The Obstacles in Learning English of English Majors

陈树琴

【Abstract】In recent years，more and more foreign language researchers have taken the obstacle factors into consideration.Among the obstacle factors influencing language learning，anxiety ranks high.This paper focuses on the obstacle factors analysis and the way to reduce the negative effects they cause.

【Key words】obstacle factors in learning English； English majors； learning anxiety； way to reduce the obstacles factors

1.Introduction

Now more and more researchers put their emphasis on the study of the factors that affect English learning for English majors.Most of them agree that there are some negative factors that lower English majors performance.We call these negative factors obstacle factors.Language anxiety plays the most important parts in them.From a broader perspective，anxiety itself is defined by psychologists as“the subjective feeling of tension，apprehension，nervousness，and worry associated with an arousal of the autonomic nervous system”.“Psychologically speaking，anxiety refers to the intense and enduring negative feeling caused by vague and dangerous stimuli from the outside as well as the unpleasant emotional experience involved，such as anticipation，irritation and fear”.Literature usually differentiates between three types of anxiety：trait anxiety，state anxiety，and situational anxiety While Foreign Language Anxiety，is considered to be a situational anxiety experienced in the well-defined situation of the foreign language classroom.As such，Horwitz and Young viewed FLCA as“a distinct complex of self-perceptions，beliefs，feelings，and behaviors related to classroom language learning arising from the uniqueness of the language learning process”.Anxiety can be either facilitating or debilitating.Facilitating anxiety motivates learners to adopt an approach attitude and is willing to confront the new learning task.Debilitating anxiety motivates learners to assume an avoidance attitude and therefore tends to escape from the learning task.

2.Literature Review

According to Horwitz，Horwitz and Cope's opinion，the possible causes of FLCA are communication apprehension，test anxiety and fear of negative evaluation.FLA has contradictory effects on language learning，and as such literature mentions both debilitating and facilitating types of anxiety，where debilitating anxiety poses an obstacle to language learning，whereas facilitating anxiety facilitates or fosters it.Although both types exist，studies have mostly concentrated on the former.If anxiety impairs cognitive function，students who are anxious may learn less and also may not be able to demonstrate what they have learned.Therefore，they may experience even more failure，which in turn escalates their anxiety.

3.Data Analysis

According to some statistics，we can see that language anxiety of English majors in English classroom are not very serious，but it is a problem that cannot be neglected.Test--anxiety is the most serious problem according to the research.The average score reaches 3.35，topping the whole list.Participants are nervous when asked to have a test in class，and they are all afraid of the failure of tests，because it is a shame.Speaking English also leads to serious anxiety.Students often feel uncomfortable when speak English with people，and they are shy to express themselves in English.Anxiety over having English class is a serious problem.The average is 3.11.Most students do not like to have too many English classes，because they cannot digest too much knowledge in a short period.Too many English classes also make them feel nervous.English grammar is difficult for the participants to understand.Students often get puzzled and anxious.The average of Q30 is 3.10.And sometimes the teachers do not have some good methods to explain grammar.

4.Ways to Reduce language anxiety

After exploring the level of English language anxiety as a whole and comparing the levels of anxiety of the four grades，it is now possible to find out some effective strategies for teachers to reduce students' anxiety.Helping students build up self-confidence In English class，the teacher should give students permission to use English with less satisfying proficiency and give sincere praise.The teacher can encourage students not to be afraid of making mistakes.When students are hesitant in their speech，their teachers need to be patient and show interest.If they fail to pronounce a word or sentence，teachers do not blame them，but say the word or sentence correctly so that they can mimic the speech.If they forget a word or do not know the word，the teachers can provide some hints.Crucially，if a teacher responds with interest，learner will try again.Create a Stress-free Learning Environment and try to relieve the students Language Testing Anxiety.The teacher can，first of all，make it clear to students that the emphasis in class is on proficiency rather than the score of the test，and help students to make good preparations for tests，such as introducing some testing skills.Moreover，the teachers should follow the reform of quality-oriented education and exert less test pressure on students.

5.Conclusion

Through careful analysis，the following conclusion can be drawn：（1）There does exist English classroom anxiety among the English majors.（2）Most English majors is suffering the average level of anxiety； language anxiety of English majors in English class is not very serious.（3）There are some effective ways that the teacher should adopt to reduce anxiety.

References：

[1]Aida，Y.Examination of Horwitz，Horwitz，and Cope's Construct of Foreign Language Anxiety：The Case of Students of Japanese[J].Modern Language Journal.1994（18）.

[2]Arnold，J.Affect in Language Learning[M].Cambridge： Cambridge University Press.1999.

[3]Campbell，C.M.& Oritz，J.A.Helping Students Overcome Foreign Language Anxiety ：A Foreign Language Anxiety Workshop[M].Englewood Cliffs，NJ：Prentice Hall.1991.

[4]Chan，D.Y.C & Wu，G.C.A Study of Foreign Language Anxiety of Elementary School EFL Learners in Taiwna[J].Taipei：National Taipei Teachers College.2000.

[5]Crookall，D.& Oxford，R.Language Anxiety：From Theory and Research to Classroom Implications[M].Englewood Cliffs，NJ：Prentice Hall.1991.

[6]Daniel Yu-ching chan.A Study of Foreign Language Anxiety of EFL Elementary School Students in Taipei Country[J].Journal of National Taipei Teachers College.2004.