1. Identifying ELL anxieties in the tertiary-level EFL classroom
Chris Pirotto
Fukui University of Technology

2. These slides may be found on my website

3. Anxiety in the Classroom can bring…
Physical symptoms
Perspiration, Increased heart rate, dry mouth, muscle tension, panic attacks, fainting (Andrade and Williams, 2009)
Mental Issues
Memory recall issues, feeling of helplessness, decreased memory retention (A&W, 2009)
Which all can...
Decrease motivation and language gains (Oxford, 1999)
Affect willingness to communicate (Hashimoto, 2002)
Limit ability to present one’s ideas and options (Horwitz, Horwitz, & Cope, 1986)
Make the language learning process an unpleasant experience (HH&C, 1986)

4. Research Questions
1) Can I categorize the types of anxieties that are present in my students?
Answered in Pirotto (2018)
2) How have these anxieties changed throughout my semester-long course?
3) Can anything I’ve done in class be identified as anxiety reducing (or inducing)?

5. Pirotto (2018) Factor Analysis of the FLCAS, given to my students.
Identified 5 factors
Anxiety Related to Oral Production
Attitude Towards Course Enjoyment
Degree of Comfort when Communicating with L1 speakers
Comparison Anxiety
Fear of being Unsuccessful and Falling Behind

6. This Study FLCAS given week 2 of the semester
Given to all my first years, taking an oral communication course
Compare the Factor Analysis with Pirotto 2018
Give the FLCAS again in week 14 of the 15 week semester
See how anxiety changed over the semester
Follow-up with a few students in interviews

7. Pirotto 2018 vs This study
Factor
Items
Anxiety Related to Oral Production
2, 9, 12, 13, 15, 20, 24, 27, 33
Attitude Towards Course Enjoyment
5, 6, 17, 21
Degree of Comfort Communicating with L1 Speakers
14, 18, 28, 32
Comparison Anxiety
1, 7, 23
Fear of being Unsuccessful and Falling Behind
10, 19, 22, 25

8. Results from Pre and Post Tests
Factor
Pre (Mean + SD)
Post (Mean + SD)
Effect Size (Cohen’s d)
(Plonsky & Oswald, 2014)
Anxiety Related to Oral Production
3.39 (0.80)
3.05 (0.80)
d = 0.42 (Small??)
Attitude Towards Course Enjoyment
2.55 (0.69)
2.50 (0.65)
d = 0.07
Degree of Comfort Communicating with L1 speakers
3.75 (0.76)
3.50 (0.69)
d = 0.35
Comparison Anxiety
3.54 (0.85)
3.12 (0.84)
d = 0.50 (Small)
Fear of being Unsuccessful and Falling Behind
3.11 (0.87)
2.66 (0.79)
d = 0.55 (Small)
1 = Strongly Disagree (Very Low Anxiety/Fear)
3 = Neutral
5 = Strongly Agree (Very High Anxiety/Fear)
Note: A high score in “Attitude towards Course Enjoyment” signifies dislike with the course

9. Comments from Interviews
Factor
Comments
Anxiety Related to Oral Production
-It was good knowing the teacher didn’t chose who would answer.
-More time to prepare would be good.
Attitude Towards Course Enjoyment
-Too many quizzes.
-Need more energy during workbook & grammar activities (music?)
-Class was as I expected.
Degree of Comfort Communicating with L1 speakers
-English Café helped but I only went twice.
-If all foreigners like you, I would love talking to foreigners.
Comparison Anxiety
-Getting to know the other students throughout the year helped.
-Lots of people in the class can’t speak (English)…just like me!
Fear of being Unsuccessful and Falling Behind
-(Teacher was) helpful and always knew what my grade was.
-A second year told me your class was easy if I did my work.

10. Resources
Andrade and Williams Foreign language learning anxiety in Japanese EFL university classes: Physical, motional, expressive, and verbal reactions. Sophia Junior College Faculty Journal, 29, 1-24.
Hashimoto Motivation and willingness to communicate as predictors of L2 use: The Japanese ESL context. Second Language Studies, 20,
Horwitz, Horwitz, & Cope Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety. Modern Language Journal, 70(2),
Oxford Anxiety and the Language Learner: New Insights. In J. Arnold (Ed.), Affect in language learning. (58- 67). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Pirotto A factorial investigation into the English language learning anxiety of first-year university students in Japan. Memoirs of Fukui University of Technology, 48,

11. Fukui University of Technology
Thank you
Chris Pirotto
Fukui University of Technology