Language teaching anxiety among university level language teachers

Leroux IV, William Roy

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/120577 Copy

Description

Title

Language teaching anxiety among university level language teachers

Author(s)

Leroux IV, William Roy

Issue Date

2023-05-04

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Yan, Xun

Committee Member(s)

• Ionin, Tania
• Thrasher, Tricia

Department of Study

Linguistics

Discipline

Teaching of English Sec Lang

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

M.A.

Degree Level

Thesis

Keyword(s)

Language Anxiety, Teacher Anxiety, Negative Emotions, Affective Variables, Survey, FLTAS

Abstract

Language anxiety is a situation specific anxiety that hampers learning in second language classrooms. It has been well explored among student populations, but its effects on other classroom stakeholders, namely teachers, remains insufficiently researched. This study uses a survey to investigate the language anxiety experienced by language instructors at universities and colleges in the United States. The survey contains both psychometric scales (the Foreign Language Teaching Anxiety Scale and the GAD-7) and open-ended questions to help elaborate the extent to which these teachers experience anxiety, and the strategies that they use to cope with that anxiety. In total, 129 teachers responded to the survey. 62 of these were native speakers of the language that they taught, while 67 were non-native speakers. 87 worked as teaching assistants, while 42 had other full-time positions, such as instructors and professors. Results indicated that there is no statistically significant difference between the level of language anxiety experienced by non-native and native teachers. However, within the non-native category, self-reported proficiency levels were significant indicators of anxiety. When it came to coping techniques for dealing with language anxiety (e.g., positive thinking), no single strategy emerged as superior, but several patterns of participant responses warrant further discussion and research. This study ends with a discussion which offers suggestions for future research and policies to address teacher anxiety.

Graduation Semester

2023-05

Type of Resource

Thesis

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2023 William Leroux IV

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