The Relationship between Reading Anxiety and Reading Performance: A Comparison Study of Chinese Postgraduates in China and in the UK
Journal: Journal of Higher Education Research DOI: 10.32629/jher.v2i4.389
Abstract
This study investigated three aspects that related to Foreign Language (FL) reading anxiety: the FL reading anxiety levels; the relationship between FL reading anxiety and reading performance; the main sources of FL reading anxiety. With both quantitative and qualitative research method, the total amount of 47 Chinese postgraduates took part in a paper questionnaire including Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scale (FLRAS) and reading test, Cambridge Advanced English (CAE). According to the FLRAS scores, 12 of them had one-to-one semi-structured interviews. The results shows that most Chinese postgraduates experienced a moderate level of English reading anxiety, and that international students have higher reading anxiety than domestic students. No statistically significant relationship was found between FL reading anxiety and the reading test. After thematic coding analysis, the main sources of English reading anxiety among international students were found to be ‘demanding text feature’ and ‘different class settings in the UK’. For domestic students, limited English exposure was the main source. Recommendations for teachers and for both groups of students are provided, and the limitations of the present study and suggestions for future research are discussed at the end of the paper.
Keywords
foreign language reading anxiety, reading performance, Chinese postgraduates
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[2] Alderson, J. C., Haapakangas, E. L., Huhta, A., Nieminen, L., & Ullakonoja, R. (2014). The diagnosis of reading in a second or foreign language. London: Routledge.
[3] Al-Shboul, M. M., Ahmad, I. S., Nordin, M. S., & Rahman, Z. A. (2013). Foreign language reading anxiety in a Jordanian EFL context: A qualitative study. English Language Teaching, 6(6), 38-56.
[4] Biesta, G. (2017). Mixing methods in educational research. In R. Coe, M. Michael, L. V. Hedges, & J. Arthur (Eds.), Research methods and methodologies in education (pp.159-165). London: SAGE Publications.
[5] Brantmeier, C. (2005). Anxiety about L2 reading or L2 reading tasks? A study with advanced language learners. The Reading Matrix, 5(2), 67-85.
[6] Breakwell, G. M., Smith, J. A. & Wright, D. B. (2011). Research methods in psychology. London: Sage publications.
[7] Cambridge University Press. (2012). Cambriedge English: Advanced 5. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
[8] Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2011). Research methods in education. London: Routledge.
[9] Coolican, H. (2013). Research methods and statistics in psychology. London: Hodder Education.
[10] Coward, H. (2007). Introducing short themed texts into the CAE reading paper. Cambridge ESOL: Research Notes. 30. 13-15.
[11] Eskey, D. E. (1998). Holding in the bottom: An interactive approach to the language problems of second language readers. In P. L. Carrell, J. Devine, & D. E. Eskey (Eds.), Interactive approaches to second language reading (pp.93-100). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
[12] Gass, S. M., Behney, J., & Plonsky, L. (2013). Second language acquisition: An introductory course. New York: Routledge.
[13] Grabe, W. (2009). Reading in a second language: Moving from theory to practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
[14] HESA. (2019). Higher education student statistics: UK, 2017/18 – Where students come from and go to study. Retrieved July 18, 2019 from The Higher Education Statistics Agency: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/news/17-01-2019/sb252-higher-education-student-statistics/location
[15] Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M. B., & Cope, J. (1986). Foreign language classroom anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 70(2), 125-132.
[16] Huang, Q. (2012). Study on correlation of foreign language anxiety and English reading anxiety. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 2(7), 1520-1525.
[17] Isler, C., & Yildirim, O. (2017). Sources of Turkish EFL learners’ foreign language reading anxiety. JEELS: Journal of English Education and Linguistics Studies, 4(1), 1-18.
[18] Joo, K. Y., & Damron, J. (2015). Foreign language reading anxiety: Korean as a foreign language in the United States. Journal of the National Council of Less Commonly Taught Languages, 17(1), 23-55.
[19] Khalifa, H., & Schmitt, N. (2010). A mixed-method approach towards investigating lexical progression in main suite reading test papers. Cambridge ESOL: Research Notes. 41. 19-25.
[20] Krashen, S. D. (1989). Language acquisition and language education: Extensions and applications. New York: Prentice Hall International.
[21] Larsen-Freeman, & D., Long, M. H. (1991). An introduction to second language acquisition research. London: Longman.
[22] Larson-Hall, J. (2016). A guide to doing statistics in second language research using SPSS and R. London: Routledge.
[23] Lien, H. Y. (2016). Effects of EFL individual learner variables on foreign language reading anxiety and metacognitive reading strategy use. Psychological Reports, 119(1), 124-135.
[24] Lu, Z., & Liu, M. (2015). An investigation of Chinese university EFL learner’s foreign language reading anxiety, reading strategy use and reading comprehension performance. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 5(1), 65-85.
[25] MacIntyre, P. D. (1999). Language anxiety: A review of the research for language teachers. In Young, D. J. (Ed.) Affect in foreign language and second language learning: A practical guide to creating a low-anxiety classroom atmosphere, (pp. 24-41). London: McGraw Hill.
[26] Mills, N., Pajares, F., & Herron, C. (2006). A reevaluation of the role of anxiety: Self‐ efficacy, anxiety, and their relation to reading and listening proficiency. Foreign language annals, 39(2), 276-295.
[27] Ministry of Education of The People’s Republic of China. (2001). MOE guidelines for actively promote the revolution on the assessment system in elementary and secondary school. Retrieved July 26, 2019 from http://www.moe.gov.cn/srcsite/A26/s7054/200101/t20010120_166075.html
[28] Mohammadpur, B., & Ghafournia, N. (2015). An Elaboration on the Effect of Reading Anxiety on Reading Achievement. English Language Teaching, 8(7), 206-215.
[29] Nuttall, C. (2005). Teaching reading skills in a foreign language. Oxford: Macmillan Education.
[30] Perfetti, C., & Harris, L. (2013). Universal reading processes are modulated by language and writing system. Language Learning and Development, 9(4), 296-316.
[31] Robson, C., & McCartan, K. (2011). Real world research. Chichester: Wiley.
[32] Saito, Y., Garza, T. J., & Horwitz, E. K. (1999). Foreign language reading anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 83(2), 202-218.
[33] Samuels, S. J., & Kamil, M. L. (1998). Models of the reading process. In P. L. Carrell, J. Devine, & D. E. Eskey (Eds.), Interactive approaches to second language reading (pp.22-36). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
[34] Sasaki, M. (2005). The effect of L1 reading processes on L2: A crosslinguistic comparison of Italian and Japanese users of English. In V. Cook, & B. Bassetti (Eds.), Second language writing systems (pp.289-308). Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
[35] Sellers, V. D. (2000). Anxiety and reading comprehension in Spanish as a foreign language. Foreign Language Annals, 33(5), 512-520.
[36] Shi, Y. Z., & Liu, Z. Q. (2006). Foreign Language Reading Anxiety and its relationship to English achievement and gender. Journal of PLA University of Foreign Languages, 29(2), 59-64.
[37] Taguchi, E., Takayasu-Maass, M., & Gorsuch, G. J. (2004). Developing reading fluency in EFL: How assisted repeated reading and extensive reading affect fluency development. Reading in a Foreign Language, 16(2), 70-96.
[38] Zhao, A., Guo, Y., & Dynia, J. (2013). Foreign language reading anxiety: Chinese as a foreign language in the United States. The Modern Language Journal, 97(3), 764-778.
[39] Zhou, J. (2017). Foreign language reading anxiety in a Chinese as a foreign language context. Reading in a Foreign Language, 29(1), 155-173.
[40] Zin, M. (2010). Anxiety and Academic Reading Performance among Malay ESL Learners. Journal of Pan-Pacific Association of Applied Linguistics, 14(2), 41-58.
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