Date of Award
2024
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Education
Department
Education
First Advisor
Wayne He
Abstract
Foreign language anxiety (FLA) has been extensively studied and is considered as a key element influencing the success of foreign language learning. However, little is known about FLA in the context of learning Chinese. Moreover, findings on individual difference factors related to anxiety are inconsistent, and the mediating role of FLA is still underexplored. Grounded in the theory of FLA and Krashen’s Affective Filter Hypothesis, this dissertation explores FLA in the context of learning Chinese as a foreign language.
Study 1 provides a scoping review of the current literature on Chinese language anxiety (CLA), mapping current findings and identifying research gaps. Study 2 evaluates the validity of foreign language classroom anxiety scale (FLCAS) for Chinese learners in the Chinese Flagship Programs (CFPs) and examines predictive factors of CLA. Study 3 tests the mediating role of CLA between students’ individual-level factors and proficiency in an intensive CFP. Study 2 and 3 employ a Bayesian multilevel regression model for data analysis.
Study 1 finds that there are inconsistent findings in CLA research, emphasizing the need for more advanced quantitative, qualitative and longitudinal studies to capture learners’ in-depth experiences. Moreover, Study 2 confirms the validity and reliability of the FLCAS scale, and shows that students’ gender, self-efficacy, year in college, and overseas experience demonstrate variability though the difference is minimal among students’ heritage students, and the duration of language study. Lastly, Study 3 shows that higher anxiety levels are associated with lower oral proficiency levels. FLA also play a mediating role between students’ experiential factors such as self-efficacy, and overseas experience, but not as extensively concerning the academic year.
These findings suggest a significant role of CLA in the process of Chinese language acquisition, highlighting the need for further research into students’ in-depth experiences and the relationships between individual factors, CLA, and language proficiency. Ultimately, these results offer valuable implications for educational practice, policy-making, and the learning experiences of Chinese language learners.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Zhang, Yiping, "STUDENTS’ FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANXIETY IN THE CHINESE FLAGSHIP PROGRAM" (2024). Open Access Dissertations. Paper 1720.
https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/oa_diss/1720