Dynamic Properties of Language Anxiety

Autor/in	Gregersen, Tammy
Titel	Dynamic Properties of Language Anxiety
Quelle	In: Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 10 (2020) 1, S.67-87 (21 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Gregersen, Tammy)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	2083-5205
Schlagwörter	Language Skills; Second Language Learning; Anxiety; Second Language Instruction; Nonverbal Communication; Emotional Response; Language Processing; Psychological Patterns; Resilience (Psychology); Research Methodology; Language Teachers; Teaching Methods + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Language skill; Sprachkompetenz; Zweitsprachenerwerb; Angst; Fremdsprachenunterricht; Non-verbal communication; Nonverbale Kommunikation; Emotionales Verhalten; Sprachverarbeitung; Research method; Forschungsmethode; Language teacher; Sprachunterricht; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode
Abstract	This article begins by examining previous empirical studies to demonstrate that language anxiety, or the negative emotional reaction learners experience when using a second language (MacIntyre & Gardner, 1999), is a dynamic individual difference learner variable. I show that it forms part of an interconnected, constantly-in-flux system that changes unpredictably over multiple time scales. While at certain times this system might settle into an attractor state that accommodates contradictory conditions, perturbations that arise may lead to development and change with the curious possibility that minor disruptions generate large effects while major alterations go unnoticed. In essence, language anxiety (LA) is part of a continuous complex system in which each state evolves from a previous one. After I establish LA as a dynamic variable using the aforementioned criteria, I outline the implications and challenges for researching LA using a dynamic paradigm, which include focusing on individuals, transforming LA research questions, designing interventions and re-thinking data gathering methodologies. I conclude with implications for language teaching that emphasize: 1) raising awareness of the importance of decoding nonverbal behavior to identify moment-by-moment shifts in learner emotion; 2) remaining vigilant concerning variables that are interacting with LA that make this factor part of a cyclical process; 3) understanding that anxiety co-exists with positive emotions to varying degrees and that language tasks are not unanimously enjoyed or universally anxiety-provoking; and 4) incorporating positive psychology activities that proactively encourage buoyancy and resilience for moment-by-moment daily perturbations as well as debilitating disruptions that result in long-lasting influences. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Adam Mickiewicz University Department of English Studies. Faculty of Pedagogy and Fine Arts, Ul. Nowy Swiat 28-30, 62-800 Kailsz, Poland. e-mail: ssllt@amu.edu.pll; Web site: http://pressto.amu.edu.pl/index.php/ssllt
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01