abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the contributions of language anxiety, acculturation and social connectedness with American people to the counseling self-efficacy of international counseling students (ICSs) in the United States. The study used hierarchical multiple regression analysis with a sample of ICSs from counseling, counseling psychology and related programs in the U.S. (N=72). Major findings indicated that ICSs’ language anxiety was inversely associated with their counseling self-efficacy; neither ICSs’ acculturation nor social connectedness with American people had a significant relationship with counseling self-efficacy. Further, there was no significant interaction between language anxiety and social connectedness with American people; language anxiety, acculturation, social connectedness with American people, and the interaction between language anxiety and social connectedness with American people together did not account for a significantly different amount of variance in counseling self-efficacy over and above the variance accounted for by language anxiety alone. Implications, limitations and recommendations for future research are discussed. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Counseling 2016

Communication Apprehension (CA) pertains to levels of fear or anxiety people experience in relation to real or anticipated communication with other people. Decades of research on CA has focused on college students. This research explored levels of oral CA in an organizational environment. The purpose of this research was threefold. First, this study examined the communication apprehension profiles of native-language (English) and second-language (non-English) employees in a midsized South Florida service organization to understand if the levels of communication anxiety differ between the two groups as well as if demographic variables played a part in managing levels of communication anxiety. Second, this study examined the difference of perception credibility in supervisors between same-language and opposite-language employees to examine and analyze the relationship between the two groups and their supervisors in order to identify if communication problems exist that could affect an amicable working relationship or constructive feedback. Third, this study compared organizational personality types of upward mobile and indifferent to levels of communication apprehension in native-language (English) and second-language (non-English) employees in a sample of culturally diverse office personnel in two separate corporate locations in a midsized management organization located in South Florida. The findings were found not to be statistically significant; however, it was learned that CA levels do exist and that anxiety levels vary between respondents. Further investigation into the effects of CA on workplace production remains a challenge. Additional studies using randomly selected populations from similarly diverse organizations more representative of the diversity of the region rather than a convenience sample is recommended.

In this study, I investigate how foreign language anxiety affects students’ performance during oral presentations. The study also explores how secondary school teachers in Sweden work with anxious students before, during and after an oral presentation and what approaches and exercises they find effective to use when doing so. Foreign language anxiety is a relatively new subject within language education and impacts language learning in various, mostly negative, ways. The data is collected from interviews with secondary school teachers in Sweden. The result show how these teachers identify FLA and what effects they believe it has on their students. The result also gives insight into how the teachers approach all three stages of an oral presentation to reduce symptoms that lead to increased anxiety. The study concludes by comparing the teachers’ choices to theories within language teaching to establish a pattern of what strategies are effective when dealing with FLA. In this study, I highlight the benefits of using oral presentations based on research and why every student should be given help to overcome their anxiety, so that they are prepared to use their English in high-pressure situations, such as during an oral presentation.

Sammanfattning Engelskundervisningen i dagens grundskolor ska vara kommunikativ, det vill säga att kommunikation och interaktion ligger till grund för elevernas språkutveckling. En sådan undervisning kan vara extra utmanande för elever med ängslan inför att tala. Talängslan hämmar elevens språkutveckling och kan påverka den kunskapsmässiga bedömningen och betyget negativt. Därför är det viktigt att lärare är medvetna om talängslan, dess orsaker och hur de kan arbeta för att gynna dessa elever. Denna studie handlar om vad lärare i årskurs 4-6 anser är utmaningen med talängsliga elever. Den handlar vidare om hur deltagarnan uttrycker att de undervisar i den muntliga delen av engelska. Syfte Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka vilka utmaningar fyra lärare uppfattar finns med talängslan hos elever i åk 4-6, samt lärarnas roll i att ta sig an dessa utmaningar. Metod I denna studie använder jag mig av kvalitativ metod i form av intervjuer, eftersom jag vill åt den enskilde lärarens uppfattningar/tolkningar av fenomenet talängslan i det engelskspråkiga klassrummet. Eftersom jag vill bygga en förståelse för hur andra människor uppfattar och tolkar, i detta fall lärarna i min studie, så är hermeneutiken en tolkningsmetod som ligger till grund för mitt arbete. Jag har använt mig av intervjuer med fyra lärare på fyra olika grundskolor i min studie. Respondenterna i intervjuerna är aktiva engelsklärare i åk 4-6. Resultat Av resultatet framgår att de deltagande lärarna i denna studie är medvetna om att talängslan finns bland eleverna. Deras uppfattning är att de på olika sätt kan se hur detta framträder hos dem. Talängslan syns via elevernas kroppsspråk, men också genom att de undviker situationer där de behöver tala engelska. Lärarna resonerar även kring de möjliga orsakerna som kan ligga bakom elevernas talängslan. Det kan bland annat handla om att eleverna inte förstår vad läraren säger, eller så kan de vara rädda för att säga fel inför lärare och klasskamrater. Vidare resonerar lärarna i min studie hur de bemöter talängsliga elever. I resultatet framgår det att en trygg kommunikativ miljö är en viktig aspekt; klassrumsmiljön ska vara sådan att alla elever vågar tala engelska. Detta innebär bland annat nolltolerans mot hån eller skratt i klassrummet när någon elev talar. Det framkommer även praktiska sätt de arbetar på med den muntliga delen. Resultatet visar att det ofta förekommer att lärarna växlar mellan svenska och engelska på lektionerna för att göra sig förstådda. Detta beror på vilken årskurs eller elevgrupp det handlar om.

There is very little research done on the use and perceptions of icebreakers, and even fewer researchers have focused on young learners in this regard. This study investigates which icebreakers English teachers in grade 4-6 use in Swedish primary classrooms, why they use them, and what their perception is of how icebreakers can affect students’ oral production. Five semi-structured interviews were carried out, containing twelve questions formulated with a focus on significant factors such as motivation, engagement, foreign language anxiety and willingness to communicate, which are addressed in the research on icebreakers. The interviews were transcribed, translated, analyzed (more than once) and thematically categorized to answer the research questions. This showed patterns, perceptions, and trends that English teachers in grade 4-6 have of icebreakers and their use. Most of the teachers who were interviewed had a knowledge of what icebreakers are and what affect they have, and use them daily. As a tool for improving oral performance, icebreakers were seen as well-functioning by most of the interviewed teachers, even though not all of them believed they had time to use them. Only one teacher believed there to be other more effective methods to use. The study showed that teachers perceive anxiety and fear to be reduced by using icebreakers during English lessons, something that is necessary to promote speaking. It may therefore be advisable for teachers to reflect on common classroom practices that induce anxiety, rather than viewing language anxiety as a disadvantageous characteristic of individual learners. The results call for in-depth studies of icebreakers and their effects on students’ learning experiences and speaking ability. Moreover, the study helps fill the gap of research in grades 4-6, with new perspectives on teachers’ perceptions of young learners in relation to icebreakers.

The study investigated the phenomenon of speaking anxiety in two groups of English learners and two groups of Spanish learners, studying in four different courses: English 5, 6 and Spanish 3, 4. The participants answered a background questionnaire, followed up with a modified foreign language anxiety scale. The students who wanted to also, participated in an interview where they gave more in depth answers about their experience with the phenomenon. The findings showed that students experienced speaking anxiety in relation to their language learning, but at different levels such as low, medium and high-level anxiety groups. In addition to this, possible remedies for speaking anxiety suggested by the participants was also presented in the study.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Esta investigación pretende investigar si hay un tipo específico de ansiedad relacionada al aprendizaje de lenguas extranjeras y también mostrar que esta ansiedad tiene un efecto en las maneras en que los alumnos aprenden y las notas que obtienen. Basándose en estudios previos, se realiza una investigación original que explora la combinación de estilos de aprendizaje y estilos de enseñanza y el efecto que pueda tener en las calificaciones de los alumnos. Se da a los alumnos encuestas sobre la ansiedad dos veces y otra encuesta sobre sus estilos de aprendizaje mientras se da a los instructores una encuesta sobre sus estilos de enseñanza. Se examinan los resultados de los cuestionarios juntos a las calificaciones globales al fin del curso para determinar si existe ansiedad en el aula y si había combinaciones apropiadas entre instructores y alumnos. Los resultados demuestran que la ansiedad de aprender lenguas extranjeras existe para una porción de alumnos, pero la mayoría de ellos no tenían experiencias con esta ansiedad. Los estilos personales de la enseñanza de las instructoras combinaron en una manera natural con los estilos del aprendizaje de los alumnos. Los alumnos tenían éxito en sus clases de lenguas extranjeras porque muchas de las calificaciones eran superiores a 80% para el semestre.

The United States is a host to several ethnicities that bring both their own languages and their own culture to an already large mixing pot. The children of the immigrants who grow up learning both English and their families' heritage language are called heritage language learners (HLLs). The first objective of the study was to find out whether foreign language anxiety had a relationship with reading and writing in Spanish for HLLs in high school. The second was to ascertain whether perception of ethnic identity also had a relationship with reading and writing in Spanish for heritage language learners in high school. Most studies have found that both foreign language anxiety and perception of ethnic identity has a connection with reading and writing in their heritage language (HL). A majority of the research, however, focuses on these students and their challenges while at the university level. As studies concerning high school students are rare, it is important to focus on a younger group of participants in order to understand their unique cultural and linguistic needs and implement strategies to help Spanish HLLs succeed. For this particular set of students, it is possible that ethnic identity and writing have a positive relationship. However, ethnic identity did not have a strong relationship with reading. Foreign language anxiety did not have much of a connection between either reading or writing.

Den här examensuppsatsen tar upp problemet med elever som upplever ängslan att tala ett främmande språk, i detta fall engelska, så kallat foreign language anxiety (FLA). Syftet är ökad kunskap om vad som orsakar FLA, vilka konsekvenser det medför och hur dessa kan hanteras i klassrumsmiljö. Resultatet kan förhoppningsvis vara av betydelse för andra studenter och lärare och även öppna upp för vidare forskning i framtiden.Studien är genomförd med ämnesdidaktisk inriktning med teoretiska perspektiv, tidigare forskning och kvalitativa intervjuer med elever för att få fram deras erfarenhet av problemet. Resultatet visar att deltagarna inte har haft någon eller bristfällig träning i att tala engelska i hemlandet och detta förorsakar ofta stress på lektionerna i Sverige. De intervjuade eleverna har trots svårigheterna lyckats komma över nybörjarstadiet tack vare egna strategier som t.ex. att de är aktiva på fritiden med kontakt med språket via olika medier. Några av dem använder också sina barn som resurs, t.ex. vid läxläsning. Slutligen har resultatet från studien analyserats och diskuterats i förhållande till teorier och tidigare forskning.

In classrooms all over the world, there are students who fear the attention of both teachers and peers alike. Anxiety is a cause for such fears and in foreign language classrooms it can be prevalent. Foreign language anxiety (FLA) is a concept developed by Horwitz et al (1986) to describe the unique anxiety that arises in a foreign language learning situation. Anxious students are less prone to use their target language and feel less motivated in their language studies, both of which have a negative effect on their learning. The aim of this study was to measure and compare anxiety levels among Swedish lower and upper secondary school students, identify major sources of anxiety and gain understanding of individuals’ perception of foreign language anxiety. 49 subjects from two classes participated in the study. Their anxiety was measured with the foreign language classroom anxiety scale (FLCAS) developed by Horwitz et al (1986). Interviews were used to gain insight into the subjects’ perception of foreign language anxiety. The results showed that a majority of the subjects were anxious and that students in the lower secondary school class were more anxious than the upper secondary school class. The identified major sources of anxiety were teacher-induced anxiety, fear of negative evaluation and general anxiety. / I klassrum över hela världen finns det elever som är rädda för både lärarens och sina klasskamraters uppmärksamhet. Nervositet är en orsak till en sådan rädsla och kan vara vanligt i främmandespråkklassrum. Språkängslan inför främmande språk är ett begrepp utvecklat av Horwitz m. fl. (1986) för att beskriva den unika nervositet som uppstår vid lärande av främmande språk. Nervösa elever är mindre benägna att använda språket de lär sig och känner sig mindre motiverade att lära sig och båda sakerna har en negativ effekt på deras inlärning. Syftet med studien var att mäta och jämföra nervositetsnivåer bland svenska högstadie- och gymnasieelever, identifiera de största källorna till nervositet och få förståelse för elevers uppfattning av nervositet. 49 elever från två klasser deltog i studien. Deras nervositet mättes med skalan för språknervositet i samband med undervisning i främmande språk, utvecklad av Horwitz m fl (1986). Intervjuer användes för att få insikt i deltagarnas uppfattning om språknervositet inför främmande språk. Resultatet visade att en majoritet av deltagarna led av språknervositet och att högstadieeleverna i högre grad var nervösa än gymnasieeleverna. De största källorna till nervositet som identifierades var lärarorsakad nervositet, rädsla för negativt omdöme och generell nervositet.