The Relationship between Shyness, Willingness to Communicate, and Foreign Language Anxiety

master's thesis

• Author: Helena Prugovečki
• Mentor: Marija Andraka (mentor)
• Committee member: Silvija Hanžić Deda (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Alenka Mikulec (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Marija Andraka (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Teacher Education; Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2021-07-08, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: SOCIAL SCIENCES; Psychology

Abstract

Foreign language anxiety (FLA) is a psychological phenomenon which may be a barrier to learning a foreign language. It is characterized by uncomfortable feelings of nervousness and tension while using a foreign language in every aspect (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) or attending the foreign language classroom. Traits such as communication apprehension, fear of negative evaluation, lack of self-esteem, shyness, and a low level of willingness to communicate have been identified as potential causes of foreign language anxiety. The main objective of this thesis was to examine the level of shyness, willingness to communicate, and foreign language anxiety among future teachers and to find if there is a relationship between foreign language anxiety and two traits: the level of shyness and willingness to communicate. The sample included 71 participants. The participants were first, third, fourth, and fifth-year students enrolled in one of the study programmes at the Faculty of Teacher Education in Zagreb: the Primary Teacher Education with English or German Language (study programme 835) and the Primary Teacher Education (study programme 903). The participants were asked to complete an anonymous online questionnaire which was divided into four parts: general information, the McCroskey Shyness Scale, the Willingness to Communicate (WTC) Scale, and the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale. The first part was used to collect general information about the participants. The second part measured their level of shyness, the third part measured the level of willingness to communicate and the last part measured their level of foreign language anxiety. For calculating the correlation between the variables, Spearman’s rho test was used. The results indicate that there is no relationship between shyness and willingness to communicate nor foreign language anxiety and shyness, but there is a correlation between foreign language anxiety and willingness to communicate.

Abstract (croatian)

Strah od stranoga jezika psihološki je fenomen koji može ometati učenje stranoga jezika. Karakterizira ga neugodan osjećaj nervoze i napetosti prilikom korištenja svake od četiriju jezičnih djelatnosti (govorenje, slušanje, čitanje i pisanje) te prilikom prisustvovanja na satima stranoga jezika. Uzroci straha od stranoga jezika su osobine poput straha od komunikacije, straha od negativne evaluacije, manjak samopoštovanja te niska spremnost na komunikaciju. Glavni cilj ovoga rada bio je istražiti sramežljivost, spremnost na komunikaciju i strah od stranoga jezika među budućim učiteljima i učiteljicama te otkriti postoji li veza između i straha od stranoga jezika i sramežljivosti te postoji li veza između straha od stranoga jezika i spremnosti na komunikaciju. Uzorak se sastojao od 71 ispitanika. Ispitanici su studenti prve, treće i četvrte godine Učiteljskog fakulteta u Zagrebu koji pohađaju jedan od sljedećih programa: Učiteljski studij s engleskim/njemačkim jezikom (program 835) i Učiteljski studij (program 903). Sudionicima je poslan online upitnik koji je bio anoniman te se sastojao od četiri dijela: opće informacije, the McCroskey Shyness Scale, the Willingness to Communicate (WTC) Scale i the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale. Prvim su dijelom prikupljene opće informacije o ispitanicima. Drugim su dijelom prikupljeni podatci o sramežljivosti ispitanika, trećim o njihovoj spremnosti na komunikaciju, a posljednjim dijelom upitnika prikupljeni su podatci o razini straha od stranoga jezika. Kako bismo izračunali korelacije među varijablama koristili smo Spearman’s rho test. Rezultati istraživanja pokazali su da ne postoji korelacija između sramežljivosti i spremnosti na komunikaciju niti sramežljivosti i straha od stranoga jezika ali postoji korelacija između spremnosti na komunikaciju i straha od stranoga jezika.

• Keywords: foreign language anxiety; shyness; willingness to communicate
• Keywords (croatian): strah od stranoga jezika; sramežljivost; spremnost na komunikaciju
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:147:722593
• Study programme: Title: Integrated undergraduated university study with english language and german language; specializations in: English language, Deutsche sprache; Course: English language; Study programme type: university; Study level: integrated undergraduate and graduate; Academic / professional title: magistar/magistra primarnog obrazovanja (magistar/magistra primarnog obrazovanja)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2022-07-14 09:58:05