Some of us didn't like English, some learnt it for future purposes, and some liked it very much. Motivation came through this anxiety.
Sometimes we were laughed by others because we felt very uncomfortable and not able to understand instructions in that language. Doing roleplay activities made us feel at unease. Homework was good for some of us, but some weren't comfortable with it. Sometimes we were angry because we weren't understanding anything. Becauuuuseeeeeeeeeee
We had anxiety!
What is this anxiety?
Anxiety is a general term for several disorders that cause nervousness, fear, apprehension, and worrying. They affect our feelings and behaviour, they can manifest real physical symptoms. People often experience a general state of worry or fear before confronting something challenging such as a test, examination, recital, or interview. These feelings are easily justified and considered normal. Anxiety is considered a problem when symptoms interfere with a person's ability to sleep or otherwise function
Anxiety and Learning English
Bailey points out despite its negative aspects, anxiety is not necessarily a bad thing in itself. Even it can be very helpful. Scovel distinguishes between debilitaling anxiety, which creates difficulties in learning and performing, and facilitating anxiety, which actually helps people to do better than they might otherwise. Yes, if we know that success is attainable but not guaranteed, we may do better precisely because our anxiety has spurred us on. On the other hand, if we feel that, no matter how hard we try, we are going to fail, then our anxiety might discourage us from doing our best. Another possible source of debilitating anxiety is the fact that learning a foreign language makes people feel, to some extent, in a foreign land, with all the cultural implications of this situation.
Scovel also makes a distinction between trait anxiety, which is a relatively permanent personality feature, and the less stable state anxiety, which is evoked by a particular set of temporary circumstances. State anxiety is an acknowledged feature of language learning, whether as cause, effect or both. But why should anxiety be a special problem for language learners? Aren't students anxious about other school subjects? Why should language learning be different? One possible answer is that in most language learning situations, students are required to perform in the target language, which deprives them of their normal means of communication and behaviour. When forced to use the language they are learning, they constantly feel that they are representing themselves badly, showing only some of their real personality and intelligence. This sort of deprivation breeds anxiety about communicating with others, both in class and outside it, thus these learners will not fully profit from practising the language which has been learned.
Now I would like to ask questions about anxiety in English language learning:
How do you feel about anxiety before reading this blog? Good or bad ?
Do you think that anxiety can be useful tool for learning English or any other language ?
How can you learn your students' anxiety when you're an English language teacher?
Is anxiety a required feeling for the English language learning or is it only non-sense and must be eliminated? Why do you think so ?
If you like to read more on anxiety and anxiety in English language learning following links are good to help you:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/anxiety/
http://hera.ugr.es/tesisugr/16235290.pdf
Rıdvan:-)I always thought anxiety is a bad condition for human beings as I knew the dictionary meaning of this word. So, I had negative thoughts about it, just based on my knowledge from dictionary meaning. As you mentioned above if one is anxious about any task he or she was assigned to do sometimes that anxiety become an advantage and actually produces a better result, in order words if you are under pressure of something physchological, like 'I won't pass this course!'(seems faimiliar ?:P)
ReplyDeleteyou tend to achieve positive results. In language learning also, there is high probabilty that if we think anxiety is bringer of good fortune we can say that yes..anxiety can be used as a faciliator in learning not only English but any other language we wish. In my point of view, students' behaviors show their anxiety, either through their usage of language(tone or pitch of voice) or their actual body movements(for example I always thought if students seem to tense like a statue or some form, they must be anxious about their announcement of exam grades or such). We, as teachers, just need to watch our students physical movement or their use of language.I think if anxiety helps us to produce better results while learning the lexical and grammatical features of a language and reduce the interfering effect the anxiety can be cause of then a little infection of anxiety( ;) ) is fine :)
I think that anxiety is both good and bad in language education. First, when a student feels anxiety about an exam, s/he needs to study more and during studying, the students can be more careless and whatever s/he learns is gained only for a moment, then s/he forget whatever s/he learns and meaningfully learning doesn't happen. The exlanation which above is acceptable for only short term learning process. Hoever, when a student feel anxiety for studying english, s/he needs to study English and needs to practice it, so s/he learns English better. However, this can happen for a long-term learning process.
ReplyDeleteGood topic,
Ridvan I like your topic because as you said we all experienced this feeling while we were learing english.As it felt bad for me I thought it was a bad aspect but thanks to you I have learned that it is good.We can use it for to lead ourselves for more.As an English teacher I can understand my students anxiety from their movements , their answers and their expressions BUT I can create a warm environment for them to derive into languagelearning such as showing them that I believe them that they can achieve it and show them there is nothing to worry.:)
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