中国非英语专业学习者英语课堂焦虑与英语自我概念关系研究

论文摘要

作为影响二语习得的主要因素之一,语言学习者的情感因素历来为研究人员的所关注。研究人员对情感因素中的动机,态度,性格,语言焦虑,自我概念及移情的等因素分别展开了大量的研究。本研究则主要围绕语言焦虑和自我概念这两个情感因素而展开。语言焦虑是一种与课堂语言学习有关并产生于语言学习过程中的独特而复杂的信念,自我认识,情感以及行为。它包括负面评价恐惧,沟通忧惧以及测试焦虑。自我概念是一个多维度,多层次的结构体。而外语自我概念从属于一般自我概念下的学业自我概念,与语文,历史,数学等位于同一层级。英语自我概念指的是学习者对自己英语学习能力的自我感知和自我评价。与自我概念一样,英语自我概念也具有多维性和层次性的特点。英语整体自我概念位于上一层级,由词汇,语法,听力,口语,阅读,写作等具体领域的自我概念构成其不同的维度。虽然研究人员曾对英语自我概念和英语语言焦虑分别展开大量的研究,但大部分研究对两者之间的关系却鲜有涉及。因此,本研究将对两者的关系作深入探索。本研究着重探查非英语专业英语学习者的整体英语自我概念以及其各维度的子自我概念与英语语言焦虑之间的关联性和因果关系,以及这些关系因学习者的语言水平和性别的不同而产生的变化。本研究以地方工科院校的二年级非英语专业的学生为研究对象,采用了问卷调查为主并辅以个人访谈的方式来深入调查受试的英语自我概念和英语语言焦虑的关系。研究对象根据英语水平被分为两个群体——一般学习者受试群和成功学习者受试群,分别由157人和70人构成。问卷和访谈针对这两个群体分别展开。本研究对问卷采集的数据做了相关性分析,一元回归及多元回归分析。相关分析的结果显示两个受试群体的英语整体自我概念以及听,读,说,写,词汇及语法这六个维度的子自我概念均与英语语言焦虑显著地负相关。回归分析的数据显示,对于一般学习者和成功学习者受试群而言,其英语整体自我概念及部分子自我概念构成的模型均可预测其焦虑。尤其值得一提的是,对于两个群体而言,口语子自我概念是预测力最强的因素。此外,这种相关关系和因果关系随着学习者性别以及英语水平的不同而发生变化。具体来讲就是成功学习者受试群的自我概念与焦虑之间的相关性及因果关系较强。而且两个受试群体的焦虑预测模型的组成成分亦有所不同。对于一般学习者受试群而言,口语,词汇及听力自我概念构成了最佳预测模型,而在成功学习者的模型中词汇自我概念则被语法和写作自我概念取代。在性别影响方面,数据结果显示女性学者无论英语水平的高低,其自我概念都显示出了对英语焦虑较男性学习者强的预测力。研究结果表明,学习者的自我概念与其英语焦虑之间的关系不仅是相关关系,更是因果关系。作为影响焦虑的重要因素,帮助学习者提高英语自我概念,尤其是对焦虑有较大影响的子自我概念可以有效的降低英语焦虑,从而降低焦虑对英语学习的负面影响。

论文目录

• 摘要
• Abstract
• Chapter 1 Introduction
• 1.1 Motivation of this study
• 1.2 Orientation of this study
• 1.3 An overview of this thesis
• Chapter 2 Literature Review
• 2.1 Overview
• 2.2 Theoretical perspectives on self-concept
• 2.2.1 Definition of self-concept
• 2.2.2 Structure of self-concept
• 2.2.3 Measurement of self-concept
• 2.2.4 Self-concept and other self terms
• 2.2.5 Definition of academic self-concept
• 2.2.6 Structure of academic self-concept
• 2.2.7 Measurement of academic self-concept
• 2.3 Research on self-concept
• 2.3.1 Effects of gender on self-concept
• 2.3.2 Effects of age/grade on self-concept
• 2.4 Research on academic self-concept
• 2.4.1 The multidimensionality and hierarchy of academic self-concept
• 2.4.2 Relations between academic self-concept and academic achievement
• 2.4.3 Frame-of-reference effects on academic self-concept
• 2.4.3.1 Effects of I/E Model on academic self-concept
• 2.4.3.2 Big-fish-little-pond effect （BFLPE） on academic self-concept
• 2.4.4 Effects of evaluations from the significant others
• 2.5 Research on English self-concept under the EFL context
• 2.6 Theoretical perspectives on anxiety
• 2.6.1 The theoretical definition of anxiety
• 2.6.2 Classifications of anxiety
• 2.6.2.1 Trait anxiety, state anxiety and situation-specific anxiety
• 2.6.2.2 Facilitating anxiety and debilitating anxiety
• 2.6.3 Foreign Language Anxiety
• 2.6.3.1 Concept of foreign language anxiety
• 2.6.3.2 Horwitz’s construct of foreign language anxiety
• 2.6.4 Measurement of foreign language anxiety
• 2.7 Research on foreign language anxiety
• 2.8 Academic self-concept and anxiety
• 2.9 Summary
• Chapter 3 The Study
• 3.1 Overview
• 3.2 Research questions
• 3.3 Operational definitions of ESC and ECA
• 3.4 Research design
• 3.5 Subjects
• 3.6 Measuring instruments
• 3.6.1 The Structure of English Self-Concept Questionnaire
• 3.6.2 The Structure of English Anxiety Questionnaire
• 3.6.3 The development of English Self-concept Scale
• 3.6.3.1 Construction of English Self-concept Scale
• 3.6.3.2 The pilot study
• 3.7 Data collections and data analyses
• 3.7.1 Data collections
• 3.7.2 Data analyses
• 3.8 Summary
• Chapter 4 Results
• 4.1 Overview
• 4.2 Standard deviation and means of English self-concept variables and classroom anxiety
• 4.3 Independent sample t-test
• 4.4 Correlations between English self-concept variables and English classroom
• 4.5 Multiple regression analysis
• 4.6 Simple regression analysis
• 4.7 Summary
• Chapter 5 Discussion and Conclusion
• 5.1 Overview
• 5.2 Major findings
• 5.2.1 Relationship between English classroom anxiety and English self-concept
• 5.2.2 The effects of achievement on the relationship between English self-concept and English classroom anxiety
• 5.2.3 The effects of gender on the relationship between English self-concept variables and English classroom anxiety
• 5.3 Pedagogical implications
• 5.4 Limitations of this study and suggestions for future study
• References
• Acknowledgements
• Appendix A