Anxiety as an affective factor for adult Korean students learning English as a second language

The focus of this study was anxiety related to second language learning, and more specifically, to that of adult Korean students studying ESL; Three research questions were addressed: (a) Do adult Koreans learning ESL have a high degree of classroom anxiety? (b) If so, can this be attributed to some aspects of their cultural heritage or previous educational experience? (c) What concepts contained within sociocultural theory may serve to ameliorate this classroom reaction?;A total of 49 students studying ESL at a major southwest university participated in this study. A background questionnaire and the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale were used in the assessment of anxiety levels. This was supplemented by classroom observations, and student and teacher interviews; Results from the study indicate that the first two research questions could be answered in the affirmative; and that certain pedagogical techniques associated with sociocultural theory to enhance cognitive development and language learning could simultaneously serve to reduce classroom anxiety.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MS)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Curriculum and Instruction

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Year

2002

Author dc:creator

• Murray, BoKyung

Contributors dc:contributor

• Steve G. McCafferty

Statement dc:rights

• IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language

English

Identifier

https://oasis.library.unlv.edu/rtds/1382

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:oasis.library.unlv.edu:rtds-2381