MILE5000 Chap.6 Enjoyment and Anxiety in the Language Classroom
Enjoyment and Anxiety in the Language Classroom
Three studies built on the same two scales
The additional readings include three studies of foreign language enjoyment and classroom anxiety that use different analyses: a large correlational survey, a structural model that adds boredom, and a comparison of learners of English with learners of other languages.
Reading them together shows how the same constructs can support different conclusions depending on sample and design.
Two faces of one emotion, or two emotions?
The first study surveyed 1,746 multilingual volunteers. They reported more enjoyment than anxiety, and the two correlated negatively but only moderately, sharing about thirteen per cent of their variance.
The authors conclude that the emotions are separate dimensions rather than opposites. Open responses described enjoyable episodes built around classroom activities, recognition from peers and teachers, and a sense of progress.
The authors caution that their self-selected sample probably leans towards people who like language learning.
Adding boredom, teachers and achievement
The second study modelled enjoyment, anxiety and boredom for 332 learners alongside teacher behaviour, attitude and the last mark received.
The emotions were interrelated; teacher use of the language raised enjoyment only; and only anxiety had a significant path to achievement. The authors list single-item measures and a worldwide sample among their limits.
Does the language matter?
The third study compared 252 learners of English with 108 learners of German, Spanish or French at a university in Kuwait.
Learners of the other languages enjoyed their classes more, particularly their teachers, reported similar anxiety, and had lower motivation, driven by a much weaker instrumental orientation. The authors acknowledge that the groups also differed in age, languages known and gender balance.
What this chapter covers
- 01
Enjoyment and anxiety as separate dimensions
- 02
Shared variance and what a correlation means
- 03
What learners describe as enjoyable
- 04
Boredom as a third classroom emotion
- 05
Structural models and the direction of arrows
- 06
Teacher use of the language and teacher predictability
- 07
English against other languages in one university
- 08
Confounds in group comparisons
Worked example · free
Rank the threats in a group comparison
- 2Identify two non-language differences between the groups.
- 2Explain how each could raise enjoyment.
- 2Rank them and justify the ranking.
Key terms
- Shared Variance
- The proportion of variation two measures have in common, found by squaring their correlation.
- Classroom Boredom
- A negative, deactivating emotion arising from classroom activities that are too easy or too difficult.
- Structural Equation Modelling
- A statistical method that tests a set of assumed paths between variables at once and reports how well the pattern fits the data.
- Single-item Measure
- A construct measured by one question, which gives less confidence in reliability than a scale of several items.
- Self-selected Sample
- A sample made up of volunteers, who may differ systematically from the population a study wants to describe.
- Confound
- A difference between groups, other than the one under study, that could explain the result.
Enjoyment and Anxiety in the Language Classroom FAQ
Are enjoyment and anxiety opposites?
The first study argues they are not. The two correlated only moderately and negatively, which the authors interpret as two related but separate dimensions. A learner can report high levels of both in the same class, and reducing anxiety does not automatically increase enjoyment, so the two are best measured and discussed separately.
Which classroom emotion predicts marks?
The studies disagree. In the structural model study only anxiety had a significant path to the last mark learners received, while other research cited in the set reports a positive link between enjoyment and achievement. Differences in how achievement was measured, such as a self-reported mark or a speaking test, may explain part of the disagreement.
Do learners of other languages enjoy class more than learners of English?
In the Kuwaiti university study they did, especially in how much they appreciated their teachers, but the effect was small and the groups differed in age, number of languages known and gender balance. The authors accept that the cause of the difference cannot be established with certainty from their design.
Assessment move
Summarise each of the three studies on one line using the same five slots: sample, instruments, analysis, main finding and stated limit. Comparing the lines will show you how much of each disagreement comes from design rather than from the emotions themselves, which is the kind of point that lifts a critique above listing weaknesses.
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