Abstract

The English Curriculum Standards (2003)’s goal for junior middle school students is to achieve comprehensive language proficiency, which includes knowledge, language skills, affect and attitude, learning strategies and cultural consciousness. Students are required to master the listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. However, speak-in-class anxiety is a quite great block for students to achieve comprehensive language proficiency, particularly the speaking skill. The research is conducted in a junior middle school, by questionnaire and interviews. This research seeks answers for the following questions: (1) Is there speak-in-class anxiety in students?  (2) What are the causes of speak-in-class anxiety? (3) What effective strategies for teachers can relieve the speak-in-class anxiety? And the result shows that there exists speak-in-class anxiety in junior middle school. Besides, this study shows us that lack of confidence, fear of negative evaluation both from peers and teachers, inadequate preparation-time and some other factors contribute to the speak-in-class anxiety. In the last part, practical teaching strategies of relieving anxiety in speaking in English class are proposed.

keywords: Junior middle school; speak-in-class anxiety; causes; teaching strategies

Contents

Abstract

摘  要

1 Introduction-1

1.1 Background-1

1.2 Purpose/Significance-2

1.3 Research questions-2

2 Literature review-3

2.1 Definition of anxiety and foreign language anxiety-3

2.2 Theoretical framework-4

2.2.1 Horwitz’s theory of foreign language anxiety-4

2.2.2 Krashen’s Affective Filter Hypothesis-4

2.3 Classification of foreign language anxiety-5

2.4 Researches on causes of language anxiety-6

3 Methods/Methodology-7

3.1 Research objects-7

3.2 Research instruments-7

3.3 Data collection procedure-9

4 Findings and suggestion-10

4.1 Date analysis and findings-10

4.1.1 Existence of Speak-in-class anxiety-10

4.1.2 Cause of speak-in-class anxiety-11

4.1.2.1 Lack of confidence-11

4.1.2.2 Fear of negative evaluation-12

4.1.2.3 Inadequate preparation-time-13

4.1.2.4 Other causes of speak-in-class anxiety-14

4.2 Suggestion on teaching strategies-14

4.2.1 Developing students’ speaking confidence-15

4.2.2 Giving students’ positive evaluations-15

4.2.3 Some other teaching strategies-16

5 Conclusion-18

5.1 Major findings-18

5.2 Limitations and suggestions for future research-18

6 References-20