Effect Of Different Kinds Of Anxiety

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Introduction

Overview

General definition

Anxiety as a main affective factors

Review of literature

Body

Relation of anxiety to other affective factors

Anxiety and Introversion/Extraversion

Anxiety and Perfectionism

Anxiety and Attitude/Motivation

Causes and effects of language anxiety

Six potential sources of language anxiety from three aspects

Anxiety and Linguistic Coding Deficit Hypothesis

Anxiety and social activity

Critical role of language anxiety

Effects of anxiety on foreign language learning through five aspects

Revisiting language anxiety from broader domain

From a cognitive perspective

From curriculum perspective

From cultural and policy perspective

Different kinds of anxiety

Trait

State

Situational

Effects of anxiety on language learning

Second language studies

Studies seeking effects of anxiety on language learning

Two reasons for concerning anxiety and second language achievement

Ways that can reduce anxiety and increase engagement

Suggestions offered by the students to reduce anxiety in the EFL classroom

Suggestions offered by the teachers to reduce anxiety in the EFL classroom

Conclusion

Pedagogical implications

General Conclusion

In The Name of God

The Effect of Different Kinds of Anxiety Especially Classroom Anxiety on

EFL Learner's Learning

Introduction

overview

Second language learning sometimes can be a problematic issue for EFL learners and learners will encounter so many problems during learning process. One of these problems is known as anxiety.

As well as we know, anxiety is one of the most prominent and well known psychological phenomena. Studies of anxiety have focused on language outcomes such as acquisition and performance with regarding to another related matters related to performance in classroom.

In this section I am going to explain different definition of anxiety with consideration of anxiety as a prominent subject in learning and its interrelationship with other affective factors.

General definition

Most of the teachers and experts believed that anxiety exists among the learners, and it effects on learner's learning during the course.

As we know in the most researches about anxiety and different kinds of it, one of the most important aspects of anxiety is classroom anxiety and in this paper, I want to consider the effects of anxiety on learner's learning in the classroom.

Based on Kumaravadivelu "anxiety refers to an emotional state of apprehension, tension, nervousness, and worry mediated by the arousal of the automatic nervous system.

In the context of L2 learning, anxiety is characterized by feeling of self-consciousness, and fear of failure to one's own personal standards and goals (E. K. Horwitz , M. B. Horwitz , & Cope 1986). One major contribution of their paper is it offers a Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety scale. Horwitz, Horwitz and Cope (1991) conceived foreign language anxiety as a "distinct complex of self-perceptions, beliefs, and behaviors related to classroom language learning arising from the uniqueness of language learning process" (p. 31).

Anxiety as a main affective factors

If we want to have more attention to individual variation in language learning, we should refer to individual divisions related to affective and cognitive sides of language learning, and we should mention these two aspects of language learning may be considered in order to language learning and language teaching achievement. In many researches more pay attention is devoted to cognitive aspect, and the whole concentration moves toward this side. Here we want to consider another side with affective aspect.

Affect in language learning involves emotion, feeling and attitude of the learner. Affective side can play a great role in language learning process and it may be composed of two different directions, negative or positivedirection. Thus, understanding affective factors can help learners in the way of better perception of learning foreign language. Anxiety is one of the negative affective variables which it prevents learners to have a suitable learning. Anxiety makes a sense of nervousness and anxiousness in learners which effects directly on learning of the learners, and it also decreases their performance in the classroom or other communicational situations and contexts. One of these factors which are correlated to the anxiety is self- confidence and self-steem. According to Coopersmith (1967),"self-steem is a personal judgment of worthiness that is expressed in the attitudes that individuals hold toward themselves.It is a subjective experience which the individual conveys to others by verbal reports and other overt expressive behavior." (p. 5). Also, self-steem can be divided into three subparts. Three levels of self-steem have been mentioned in the literature: Global, situational, task self-steem (Brown, 2000, p.145).

Global self-steem refers to general evaluation one makes of one's own worth or value across different situation. thus, it is an overall self-evaluation. Situational self-steem refers to one's self-evaluation in specific trait such as athletic ability. Task self-steem involves one's self-assessment in particular task of particular situation.

Anxiety decreases self-confidence and self-steem, thus when someone has a low degree of self-confidence, he can't show his capabilities in language achievement.On the other hand, having high self-confidence can be positively correlated with oral performance (Heyde, 1979). Thus, high degree of anxiousness deals with variety of performance and activities among learners.

Review of literature

Foreign Language Anxiety,or more precisely, Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety (FLCA) is considered to be situational anxiety experienced in the well-defined situation of the foreign language classroom (MacIntyre & Gardner, 1991a,1991b,

1994). As such, Horwitz, Horwitz and Cope (1991) view FLCA as "a distinct complex of self-perception, beliefs, feelings, and behaviors related to classroom language learning arising from uniqueness of the language learning process"(in Horwitz & Young, 1991, p.31) In all of thesespecifications the situation deals with foreign language anxiety is emphasized.

According to Horwitz, Horwitz and Cope (1991) possible causes of FLCA are communication apprehension, test anxiety and fear of negative evaluation. MacIntyre and Gardner (1991a) describe FLCA stemming from the negative expectations in foreign language learning. On the other hand, Price (1991) and Piniel (2000) found related factors to role playing in learners’ developing FLCA.

As we know, correlational studies can estimates relationships between individual learner variables and FLA. It must be noted that these relationships do not consider cause-effect relationships. Another main point is that FLA involves correlation with age (Bailey, Onwuegbuzie & Daley, 2000), gender (Aida, 1994; Baker & MacIntyre, 2000), and with negative self-perceptions (Onwuegbuzie, Bailey & Daley, 1999).

Another issue which should be considered is that FLA shows contradictory effects on language learning, such as debilitating and facilitating types of anxiety. Debilitating anxiety is the major cause of problem in language learning and facilitating anxiety facilitates it. Although both types are available, most concentration is devoted to debilitating anxiety. (Scovel, 1978 in Horwitz & Young, 1991, p.15-23; MacIntyre & Gardner, 1991).

Aida (1994) examined relationship between foreign language anxiety and learners' performance in learning of Japanese for native English speakers based on Horwitz construct of foreign language anxiety as a research framework and partially supported his construction of Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS).

Philips (1992) demonstrated the relationship that exists between anxiety and oral performance, reporting that the more anxiety students were, the lower performance they can have in their activities. The result of the study indicates that language anxiety can make an influence on students' performance and attitude toward language learning.

Body

Relation of anxiety to other affective factors

Research has indicated affective factors do not operate independently of one another, thus they are related to each other; Instead, the casual relationship among them are complicated and warrant further investigation (Gardner, Tremblay, & Masgoret, 1997).

Anxiety and Introversion/Extraversion

It is so difficult to say how these affective factors are related to each other and how they impact on one another. For example, Personality traits, such as introversion and extraversion, are associated with anxiety arousal (MacIntyre& Charos, 1996).

The underlying assumption is that introverts are more likely to be anxious than extraverts (Brown, Robson, & Rosenkjar, 2001). Introverts prefer to work in their own, and they are uncomfortable if they are asked to work on group, so they may easily become anxious in more communication. Extraverts on the contrary will make to have a communication and they are uncomfortable to work on their own.

Anxiety and Perfectionism

Gregersen and Horwitz (2002) found that learners' anxiety may be a result from perfectionist interests, and anxious students are alike perfectionists and have similarities with them, so it can causes learning unpleasant.

Evidence shows the fact that anxious learners are always dissatisfied with their accomplishment and also have concern on errors which they made, but non-anxious learners having celebration even with a little victory.

Anxiety and Attitude/Motivation

As we mentioned the concept of anxiety as one of important affective factors is interrelated to another affective factors. It has connected to attitude and motivation that we have discussed about former (attitude) in previous sections.

For example, Gardners' socio-educational model (the attitude/motivation test battery) includes classroom anxiety scale that measures learners' anxiety degree within attitude and motivation pattern.

Chao (2003) found strong relationship between foreign language anxiety (FLA) and emotional intelligence skills.

Ehrman (1996) proposed that one protect one's emotional equilibrium and self-steem in variety of ways, one of these ways is called "defense mechanism". Anxiousness, reluctance to participate in group or communicative situation, avoidance of work and negative attitude (which we explain it in introduction), are all possible defensive mechanism.

Causes and effects of language anxiety

Language anxiety composed of different causes. As I mentioned it in general definition of language anxiety in this paper; the primary source of language anxiety proposed by Horwitz et al. (1986), are communication apprehension, fear of negative evaluation, and test anxiety.

Price (1991) proposed from his case studies the difficulty level of foreign language classes, individuals' perception of language aptitude, personality variables such as perfectionism and fear of speaking in public.

Six potential sources of language anxiety from three aspect

Young (1991) described six sources of language anxiety through three aspects: The learner, the teacher, and instructional practice.

He believed that language anxiety is genetically triggered by (a) personal and interpersonal anxiety, (b) teacher beliefs about language learning, (c) instructor beliefs about language teaching, (d) instructor-learner interactions, (e) classroom procedures, and (f), language testing. Also Young (1994) mentioned these sources of anxiety are interrelated.

Anxiety and Linguistic Coding Deficit Hypothesis

As we learned before there are similar viewpoints on the source of language anxiety that caused by the learner, the teacher, and classroom activities and their interactions with each other, a debate on whether language anxiety is central in influencing low language achievement is triggered by the Linguistic Coding Deficit Hypothesis advanced by the Sparks and Ganschow (1993). This hypothesis refers to language anxiety is a side effect caused by linguistic deficiency in language input process. With regarding to concentration on language coding abilities, Sparks and Ganschow reduced anxiety and other affective factors as a playing critical role in language development (that it will be explained in this part), and they believed cognitive capacity reflects a major influence in language development. They identified there would be a close connection or relationship between second language coding abilities and first language coding abilities, which isolated language development from its social and cultural aspects. With regarding to focusing on cognitive capabilities, their hypothesis fails into account the striking differences between first language development and second language development, especially the salient points related to uniqueness of second language learning context.

Anxiety and social activity

MacIntyre (1995), on the contrary, discussed about language anxiety and identified that language anxiety is a subpart of social anxiety, which results from social and communicative aspects of language learning. Also MacIntyre has suggested that anxiety plays an essential role in language learning as a social cognitive activity.

We should notice that there is a relationship between anxiety, cognition and behavior, Moreover anxiety can interfere in all stages of language acquisition: input, process, and output.

Critical role of language anxiety

The example of critical role of language anxiety (we stated briefly in part b) is provided by Onwuegbuzie, Bailey, and Daley (2000).

The result of this study indicates that after understanding of native language problems, foreign anxiety had a great amount of power in illustrating language achievement. Thus, it could be claim that foreign language anxiety is not only consequence of first language coding deficit, but rather an emotional state that it can interfere in cognitive learning process. Sparks and Ganschow (1993) versus MacIntyre (1995) debate contrasting viewpoint of mechanism and contextualism.

The main difference in their point of view is that cognitive abilities are independent of other abilities such as affective or emotional factors. MacIntyre argument is more persuasive in differences result from social or cultural aspects, because his approach consists of potential role that emotion may play in cognition.

Effects of anxiety on foreign language learning through five aspects

Validation of instruments and clarification of context can help us to better understanding of effects of anxiety on foreign language learning and performance (MacIntyre & Gardner, 1991). These effects can be categorized on five aspects (MacIntyre 1998).

First, academically, language anxiety is one of the best predictors of language proficiency (Onwuegbuzie, 2000). It is so clear that high levels of language anxiety are associated with second language learning achievement.

Second, socially, learners with high levels of anxiety are uncomfortable to work in communicative groups or situations rather than those who have less anxiousness.

Third, cognitively, anxiety can occur in each levels of acquisition. Anxiety as an affective filter can prevents learners entering cognitive process.

Forth, anxiety may impacts on learners' communication when they want to use retrieval information, and the information may be interrupted by"freezing-up" moments when they get anxious.

Finally, personally, learning experience can become traumatic experience as soon as learners are anxious, thus it can influence in their self-confidence and self-steem.

Revisiting language anxiety from a broader domain

According to some research and investigation, language anxiety maybe considered from three perspectives, namely, cognitive, curriculum, and cultural.

From a cognitive perspective

The cognitive component of anxiety was raised early in the literature (Eysenck, 1979).

Eysenck believed that worry and emotionality are components of anxiety. To the point of his view worry is somebody's concern about performance or other people's evaluation. Emotionality refers to negative feeling results from psychological functioning. He believed that anxious learners are more often engaged in task-irrelevant cognitive processing than non-anxious counterparts. Moreover, anxious learners are more distractible, and the defense mechanism will interfere with the cognition in learning via anxiety. Eysneck (1979) also discussed performance efficiency and processing effectiveness. He illustrated from cognitive view that the most of practical studies set performance efficiency (for example test scores) as a criterion when trying the impact of anxiety, while it is processing effectiveness which is not completedwhen anxiety appears. It is not proper operation to use performance efficiency for measuringprocessing effectiveness, if the effort which is done is not equivalent for highly and lowly anxious learners, as anxious learners tend to be hard working. Anxious learners may spend extra hours to compensate for ineffectiveness result from anxiety arousal.

Seller (2000) examined a group of American students that they wanted to work on reading a Spanish text. His exploration identified that anxious students were more distracted by interfere their thoughts, were less able to focus on the task and they have less concentration on reading comprehension. On the contrary highly anxious students use their experience more outside the task and their thoughts interfere less than anxious learners.

From a curriculum perspective

MacIntyre (1998) suggested with more emphasize on communication-oriented language competence we can develop anxiety-reducing strategies and competence.

The way of improving negative effects of language anxiety is devised by Young (1994). He argued the abnormal classroom procedure such as error correction method and the way of teachers' interaction with students are all ways anxiety arousal, that both of these ways come into existence by the teacher. Thus, decision for planning a course is needed considering students' emotional state. Teachers should provide safe environment for learners and gives motivation to them, so they can choose themselves as a volunteer without having a little sense of fear, without any sense of being uncomfortable in the classroom situation.It is also necessary for teachers to act as a facilitator, and avoid turning a language classroom into competitive environment. The teacher should provide and create supportive learning atmosphere.

Language anxiety also associated with spoken language competency. Horwitz (2001) cited that: "There is a recent trend to identify more specifically the relationship between anxiety and other language competences". For example: reading anxiety (Saito, Horwitz, & Garza, 1999; Sellers, 2000) and listening anxiety (Elkhafaifi, 2005). Levin (2003) cited that: Research indicates that teachers' perception of students' language anxiety may sometimes be incongruent with students' own perception. With no doubt, there is no similarities between teachers' perception of student and student' own perception and specific types of language anxieties and coping strategies, should be within the mind of every teacher.

Another important topic in this domain is language anxiety and gender associated with together and this association provides further information about individualized instruction. Kitano (2001) considered two groups of learners from two U.Suniversities and tested them in Japanese course. The results identified male students' anxiety levels were negatively correlated with their self-perceived ability, but female students were not the same as male students. Campbell and Shaw (1994) identified interaction between gender and foreign language anxiety: "Male students were more anxiety-ridden in using a foreign language in the classroom than their female counterparts after a certain amount of instruction in that foreign language".

From a cultural and policy perspective

Oxford (1999) noted that: "Behaviors vary across cultures, and what might seem like anxious behavior in one culture might be normal behavior in another culture".

Horwitz (2001) claimed that, when we consider issue of language anxiety and classroom practice, we should consider cultural differences too. Some practices may be comfortable for one group without any stress, and the same practice may be uncomfortable with full of stress for another group. I think it is necessary to illustrate this statement from Horwitz and that is: "Classroom atmosphere, teacher support, task orientation, and focus of instruction, are all elements that influence students' anxiety level under instructional conditions". Cultural influences, such as stereotyping of teachers, students, and classroom instructions, can be largely different from culture to culture. Another topic which seems to be important here is emotional state of foreign language learning relies on context of that language in society. For example, anxiety level of learners of English in china varies from anxiety level of learners of Chinese in Canada. So, it is related to culture and society. In addition to importance of self-perceived in learning foreign language, policy practice can impact learning a foreign language too. Dereshiwsky (2004) has studied two groups of learners. One group those were American students learning Spanish, and another group those were Spanish students learning English. The purpose of this study clarified any possible relationship between second language teaching policies in the two countries (United States and Spain), accompanies perception levels of language anxiety with students.

Moreover, we can find social and cultural integration in foreign language education. In one aspect, discussion is about how individuals feel placed and situated in a target cultural group. In this field Gardner cited: "Integrative motivation, an important concept in the socio-educational model of motivation in learning second language (Gardner, 1985), stresses not only emotional identification with another cultural group, but favorable attitude toward the language community and openness to other groups in general" (Gardner, 2001).

In another aspect, anxiety may causes to losing one's own identity that can be main source of culture shock. Relatively to this aspect, Oxford Cited "Cross-cultural awareness can be raised only if culture shock is dealt with effectively; otherwise, negative symptoms such as anxiety, emotional regression, and physical illness can occur" (Oxford, 1999).

Different kinds of anxiety (Trait, State, Situational)

As you know we talked about classroom anxiety briefly, now we want to consider some other aspects of anxiety in classroom.

Experts believed that, "foreign language anxiety is an affective factor in foreign language learning and also discussed about other individual differences among learners and with different aspects.

We have three kinds of anxiety:

Trait anxiety: refers to personality trait (Eysenck, 1979)

State anxiety: refers to apprehension experienced in a particular moment.

Situational anxiety: refers to anxiety experienced in a well- defined situation.

But, I am going to explain these three kinds of anxiety more.

Trait anxiety

Trait anxiety refers to level of stress that is characteristic of an individual, that is, a trait related to personality. Trait anxiety can change according to how individuals have conditioned themselves to respond to and manage the stress iswhat may cause anxiety and stress in one person may not generate any emotion in another person. As we mentioned, trait anxiety related to individuals. Thus, this kind of anxiety in each person varies from another one, because individuals vary from individuals. At the end we should identify this long term anxiety disorder might lead to panic attacks, phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder, and other mental conditions, including depression.

State anxiety

State anxiety refers to state of highest grade emotion develop in response to a fear, or particular situation or particular moment. One of the disadvantages of state anxiety is that it can contribute to a degree of physical and mental paralysis, preventing performance of a task on that moment. In pressure situation maybe one is forgetting moment when he/she was anxious on that moment. For example: forgetting moments during a dance with a lover, or football players sometimes missing easy shots to goal.

Situational anxiety

Situational anxiety refers to anxiety experienced in a well-defined situation.

We should not forget this main point that situational anxiety does not mean that you are afraid. Also situational anxiety and shyness are two different things. Bringing an example can clarify this kind of anxiety more. For example: when you with some of your friends go to some especial places for example, a park. Later, you and your friends see an attractive girl that she is walking. Maybe your friends start to talking with the girl or even make question of her in order to being more familiar with her, in this situation if you are uncomfortable and have sense of disturbance, this disturbance is called situational, and what is important here is in this situation you are not afraid and have sense of shyness.

Effects of anxiety on language learning

Second language studies

Scholar and scientists has considered the potential of anxiety arousal in foreign language learning for many years. Horwitz cited this statement from Guiora in his research and that is: language learning itself is "a profoundly unsetting psychological proposition" because it directly threatens an individuals' self-concept and world view. Many researchers have attempted to consider the effects of anxiety on language learning, but their efforts have mixed with some other results. When these differences in results have occurred, so the students can have a comparison of this phenomena by self-reports of their language proficiency ratings, which obtained through isolated tasks such as final course grades.

Scovelin 1978, argues that "scholars are enable to generate a clear relationship between anxiety and overall foreign language achievement", and later he added "It is perhaps premature to relate it (anxiety) to the global and comprehensive task of language acquisition".

Studies seeking effects of anxiety on language learning

Studies seeking more effects of anxiety on language learning discovered more interesting subjects. Horwitz cited Klienman found that ESL students with high levels of debilitating anxiety attempted different types of grammatical constructions than did less anxious ESL students;and Steinberg and Horwitz found that students experiencing an anxiety-producing condition attempted less interpretive (more concrete) message than those experiencing a relaxed condition. These kinds of study illustrate that anxiety can impacts on communicative strategies of the learners in the classroom. Because of this important matter, anxious students are avoiding to produce personal massages in the target language. These types of studies also have stability with other types of communication anxiety. More studies reveals that, the students with higher level of anxiety have some problems in writing, and writing anxiety causes some problems in their writing such as shorter writing composition, and low qualification writing than their calmer counterparts.

Another important study which Horwitz refers to, is related to the measuring language anxiety that was proposed by Gardner, Clement, Smythe, and Smythe developed five items to measure French class anxiety on attitude and motivation, and with anticipation of Gliksman they found small negative correlation between this scale and four measures of achievement (aural comprehension, speaking, final grade, and a three sub-scales mixture of the Canadian Achievement Test in French).

Two reasons for concerning anxiety and second language achievement

These two main reasons are coming from the last part of the previous concept. In other words Gardner, Clement, Smythe, and Gliksman have generated two these main points from their findings. First, anxiety measures haven’t been specific to foreign language learning. Only Gardner has exploited a measure relevant to language anxiety. Second, there are few studies related to achievement that composed of the subtle effects of anxiety on foreign language learning. Although researches haven’t completely explained the effects of anxiety on language learning, practitioners have had a vast experience with anxious learners.

Ways that can reduce anxiety and increase engagement

When I was reading one of my references in order to writing this paper, suddenly I saw a topic that it was interesting for me, so I am going to use some of the main points of this topic in my paper. As well as you know foreign language classroom generates anxiety and it is inevitable. We can identify that, students as well as teacher have suggestions to reduce anxiety in classroom situation. In this part I am going to mention some of the suggestions offeredby some student to reduce anxiety in EFL classroom.

Suggestions offered by the students to reduce anxiety in the EFL classroom

Students should know each other personally outside the classroom. When they feel alone, they become "more self-conscious". Collaborative activities and group works is a good solution for decreasing anxiety, and these activities have two major goals: 1) it is helpful for students to get more exercise with the language. 2) They allow individuals to work on groups as student-student interactions.

The majority of students mentioned that "not being put on the spot" in class would help them to decrease anxiety.

Most of the students believed that gentle error correction and modeling the correct response "help students to get rid of anxiety".

Students should sit in a semi-circle because "in this position they are kind of like one in a crowd".

Most of students having this idea that more "personal relationship" with the teacher is very helpful. So, it is better the teacher be patient in the class and has a more attitude toward a language itself, so it can help reducing anxiety.

Teachers should encourage by questioning, rather than threatening, intimidation avoidance, and giving students positive feedback. Experience has shown that the students are less anxious when the teacher makes the class fun or make it animated.

Most of the students mentioned that they have sense of more comfortable and more enthusiasm in the classroom when the instructions materials are relevant to their goal and life. So, when the materials related to their experiences and interests their motivation is increasing and their anxiety is decreasing.

The teachers should speak slowly and use native language to clarify key points.

Also the teachers should use native language to clarify instructions and home assignments.

The teachers should be certain that everyone understood instructional materials and help the students for acquisition and retention.

The teacher should decrease presentation of new material in one semester.

Students' ideas, insights, and suggestions, should be heard by the teacher.

The teacher should give students written directions for homework assignments.

The teachers should kill the sense of fear in students and help them to confront those fears.

The teachers should create low stress, and supportive learning environment.

Suggestions offered by the teachers to reduce anxiety in the EFL classroom

The first step for the teachers is understanding possibility of language learning anxiety. The teachers should know the students who are sitting in a last row may not be bored or unmotivated; they are just anxious.

The teachers should focus on students' characteristics to know what the cause of anxiety among them is.

In order to understanding the stem of anxiety from learner characteristics, the teachers should pay attention to illogical beliefs and fears through activities designed for this goal.

For removing students' unrealistic beliefs, the teacher should discuss with them. The teacher should improve realistic expectations.

Teachers should suggest to highly anxious students to participate in supplemental instructions, such as individual tutoring.

Teachers should indicate to their students that mistake isn’t bad, and it is occurred during the language learning and it is made by everyone.

Teachers should emphasis the importance of meaning as well as grammatical accuracy.

For reducing anxiety during a course, the teacher should avoid over correction of error derived from learners.

In testing, teacher should test all of materials which learner knows, rather than by giving "trick questions".

Exam should test what was taught and how it was taught. When the teacher don’t practice on learners speaking in the classroom, so verbal testing is not appropriate.

The teachers can provide an outline of the exam so the students know about instructional materials and they will not be surprised.

The teachers can design points on a test in order to they convey meaning rather than grammatical structures.

For lowering anxiety among students, teachers should try to make a classroom as a friendly and relaxed as possible. They should be warm, having risk taking and successful communication.

Teachers should use variety of activities, and encourage students to have a realistic expectations and be less competitive (from negative aspect) with each other.

Teachers can discuss about language learning strategies and students review these during the semester.

Conclusion

Pedagogical implication

Generally, educators have two options when dealing with anxious students:

Teachers can help them by representing some solutions, so the students can control their anxiousness in the classroom situation.

Teachers can make the learning context less stressful.

If the teacher wants to perform these two points, he/she should be able to recognize existence of anxiety in language learning context. Teachers also may use specific technique to reduce learners' anxiety with relaxation exercises advice on effective language learning strategies. But most of the teachers haven’t enough time and experience to overcome with this problem. Thus, when students are involved in the problem of anxiety, they usually refer to outside counselors or learning specialists. One problematic matter which I have read in some of researches is reducing stress by educators. It is a difficult task to reduce stress by changing the context of foreign language learning. As we know, foreign language learning takes place in a formal school setting and it tied to performance anxiety by evaluation, so the teachers should create supportive system for learners and monitor the language classroom environment to identify different aspects of students' anxiety.

The selection of error correction method for students who are sensitive to target language correction, might be helpful based on instructional philosophy and reducing defensive reactions in students. The impacts of this method (error correction method) must be studied in classroom situation.

General conclusion

One of the effects of anxiety which we were speaking about it less than other effects of anxiety is effect of anxiety on speaking performance. Speaking performance directly related to classroom situation. So, it is important that teachers are sensitive to this point in classroom interactions and provide help to reduce second language anxiety, and scholars are only beginning to understand the role of anxiety in foreign language learning.

We don’t know how much the learner of language is learned the materials, and we can't comprehend precise reflection of his/her learning in the classroom. We know that individual reactions can vary widely. Some students may experience an anxious reaction of such intensity (speaking in a classroom context), that they post pone required foreign language courses until the last possible moment or change their major to avoid foreign language study. Students who experience moderate anxiety want to spend their time for example in doing homework assignment, so they avoid speaking in the class, or they crouch in the last row. Other students seldom experience anxiety or tension in the class.

The effects of anxiety can extend beyond the classroom. For example: when someone is decided to select for a job, or promotion for some of employees as high-paying salary group. Foreign language anxiety may also be a factor in learner objections to foreign language requirements. In recent yearsthere are reasonable findings which indicates learning foreign language study is increased, because applied skills is related to business. With consideration of increasing number of schools establishing or re-establishing foreign language requirements, teachers encounter with greater percentage of students who suffered from foreign language anxiety. The rise of foreign language requirements is occurring in conjunction with an increased emphasis on spontaneous speaking in the foreign language class. As a student, I think speaking with both fluency and accuracy is the most threatening aspect of foreign language learning. The most emphasis on the development of communicative competence makes great difficulties for the anxious learner.

Foreign language anxiety can be decreased at least to an extend by a supportive teacherwho have knowledge of students feeling and emotions, and this kind of teacher can offer concrete suggestions for attaining foreign language confidence that the learner losses by anxiety. Finally, I want to finish my paper by this sentence: If we are able to improve foreign language teaching at all levels of education, we must cope with reduction of foreign language anxiety as a factor shaping students' experiences in foreign language learning.

The End

Omid Sanaei,

MA student of TEFL

Department of English Language

Faculty of Humanities

University of Guilan

Rasht, Iran