Foreign Language Anxiety and the EFL Learners’ Intention to Continue their English Language Learning

Journal of English Language Pedagogy and Practice

مقاله 3، دوره 7، شماره 15، بهمن 2014، صفحه 42-51   

نوع مقاله: Research Paper

نویسندگان

Nasser Fallah^* ؛ Roya Movahed

English Department, University of Zabol

چکیده

Anxiety undoubtedly plays an influential role in the experience of foreign language learning. This affective factor has attracted lots of researchers and has been the subject pool of scholarly research worldwide. However, research on the effect of demographic variables on foreign language anxiety (FLA) and the effect of FLA on the learners’ intention to continue their English language education is still limited. Therefore, to bridge this gap, the present study intended to explore the role of gender and age in EFL learners’ FLA level. In addition, the potential effect of learners’ FLA in their decision whether to continue their English studies was tested. To this end, a sample of 295 university EFL learners completed FLA questionnaire and a demographic form. The findings showed that there was no significant correlation between the age of the learners and their FLA level. FLA differences with respect to gender did not reach the statistical significance either. However, it was found that FLA could significantly affect the learners’ willingness to continue their English language education. The findings were discussed and implications were made.

کلیدواژه‌ها

Foreign language anxiety؛ gender؛ age؛ Intention to continue English studies

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