Foreign language enjoyment, beliefs, and classroom anxiety among Chinese non-English majors

International Journal of Research Studies in Language Learning
CollabWritive Special Issue
2024 Volume 10 Issue 2

Available Online: 15 June 2024

Author/s:

Zhang, Wenjie
Graduate School, Lyceum of the Philippines University – Batangas, Philippines (272245382@qq.com)

Abstract:

China has risen to prominence in the global corporate world. Hence, the need for its competitive edge has expanded dramatically over the past decade to maintain its position in the worldwide realm. With such a dynamic playing field, keeping up with the strong and flexible communication channels that may ensure a transparent transmission of information between transacting parties remains a key priority. With that, this study intended to establish the relationships between foreign language enjoyment, beliefs, and classroom anxiety among Chinese non-English majors. It aimed to propose a language learning program to help improve the Chinese non-English Majors’ EFL learning. The study used 385 Chinese non-English majors from selected university of China. It employed a descriptive research design specifically the correlation and comparative approaches in which the survey questionnaire was the main instrument of the study. The statistical tools applied to data analysis were frequency, percentage, rank, weighted mean, composite mean, Spearman rho and ANOVA. The study revealed that the majority of students were males, with freshmen and juniors evenly distributed. Arts was the most common major. Respondents indicated engagement in private, teacher, and atmospheric aspects of foreign language learning, with teacher engagement ranking the highest and private engagement the lowest. Participants generally agreed on beliefs related to language aptitude, motivation, learning difficulty, communication strategies, and the nature of language learning. They confirmed experiencing foreign classroom language anxiety, particularly negative evaluation, communication, test, and overall language anxiety. Based on the results, the study recommends that language teachers should create a positive classroom environment, emphasizing student engagement and embracing errors as opportunities for growth. Also, learning institutions may foster a multilingual culture by endorsing the use of multiple languages within the academic community, supporting interactions between students and staff from diverse linguistic backgrounds, and offering language exchange initiatives, web-based learning platforms, and cultural activities to encourage students’ engagement with the target language beyond the classroom.

Keywords: foreign language enjoyment, beliefs, classroom anxiety, Chinese non-English major

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5861/ijrsll.2024.019

Cite this article:
Zhang, W. (2024). Foreign language enjoyment, beliefs, and classroom anxiety among Chinese non-English majors. International Journal of Research Studies in Language Learning, 10(2), 115-126. https://doi.org/10.5861/ijrsll.2024.019