engleski

Language Learning Anxiety: A Factor in Foreign Language Learning

In this thesis, readers will get acquainted with the phenomenon of language learning anxiety. The common foundation lies in one of the primary emotions that every person feels: fear. It is a complex and acquired emotional reaction. The thesis consists of two parts: the theoretical part and the research. The first part of the thesis discusses the very basis of this phenomenon ˗language and its structures. It is necessary to understand all levels of language (phonological, morphological and syntactic) beforehand and its complexity in order to detect and solve the problem. The leading role of the brain in language learning is also studied, along with its main task: understanding. Many studies have come to the conclusion that the cause of language learning anxiety in younger students lies not only in language, but is in fact a combination of external and internal factors (motivation, personal characteristics of a student, positive self-image, etc.), and certain language features. The text also refers to the students’ social background, their socio-economic status, to be exact, their environment, curriculum, and peer competence, etc., all elements which give us insight into the extent to which these factors affect language learning anxiety. The second part of the thesis presents the results of the research surveys. The participants were primary school students of ages from 9 to 15, and the questions were taken from the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (Horwitz et al., 1991). The objective was to determine how much age affects this phenomenon and what the greatest source of language learning anxiety is. This thesis also includes the author’s personal tutoring and teaching experiences and students’ statements. This research has been carried out on a smaller sample of students ; indubitably, there is still much to be done on a larger scale in order to obtain better understanding of this phenomenon.

second/foreign language learning, language learning anxiety, younger students

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