A Study on Foreign Language Listening Anxiety of English Majors in a Chinese University

Abstract

Anxiety is one of the affective factors which plays a significant role in the teaching learning process. This study makes an inquiry into foreign language listening anxiety among L2 English majors in a Chinese university with its focus on students’ learning experience. It seeks to reveal the dilemmas encountered by L2 English majors in the foreign language listening process. It also explores how these anxiety factors influence L2 English majors. The Foreign Language Listening Anxiety Scale (FLLAS) from Kim and a semi-structured one-by-one interview are employed in the study. The sources of English majors’ English listening anxiety found in this study are: vocabulary recognition, grasping the main idea, and detailed information, the speed of the delivery, lack of background knowledge of the listening material, speakers’ accent, and high requirement of memory and attention. The study results also indicate that anxious listeners tend to engage in excessive self-evaluation, worry over potential failure, and concern over others’ opinions. The study’s findings also have some pedagogical implications for English listening courses for undergraduate students, especially English major students.