are techniques, approaches, or deliberate actions that
36、students take in order to facilitate the learning, recall of both linguistic and content area information. Oxford(1989)claims that language learning strategies are behaviors or actions which learners use to make language learning more successful, self-directed and enjoyable. Domestic research on lan
37、guage learning strategies began in the early 1990s such as Wen (1995, 2001).Studies on listening comprehension strategies in foreign countries began in the 1980s. Most of them adopted the method of several subjects oral-report, and investigated the similarities and differences of listening comprehen
38、sion strategy use among subjects with different language learning level(DeFillipis 1980;Murphy 1985;OMalley et al 1989; Vandergrift 1992). Studies on this field at home began in the early 1990s.Some studies investigated the differences between subjects with high or low listening level(Wen 1995,2001;
39、Wen&Wang,1996);some studies discussed the relationship between listening comprehension strategies and listening level(Jiang,1994).2.3 Research on the relationship between listening anxiety and listening strategies.MacIntyre, Noels and Kimberly(1995)investigate the correlation between foreign languag
40、e anxiety and language learning strategy use. He finds that language anxiety is negatively related to the use of three categories of learning strategies: metacognitive, cognitive and social/affective strategies. Domestic studies on their relationship include Yu(1999),Yang(2000)and Zhou(2003). Zhou(2
41、003) investigates anxiety in students of English major. She finds that language anxiety is negatively related to listening level; use of strategy can enhance students listening level. As we know, listening comprehension is a very complicated process; it does not exist in place, but in time, it can n
42、ever come back, so listeners must remember what they listen at that moment. When listeners do not have appropriate listening competence, the information decays rapidly and they may fail in the simple decoding of discrete information, lose the first significant items of information (Kim,2000).Therefo
43、re, learners may have anxiety more easily during this process. In order to lower or eliminate listening anxiety and improve listening level, students must use appropriate and helpful listening comprehension strategies. Chapter Three Data Research Researchers on foreign language anxiety believe that
44、anxiety makes listeners worried in the listening process, so listeners cannot concentrate themselves on the listening materials and anxiety influences students listening level negatively.3.1. Research Design and Subjects This part focuses on the research design of this thesis. It uses the method to
45、collect data and find efficiency information to the results of the present thesis.The 30 English major students who were asked to participate in this thesis were all from Northwest University for Nationalities. The author explained the goals and methods of the research to them in order to get convicting materials.3.2. InstrumentThe instrument of this thesis was a questionnair
