Anxiety is a psychological and physiological state characterized by cognitive,somatic , emotional, and behavioral components. These components combine to create an unpleasant feeling that is typically associated with uneasiness,fear, or worry.Anxiety is a generalized mood state that occurs without an identifiable triggering stimulus. As such, it is distinguished from fear, which occurs in the presence of an external threat. Additionally, fear is related to the specific behaviors of escape and avoidance, whereas anxiety is the result of threats that are perceived to be uncontrollable or unavoidable. Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress. It may help a person to deal with a difficult situation, for example at work or at school, by prompting one to cope with it. When anxiety becomes excessive, it may fall under the classification of an anxiety disorder..
How does anxiety affect Language Learning?
Research has shown that two of the key factors which relate to success in language learning are:Self-confidence and a good self-image (i.e. belief in our own capability). Low anxiety. It is important, therefore, to understand how anxiety and low self-image interact to negatively affect progress in learning a foreign language, how certain personality traits increase anxiety, and how anxiety hinders recall.As regards the language learner’s self-image, anxiety can affect us both internally and externally. Internally – regarding feelings about myself – I’m concerned that I might lack the capability needed to learn Chinese (“I’ve never been any good at languages”).Externally – regarding my feelings about interacting with other people – I’m concerned what they might be thinking of me. “He’s so dumb – he can’t even say simple sentences correctly!” — and the consequent shame and loss of face that this brings.Those with higher self-esteem are more able to withstand threats to their existence and thus their defenses are lower. Those with weaker self-esteem maintain walls of inhibition to protect their fragile ego or lack of self-confidence. However, these walls or defenses hinder language learning, and their removal involves self-exposure to a degree required in few other tasks. This can make certain language learners very anxious.Learning Chinese may, therefore, be seen as an affront to our self-esteem. It can be an extremely humiliating experience struggling with mastering new sounds and grammar patterns. We don’t wish to be seen as ‘jabbering idiots’. And so adult language learners may try to keep their self-esteem afloat (i.e. maintain ‘face’) by avoiding risk-taking or by rationalization (“I need to spend more time writing those characters”) – defence mechanisms by which our ego protects its own self-image. Anxious students feel a deep self-consciousness when asked to risk revealing themselves by speaking the language in the presence of other people. As mature adults, we don’t like being laughed at or making a fool of ourselves in public. The feeling of using a new language can be like that of wearing fancy dress. Children do not fear fancy dress – they enjoy wearing it. Adults vary tremendously – some feeling very self-conscious. However, the more childlike an adult language learner can be, the more easily they can learn a new language.As adults, we can get very upset and frustrated when, even after several months of learning Chinese, we are still unable to communicate even fairly basic ideas. As one student said, “You feel frustrated and humiliated because you know you are an interesting adult and yet you sound like a babbling baby.” You think to yourself, “I’m an intelligent adult, I’ve mastered other subjects with relative ease, so I should be able to master Chinese too, but I can’t.” The discrepancy between effort and results can be very frustrating.Certain personality traits may increase anxiety in language learning. Perfectionists are often too hard on themselves when they fail to master some point of the language. Their critical self is forever punishing their performing self: “You know you ought not to still be making such elementary mistakes!” Then another type of person is the one who is overly concerned about what others think of them and how they are performing. They can feel very self-conscious when trying to master a difficult language like Chinese. When they fail to grasp some aspect of the language in, according to their standards, an appropriate period of time, they feel very inferior, resulting in a lowered self-image.A basic problem which can intensify our anxiety is that, when we are anxious, a barrier goes up which impedes the flow into and out of the part of the brain responsible for language acquisition. We know that we know the word, but are surprised that we failed to recall it at the vital moment. The feeling of anxiety and sense of failure which follows can be debilitating for the nervous student. As one linguist put it, “Their anxiety brings on the very failure which so concerns them.”
What can be done to alleviate the debilitating effects of anxiety?
The Classroom
Is the classroom a safe and secure place for learning Chinese or is the teacher’s approach to teaching the language causing us to feel anxious?
In one approach to language teaching (Community Language Learning), the teacher takes the role of a counselor and the student is the counselee or client. So instead of the teacher being the stern all-knowing authority figure before whom we quake and tremble lest we make the slightest mistake, rather she becomes the counselor who wants to encourage us to take bold steps in faith in a safe and secure environment where we won’t be jumped on or laughed at at the slightest mistake. This avoids ‘defensive learning’ where the student, in order to avoid humiliation and embarrassment, hides behind defense mechanisms for protection of their self-esteem (e.g. not volunteering to answer the teacher’s questions for fear of answering incorrectly and feeling humiliated). With Community Language Learning, the ‘natural child’ in us – creative, spontaneous, curious, free of fear – is therefore allowed to emerge freely and openly, not being under the parental gaze of the critical teacher. Instead, it rests in an accepting warmth and understanding where defensive learning is unnecessary.Teachers therefore play a significant role in the amount of anxiety students experience. If your teacher is making you unduly nervous, excuse yourself from his or her class and study with a tutor. If you are easily anxious, you need teachers who are more like friends helping you to learn and less like authority figures goading you to perform
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