학습자의 영어 학업 성취도 수준에 따른 영어 읽기 불안에 관한 연구

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between English achievement levels and foreign language(FL) reading anxiety. Specifically, it aims to examine the differences in the levels of FL reading anxiety and the differences in the factors constructing FL reading anxiety according to English achievement levels. To this end, one hundred sixty-eight middle school students in Busan were asked to participate in the study and they were divided into three groups based on their English achievement levels. All the three groups were asked to complete a survey, revised version of Saito, Horwitz & Garza(1999)’s Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scale(FLRAS). It consisted of twenty-nine Likert-scale items scored on a 5-point scale, nineteen of them were borrowed from FLRAS and the rest of them were added reflecting the reading-anxiety-relevant studies. The results of the statistical analysis showed that students in the lowest achievement group had the highest levels of FL reading anxiety, which replicated other studies related to FL reading anxiety that had a negative relationship with students’ performance as measured by final grades. In terms of the differences in the factors of FL reading anxiety, following results were revealed. First, in the vocabulary and grammar factor, the lowest achievement group had the highest levels of anxiety, but there were no significant differences between groups. Second, in the text factor, the lowest achievement group had the highest levels of anxiety, and there were differences in anxiety levels between the highest and the lowest group. Third, in the background knowledge factor, the lowest achievement group had the highest levels of anxiety, and there were differences in anxiety levels between the intermediate and the lowest group. However, the levels of anxiety caused by the background knowledge factor were relatively lower than other factors, which indicated that unfamiliar culture or other background knowledge had a minor role in FL reading anxiety. Fourth, in the affective factor, the lowest achievement group had the highest levels of anxiety, and there were significant differences between three groups. Especially, on the affective factor all the three groups scored the highest FL reading anxiety levels compared to other factors, which indicated that affective factor could be the major source of anxiety. Fifth, in the reading strategy factor, the lowest achievement group had the highest levels of anxiety, and there were differences in anxiety levels between the intermediate and the lowest group. Last, in the situation factor, the lowest achievement group had the highest levels of anxiety, and there were differences in anxiety levels between the highest and the lowest group. The results of this study have implications. To make English education more personalized, individualized, learner-centered, and effective, not only cognitive factors but also affective factors should be considered, especially the differences in the factors constructing FL reading anxiety according to English achievement levels.