摘 要

1. Introduction 2

1.1 Need for the study 2

1.2 Research purpose 2

1.3 Organization of the thesis 2

2. Literature review 4

2.1 Definition of anxiety and learning anxiety 4

2.2 Empirical studies of foreign language learning anxiety 4

2.2.1 Research on the behaviors of foreign language learning anxiety 4

2.2.2 Research on the causes of foreign language learning anxiety 5

2.2.3 Measures to decrease foreign language learning anxiety 5

3. Methodology 7

3.1 Research questions 7

3.2 Subjects 7

3.3 Instruments 7

3.4 Procedure 8

4. Results and Discussion 9

4.1 Results 9

4.1.1 Results of the questionnaire 9

4.1.2 Results of the Interview 10

4.2 Discussion 12

4.2.1 Strategies for reducing anxiety 12

5. Conclusion 16

5.1 Major findings 16

5.2 Limitations and suggestions for further study 16

References 17

Acknowledgments 19

Appendix I Foreign Language Class Anxiety Scale 20

Appendix II Records of interview 23

Abstract

In our contemporary society, schools and families pay more and more attention to primary students’ English learning and the fierce competition might make students have a certain degree of anxiety. Therefore, this thesis regards primary school students as the perspective. This thesis adopts the quantitative and qualitative research methods. The subjects are students in Wudun primary school. In this study there are 40 participants. A questionnaire and the interview are adopted. The questionnaire is Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS). It is designed by Horwitz (1986). The interview is based on the questionnaire survey.

The research questions in this thesis are as follows:

1. Is there any significant gender difference in English learning anxiety?
2. Is there any significant difference in English learning anxiety between low-proficiency and high-proficiency students?

SPSS 24.0 is used to analyze the data. Most students have low or moderate anxiety level. Only a few students have very low or very high anxiety levels. There is no significant difference in anxiety between boy and girl students. There is a significant difference between students with high English proficiency and those with low English proficiency. Causes of making students anxious are as follows: Unclear motivation and lacking of initiative, lacking of confidence and correct understanding of themselves; improper teaching methods,, unreasonable evaluation methods. Based on research results and factor analysis, This thesis puts forward possible solutions to students' English anxiety, among which are creating a relaxed atmosphere, cultivating a positive attitude, improving English achievement motivation, and optimizing teaching evaluation.

Keywords: primary school students; anxiety in English learning; causes; teaching suggestions

中文摘要

在当今社会，学校和家庭愈来愈重视小学生的英语学习，激烈的竞争可能使小学生产生了一定程度上的焦虑感。所以，本文以小学生为视角，调查小学生英语学习焦虑现状。本研究采取定量和定性相互结合的方法，研究小学生英语学习焦虑，研究对象是盱眙县五墩小学三年级学生，共计40名。本研究主要采用问卷调查和访谈的方式。问卷采用了Horwitz (1986) 的英语课堂焦虑量表，访谈是基于问卷调查的基础上。本论文的研究问题有以下几个：

1. 小学生的焦虑值和性别是否存在差异性？
2. 小学生的焦虑值和英语水平是否存在相关性？

笔者利用SPSS 24.0进行了数据分析。结果表明：小学生普遍存在英语学习焦虑，大部分学生具有中低焦虑水平，只有较少的学生无焦虑和高焦虑。性别和焦虑值无明显差异性。高水平组学生焦虑值和低水平组学生焦虑值有显著性差异。

造成学生焦虑的重要因素有：动机不清，缺乏主动性，缺乏自信和正确的自我认知；不合理的教学理念和教学方法、不合理的评价机制。在研究结果和因素分析的基础上，笔者提出了缓解学生英语学习焦虑的教学建议：营造轻松氛围；培养积极态度，提高英语学习成就动机；优化教学评价。

关键词：小学生；英语学习焦虑；成因；教学建议

1. Introduction

1.1 Need for the study

Krashen proposed the "Affective Filter Hypothesis". He believed that learners' emotional factors have a filtering effect on language learning. It can determine how much input learners receive. Therefore, emotional factors play an irreplaceable role. Among these emotional factors, anxiety can’t be ignored. Also, combining psychology and pedagogy has always been a critical topic. Anxiety is an important category in psychology. Studies on middle school students and college students are more. However, research studies on children are few. With the development of economy and social progress, English is becoming significant and learning English has become an irresistible trend.

Because social environment changes, it can’t be denied that students start learning English very early. Many schools have English lessons since the first grade. More so many bilingual kindergartens and education institutions are springing up. People always think that only middle school students have anxiety. However, some studies illustrate that primary school students also have anxiety. I am going to be an English teacher in primary school, so I decide to investigate the current situation of English learning anxiety from the perspective of primary school students.

1.2 Research purpose

Anxiety has a great effect on English learning effect. The final purpose of this study is to find out: (1). Is there any significant gender difference in English learning anxiety? (2). Is there any significant difference in English learning anxiety between low- and high-proficiency students? The final purpose is analyzing and concluding causes of primary school students' anxiety in English earning and proposing strategies to reduce their anxiety.

1.3 Organization of the thesis

The thesis includes five parts. The first part is introduction. In this part, research background, research purpose and the organization of the research are included. The second part is literature review. It includes definition of anxiety and learning anxiety, empirical studies of foreign language learning anxiety. The third part is methodology. Research questions, subjects, instruments, procedure are stated. The fourth part is results and discussion, in which results of the questionnaire and the interview, causes of primary school students’ anxiety in English learning and some strategies for reducing anxiety are stated. The last part is conclusion. In this part, major findings, limitations and suggestions for further study are summarized.

2. Literature review

2.1 Definition of anxiety and learning anxiety

Definition of anxiety was various. The representative definition in China was put forward by Wang Yinquan and Wan Yushu (2001). They thought that anxiety is one of the abnormal emotions. It is generally believed that anxiety refers to the emotional state of nervousness and fear caused by the frustration of the individual's self-esteem and self-confidence.