學習焦慮與測驗焦慮對英語學習者在聽力成就表現與聽力能力自覺的影響

Abstract

本研究旨在探討學習焦慮與測驗焦慮如何影響第二外語學習者的聽力成就表現以及聽力能力的自我評估。研究受測對象為八百七十八位台灣高中生，藉由聽力學習與測驗焦慮量表蒐集學習者對於課堂聽力活動以及重大聽力考試的相關經驗與態度，經由相關與多元迴歸分析討論焦慮是否會促進或阻礙聽力表現與自我能力評估，並檢視自我評估與真實成績之間是否存有落差的現象。 研究結果顯示共有五個焦慮變項能顯著預測聽力表現。普遍來說，學習焦慮導致聽力成就的低落，而測驗焦慮的影響較為複雜，在某些情況下甚至能促進聽力成績。此外，學生的聽力成就表現與自評之間僅顯示中度相關，經由分析受測者的相關背景與經驗，認為學生在能力自覺評估的精確度需要更為提升。 本研究藉由瞭解學習者聽力焦慮的因素，探究其影響成就表現與能力自覺評估背後的心理與文化成因、以及聽力理解過程中遭遇的困難，期待能提供教師相關的因應方式以促進學習者的英語聽力表現。Listening comprehension plays a pivotal role in foreign language learning. Rather than passively receiving streams of aural input, learners are required to actively engage in listening tasks with a view to mastering the skill. Given its transient nature and heavy cognitive load imposed on learners (I. Chen& Chang, 2009), listening comprehension is ubiquitously perceived to be challenging and anxiety-provoking in EFL context (Farrell & Mallard, 2006; Goh, 2000; Graham, 2006; Vandergrift, 2007). Consequently, the current study sets out to explore the relationships among learning and test anxiety constructs, learners’ self-estimates of listening ability and actual listening performance. Additionally, the extent to which anxiety constructs predict learners’ estimates and actual performance under high-stakes evaluative situation will also be examined. A total of 878 senior high school students in Taiwan participated in the current study. The questionnaire inclusive of the Listening Learning Anxiety Scale, the Listening Test Anxiety Scale, together with a self-rating section of listening ability was administered. Grades from four term exams were averaged as an indicator of listening performance. Pearson product-moment correlation and hierarchical multiple regression were operated to identify how anxiety constructs play crucial roles in facilitating or debilitating self-estimates and listening performance. As opposed to the broad consensus on the detrimental effects of anxiety constructs on performance (Hembree, 1988), unexpected and diverse results were observed in the current study. Five predominant anxiety variables were able to significantly predict listening performance. While subsets of classroom learning anxiety served as debilitators in general, potential facilitative effects of test anxiety were detected. More in-depth analysis and possible extrapolation of the findings will be critically demonstrated. In addition, the existing discrepancy between self-estimates and actual listening performance is another issue worthy of attention. Overall, the present study hopes to provide a more thorough view towards how factors of learning and test anxiety help or hamper students’ listening performance. Possible causes and pedagogical suggestions will be discussed accordingly.