Phonetics Learning Anxiety – Results of a Preliminary Study

The Phonetics Learning Anxiety Scale, a 44-item questionnaire based on a 6-point Likert scale, designed for the purpose of the research sheds light on the nature of this peculiar type of apprehension experienced by advanced FL learners in a specific educational context (i.e. a traditional classroom, rather than a language or computer laboratory), in which the major focus is on pronunciation practice. The obtained quantitative data imply that such factors as fear of negative evaluation (represented by general oral performance apprehension and concern over pronunciation mistakes, pronunciation self-image, pronunciation self-efficacy and self-assessment) and beliefs about the nature of FL pronunciation learning are significant sources of PhLA. Anxiety about the transcription test (IPA Test Anxiety) - one of the other hypothetical determinants of PhLA - did not prove to be correlated with the general level of Phonetics Learning Anxiet

The Correlation between the Students’ Pronunciation Anxiety and Their Willingness to Communicate at Senior High School Babussalam Pekanbaru

ABSTRACT Neila Izzati (2019) : The Correlation between the Students’ Pronunciation Anxiety and Their Willingness to Communicate at Senior High School Babussalam Pekanbaru Pronunciation anxiety (PA) is an important determinant of students’ WTC in a FL classroom. (Lucarz, 2014). However, based on the preliminary research, it was found that students’ pronunciation is not good at the school. Then, considering some factors influencing to communicate, it was also found that they felt anxiety about their pronunciation. This research was aimed to find out the correlation between students’ pronunciation anxiety and their willingness to communicate at Senior High School Babussalam Pekanbaru. This research is correlational research.There was one instrument use in collecting the data for this research is used questionnaire. The population of this research is 120 students. Then, in taking the sample, the researcher used simple random sampling and chose 30 students from all classes. By using product moment formula through SPSS 2.0 in analyzing the data, the mean score of students’ pronunciation anxiety was 67 categorized as good level. On the other hand, the mean score of students’ willingness to communicate was 66. It is also categorized as good level. The data analysis is concluded that robserved is 0.897. it means that Ha was accepted, or there is a significant correlation.It is categorized as “ Very High Level” Keywords: Correlation, Pronunciation Anxiety, Willingness to communicate

Los efectos de la ansiedad de pronunciación y la motivación en la voluntad de comunicarse de los estudiantes de inglés

The present quantitative study intended to investigate the effect of Iranian EFL learners' pronunciation anxiety (PA) and pronunciation motivation (PM) on their L2 willingness to communicate (L2 WTC) in English classes. Additionally, it aimed at identifying which of these two independent variables (PA or PM) could better predict their L2 WTC. To these aims, a convenient sample of 134 upper-intermediate EFL learners were recruited from two private language institutes in one of the large cities of Iran. Their proficiency level had already been determined by the institutes using written and oral placement tests. To gather the necessary data, three questionnaires, namely, Baran-Lucarz's (2017) PA, and PM, and Simić’s (2014) WTC questionnaires were used. Descriptive and inferential statistics were utilized to answer the research question of the study. Findings indicated that both variables under study, PA and PM, had significant correlations with learners’ L2 WTC. However, although results suggested that both independent variables predicted the learners' L2 WTC, PA was found to be a stronger predictor. Implications of the study findings and suggestions for further research are also offered.El presente estudio cuantitativo pretende investigar el efecto de la ansiedad de pronunciación (PA) y la motivación de pronunciación (PM) de los estudiantes iraníes de EFL en su disposición a comunicarse en L2 (L2 WTC) en las clases de inglés. Además, tuvo como objetivo identificar cuál de estas dos variables independientes (PA o PM) podría predecir mejor su L2 WTC. Con estos objetivos, se reclutó una muestra de conveniencia de 134 estudiantes de EFL de nivel intermedio alto de dos institutos de idiomas privados en una de las grandes ciudades de Irán. Su nivel de competencia ya había sido determinado por los institutos utilizando pruebas de ubicación escritas y orales. Para recopilar los datos necesarios, se utilizaron tres cuestionarios, a saber, PA y PM de Baran-Lucarz (2017), y los cuestionarios WTC de Simić (2014). Se utilizó estadística descriptiva e inferencial para responder a la pregunta de investigación del estudio. Los hallazgos indicaron que ambas variables bajo estudio, PA y PM, tenían correlaciones significativas con el WTC L2 de los alumnos. Sin embargo, aunque los resultados sugirieron que ambas variables independientes predijeron el WTC L2 de los alumnos, se encontró que PA era un predictor más fuerte. También se ofrecen implicaciones de los hallazgos del estudio y sugerencias para futuras investigaciones.

The contribution of individual differences to L2 pronunciation learning: Insights from research and pedagogical implications

Adult second language (L2) learning often exhibits great variability in its rate and outcome. Although research shows that learning trajectories are partly shaped by social and contextual factors (e.g. Larson-Hall, 2008), certain learner factors play an important role in enhancing L2 pronunciation learning by helping L2 learners notice and process input efficiently, whereas certain learner factors may impede L2 pronunciation learning by impairing attention control or slowing down L2 input processing. Therefore, in order for language teachers to provide effective instruction and help their students improve their L2 pronunciation proficiency, it is beneficial for them to understand the differential impact of learner characteristics on L2 learning and adapt such understanding to their instruction and learning activities. The aim of the current article is to provide a review of existing studies that have explored individual differences (IDs) in relation to L2 pronunciation acquisition and to present implications for effective L2 pronunciation teaching. The article begins with an introduction of the paradigm shift in L2 pronunciation research and the conceptual framework of ID proposed by Dörnyei (2009). This is followed by a summary of the processes involved in L2 pronunciation learning. The third section focuses on the characteristics of four IDs that have been found to influence the development of L2 pronunciation. Those IDs include foreign language learning aptitude (e.g. Saito and Hanzawa, 2016), musical aptitude (e.g. Milovanov et al., 2010), L2 learning motivation (e.g. Moyer, 1999) and anxiety (e.g. Baran-Łucarz, 2016). Based on the discussion in the third section, the last section will offer various applications of IDs research findings to L2 pronunciation instruction (e.g. instructional approaches, feedback, and pronunciation syllabi) for successful L2 pronunciation teaching

Roles of Cognitive and Sociopsychological Individual Differences in Second Language Pronunciation Development in Classroom Settings: A Dynamic Systems Theory Approach

Drawing on the framework of Dynamic Systems Theory that affords a holistic approach to understand the language development, the current study conducted a cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of how 51 Japanese learners of English with various experiential, cognitive and sociopsychological profiles differentially attained two different aspects of L2 pronunciation (comprehensibility, accentedness) in foreign language classroom settings. The participants engaged in four weeks of explicit pronunciation instruction. Their extemporaneous speech was collected via a picture description task at the beginning and end of the project. Subsequently, the pre- and post-test samples were rated for accentedness and comprehensibility, and then linked to a range of individual differences (IDs) factors including aptitude, motivation, anxiety, and English learning experience specific to L2 pronunciation development. At the outset of the project, the cross-sectional results suggested (a) three types of IDs examined in the current thesis were relatively independent from each other, and (b) recent L2 learning outside the classroom and anxiety levels were the strong predictors of both comprehensibility and accentedness, whereas and phonemic coding ability was uniquely linked to accentedness. Concerning the improvement in comprehensibility and accentedness after the intervention, the result of longitudinal study demonstrated the overall effectiveness of pronunciation instruction. However, no IDs showed interaction effect on the effectiveness of pronunciation instruction. Based on the findings, I discuss L2 pronunciation learning as a multifaceted, dynamic and ever-changing system as a result of complex interactions between multiple ID factors and pronunciation dimensions

“The spoken course crushed me and now I'm afraid of pronunciation” : Foreign Language Anxiety among Finnish University Students of English

The aim of this Minor Subject Thesis is to understand how Finnish university students of English, during their first year at university, experience Foreign Language Anxiety (FLA) with regards to the four skills of language, levels of language knowledge and the social context. Foreign Language Anxiety is a topic that, since the 1980s, has received more and more attention, but the focus has, typically, been on the modality of speaking and research has been cross-sectional. The present study sought to understand how English first-year majors (n=27) viewed FLA over the course of their first academic year with regards to the four skills of language, levels of language knowledge and the social context. A Webropol questionnaire was distributed to an English course in April 2023 and included both numerical rating scales and open-ended questions; in the analysis, however, the focus was largely on the qualitative material. Content analysis was used as the method for this. Based on the analysis, the students reported various experiences of FLA despite their advanced level of English. Quantitative analysis revealed high standard deviation. The findings showed that speaking caused particular feelings of anxiety and stress among the students, and was further highlighted when in a social setting. Additionally, anxiety caused by public speaking was an important finding in the current study. The social context had an effect on the levels of FLA, causing various reactions among the students over the course of the academic year. These differing experiences could be due to various reasons, such as individual differences. Academic writing was a source of worry for many students. The study showed that grammar and pronunciation were notable causes for FLA and were tightly linked to respective courses that the students needed to take during the first year of their English studies. Moreover, the current study revealed that many students experienced fluctuations and changes in their experiences of FLA over the academic year; however, these changes went in various directions showing a range of different experiences. Future studies, for example, could compare students from different years of English studies to establish whether there are differences in the experiences of FLA. More variables (such as personality traits) could also be added to the study to enrich knowledge on FLA

Pronunciation Anxiety, Pronunciation-Related Views and Pronunciation Learning Actions of EMI and English Major Students

The present study explored pronunciation views, learning actions and anxiety in two differentiated English learner groups: one group which was studying English in an engineering degree and another group enrolled in an English major degree. The results from a questionnaire and focus group sessions revealed that the groups share some views such as a wish to improve their English pronunciation and adherence to native pronunciation references as well as pronunciation learning actions such as watching series or talking to native speakers. However, we also observed significant differences between the groups as the English major students tended to view pronunciation learning as a discipline, while the engineering students saw it as a communicative skill. The English majors also exhibited more pronunciation anxiety, specifically fear of ridicule and worry of making mistakes. They also revealed more anxiety-related themes in the focus group discussions such as worry about their pronunciation, pronunciation shame or unease because they do not know how to pronounce a word or cannot understand. Finally, the English major group was also more demanding of lecturers’ accurate pronunciation. These results suggest that differences regarding English pronunciation anxiety between different learner profiles may need to be considered during their English language learning progress