The Effect of Anxiety on Learning English

Abstract

     This study investigates the effect of different kinds of anxiety on learning a foreign language, and how it differs in male and females. The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between permanent and momentary anxiety and learning a foreign language. It is assumed that extreme anxiety will have negative effect on language learning. The participants in this study are fifty English language learners at intermediate level from Mehrsajjad institute. They are randomly selected based on stratified random sample. Twenty five of them are male and the rest are female. The age of the participants is in a range of 23-25 years old. So it is controlled in this study. The level of anxiety of the participants is measured through the Spielberg questionnaire. It contains forty questions which measure both type of anxiety and is enclosed at the end of the study. One measure of learning English as foreign language is used to estimate the degree of proficiency in English: the students’ final examination scores. The exams are found to be valid and reliable. By calculating frequency, mean, standard deviation, and T- test we can explore the kind of relationship between variables. The Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient is used to test the null hypothesis of a significant relationship (H₀: r_xy=0) at p<0/05 directional. (Because correlation found is expected to be negative). All assumptions for the statistical test are found to be met. It is expected to come in conclusion at the end that extreme anxiety will lower language learning, and gender also will be influential in the degree of the anxiety and language learning reciprocally (p<0.05). In other words it is assumed that women are more stressful than men in general. The results will be discussed in terms of how meaningful the actual mean differences are and what the implications are for the psycholinguistics, teachers, and learners.