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IMPACT OF ANXIETY ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE
ACQUISITION
Melikyan L.G.
PhD student at Urartu University, Yerevan, RA Currently working at A UM (American University of the Middle East)-Egaila 250st.;
ВЛИЯНИЕ ТРЕВОЖНОСТИ НА АКАДЕМИЧЕСКУЮ ПРОИЗВОДИТЕЛЬНОСТЬ В ПРОЦЕССЕ
ИЗУЧЕНИЯ ИНОСТРАННОГО ЯЗЫКА
Меликян Л.Г.
Аспирант Университета Урарту, Ереван, В настоящее время работает в A UM (Американский университет Ближнего Востока)
Abstract
The article discusses the destructive impact of anxiety on academic achievements in SLA, resulting in poor performance of students in various academic tasks. The article introduces some research results carried out in Arab segregated groups (aged 17-20) of the American University of the Middle East of Kuwait and Armenian students of the Yerevan University of Practical Psychology and Sociology "Urartu". The survey results testify to the fact that the academic anxiety levels among both Armenian and Kuwaiti students are considerably high in SLA-related academic tasks and that academic dependency often results in poor performance. The article suggests using anxiety-measuring tests for teachers to realize which teaching method they can apply to reduce language anxiety and provide students with effective learning environment.
Аннотация
В статье обсуждается разрушительное влияние тревоги на академических достижений студентов в процессе изучения иностранного языка, что и приводит к низкой производительности студентов в различных академических задачах. В статье представлены результаты исследований, проведенных в арабских изолированных группах (17-20 лет) Американского университета Кувейта на Ближнем Востоке и армянских студентов Ереванского университета практической психологии и социологии 'Урарту'. Результаты опроса свидетельствуют о том, что уровень академических тревог среди армянских и кувейтских студентов значительно выше в академических задачах, связанных с процессом изучения иностранного языка, и что академическая зависимость приводит к значительно низкой производительности. В статье учителям предлагается использовать разные тесты для измерения уровней тревоги, которые они могут применять с целью уменьшения языковой тревоги, следовательно и предоставить учащимся эффективную среду обучения. Стоит отметить, что для того, чтобы быстрее и на уровне овладеть иностранным языком, нужно уделять больше внимание на компоненты языковой мотивации, атитюда и тревоги в процессе изучения языка, чем когнитивным, метакогнитивным или демографическим факторам.
В статье разработано тест под названием AMT (Anxiety Measurement Test-Тест на измерение тревоги) для измерения уровней тревоги армянских и кувейтских студентов, результаты которых приведены выше.
Keywords - Language anxiety, subconscious fears, effective learning, restrained culture, anxiety measuring tests, values.
Ключевые слова - тревожность, подсознательные страхи, эффективное обучение, сдержанная культура, ценности, тесты на тревожность.
Nowadays, contemporary psychologists attach a world of importance to a range of socio-psychological factors in SLA, however they often overlook another, no less important factor-language anxiety, which hinders language performance efficiency and
productivity, having a negative impact specifically on communicative, verbal assignments and oral exams. Psychological literature should have an urge to reflect not only on motivational and attitudinal components being compulsory for a foreign language efficient
learning process, but also language anxiety, which is of equal importance as the former for effective SLA. It's worth mentioning, that in order to master a second language faster and on the level, one needs to pay more heed to motivational, attitudinal and anxiety components in language learning, than cognitive, metacogni-tive or demographic factors. Anxiety in psychology is classified into three categories- anxiety as a relatively stable characteristic feature; anxiety as a condition (temporary condition) and anxiety, peculiar to a certain situation. The third type, which occurs in certain situations, is believed by psychologists to be the exact type that is characteristic of language anxiety. Some experts believe, that language anxiety has the same clinical picture as any other type of anxiety: difficulty in focusing and breathing, perspiring heavily, fast heartbeats, misgivings, fears, anxiety, etc. Many students might avoid classes, verbal communication, perform poorly in exams and other graded assignments due to anxiety; hence the whole academic process could suffer. Therefore, second language teachers are recommended to apply various methods to reduce academic anxiety levels in class.
We've designed a test, called AMT (Anxiety Measurement Test) to measure the anxiety levels of Armenian and Kuwaiti students, the results of which are depicted below. The test comprises 20 questions and has been conducted in Kuwaiti and Armenian classrooms among 50 students. The results testify to the fact that more than 60% of Kuwaiti students have high-level academic anxiety and fears in SLA, the other 30% have fears and lack of confidence, whereas the remaining 10% have no academic anxiety, are confident and void of doubts. Reverting to the majority, it's noteworthy, that according to the test results, the vast majority of students worry because of not being ready for class assignments, limited time allocated to exams and other graded assignments, forgetting the assimilated material due to subconscious fears and prevailing anxiety or not overcoming personal discomfort with a specific teacher, lack of confidence, subconscious obsessive thoughts, being dubious and mistrusting their strengths, taking other people's opinion too seriously, being ashamed of talking or acting in front of the audience, and likewise. The diagrams depicted below can project the accurate results of the research conducted among Kuwaiti students.
Picture 1
The same test conducted in Urartu University shows that more than 50% of Armenian students have academic anxiety which is intensified in final assignments: Armenian students get anxious as well, become oblivious of everything they've learnt when they're not
ready for assignments, are dubious, perform poorly, express their wish to gain confidence and push away anxiety, as per test results. The test results reveal that nearly 3% of Armenian students have no academic anxiety, are confident and devoid of fears. The diagrams below state the following:
Picture 2
The test results, conducted in both classrooms, give us an assumption that similar anxiety or misgivings might origin from a negative attitude towards the language they're learning, the fear of getting low grades from an assignment or failing exams, limited time pressure or the pressure put on the students by their parents, former bad experience, difficulties in a certain course students might face and even the fear of not meeting parents ' expectations. There are students who claim to have anxiety while they're in an exam room because of the atmosphere there, facial expressions of the exam committee members or just by the mere fact of considering themselves much weaker than others, etc. As a result, students can get easily disappointed or discouraged and even lose their interest in the language being studied at the moment. Today in Kuwaiti classrooms you often come across students who can easily faint while speaking or presenting in front of the teacher or their classmates. Some feel extremely anxious while talking to teachers or answering their questions.
In psychological literature anxiety has different definitions: extreme worry and discomfort, nervous, jumpy condition, the fear of not being able to escape a catch-22 situation, a feeling of getting stuck in a vicious circle, tendency to underestimate one's capabilities, low self-esteem. Nevertheless, none of these definitions states, that academic anxiety mostly emerge from a clash of contradicting thoughts, to be more exact, anxiety starts evolving when there is a conflict between the conscious and subconscious mind of a student. It's easy to notice, that when students are given an assignment at the exam, they start worrying simply because the conscious mind ensures them that they can complete the assignment because they know the material or are ready for the exam, whereas the subconscious mind starts attacking them with "what if' obsessive thoughts: what if I don't recollect the answers to the given questions; what if I fail; what am I going to say to my parents; what if my friends or relatives learn about my failure, what a shame if I don't pass, what if I forget everything I have learnt, etc. Similar obsessive thoughts cause anxiety, thus influencing the language performance negatively.
It's noteworthy that chapter 7 of the book of Romans in the Bible (7:12-13), which is titled "Anxiety in
a Person", gives an interestingly accurate description of anxiety. This chapter of the most ancient book says that the members of a human mind and body are challenging each other and fighting against one another, which obviously causes a conflict between them: hence it urges a person to do what he/she does not want to, what is not desirable or preferable. The conflict violates the solidarity and the balance between the members of the human mind (the conscious) and the members of the body (the subconscious) resulting in obsessive thoughts, subconscious undesirable mistakes and deeds, severe self-criticism and self-blame, fears, anxiety, etc.
In contemporary SLA theory there are various methods of relieving academic anxiety, especially the type of anxiety which could be triggered by the personality of teachers and their lack of experience and professionalism, the consequences of getting a low grade or being scolded or demotivated by the teacher constantly.
We suggest applying similar tests of measuring anxiety in classrooms within two weeks after the classes start. Only after having the statistics of similar tests the teacher can decide on the effective teaching method to be used in class and the appropriate learning style of students to be adapted to the former adequately. Hence a teacher can provide students with much healthier academic environment, devoid of anxiety.
References
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