The Chinese Bouyei College Students’ Classroom Anxiety in Foreign Language Learning: A Survey Study

Abstract

This survey study aims to investigate the level of the Chinese Bouyei college students’ general foreign language (FL) classroom anxiety, the relationships between their FL classroom anxiety and the four independent variables, gender, major field of study, level of academic year, and level of college, and possible causal factors contributive to their FL classroom anxiety. A previously published written questionnaire was administered to 320 1st- and 2nd-year Bouyei college learners in three main fields of study at five colleges of two levels in south and southwest areas of Guizhou Province, China. Ten interview questions were also conducted to 25 interviewees randomly selected from these colleges. The results of the analysis show that the Chinese Bouyei college learners experienced medium level of FL classroom anxiety; there were significant differences between their FL classroom anxiety and the first three independent variables, but not the last; and twelve main causal factors were found contributive to their FL classroom anxiety, among which some are new or different from the findings of the previous studies. Discussion was made on the research findings and what the interviewees expected from the teachers, followed by implications and suggestions for FL instructors that might help enhance and facilitate students’ FL learning.