Learner autonomy and English achievement in Chinese EFL undergraduates: the mediating role of ambiguity tolerance and foreign language classroom anxiety

IF 0.7 Q3 EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH

Language Learning in Higher Education Pub Date : 2023-05-01 DOI:10.1515/cercles-2023-2001

Lilan Chen

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Abstract

Abstract For Chinese EFL students, learning English has always been a great challenge, and research has shown that cognitive and affective factors increasingly become important issues in the field of foreign language learning and teaching (Naderifar and Esfandiari 2016). This study is designed to investigate the relationship between learner autonomy, ambiguity tolerance, foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA) and English achievement. It also explores the inner mechanism of the relationship between learner autonomy and English achievement in Chinese EFL undergraduates. A sample of 291 third and fourth grade undergraduates in China was assessed for their levels of learner autonomy, ambiguity tolerance and foreign language anxiety using the Learner Autonomy Questionnaire (LAQ), Second Language Tolerance of Ambiguity Scale (SLTAS) and Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS), respectively. Participants’ scores of the College English Test Band Four (CET-4) were used to measure their achievement in English. The results revealed a link between learner autonomy, ambiguity tolerance, FLCA, and English achievement. Ambiguity tolerance and FLCA mediated the relationship between learner autonomy and English achievement, accounting for 36.58 % of the total effect. These findings suggest a process through which ambiguity tolerance can decrease FLCA and identify the mediating effects of ambiguity tolerance and FLCA in the relationship between learner autonomy and English achievement in Chinese EFL undergraduates. Pedagogical implications of the study are presented and discussed.

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学习者自主性与中国大学生英语成绩：歧义容忍与外语课堂焦虑的中介作用

对于中国的英语学习者来说，学习英语一直是一个巨大的挑战，研究表明，认知和情感因素日益成为外语学习和教学领域的重要问题(Naderifar和Esfandiari 2016)。本研究旨在探讨学习者自主性、歧义容忍度、外语课堂焦虑与英语成绩的关系。本文还探讨了中国大学生英语学习自主性与英语成绩之间关系的内在机制。采用学习者自主问卷(LAQ)、第二语言歧义容忍量表(SLTAS)和外语课堂焦虑量表(FLCAS)对291名中国三、四年级大学生的学习自主性、歧义容忍和外语焦虑水平进行了测评。参与者的大学英语四级(CET-4)成绩被用来衡量他们的英语成绩。结果揭示了学习者自主性、歧义容忍度、FLCA和英语成绩之间的联系。歧义容忍和FLCA在学习者自主与英语成绩的关系中起中介作用，占总效应的36.58 %。本研究揭示了歧义容忍度对英语学习自主性和英语成绩之间的中介作用，并揭示了歧义容忍度和FLCA在学习者自主与英语成绩之间的中介作用。提出并讨论了本研究的教学意义。

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来源期刊

Language Learning in Higher Education EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH-

CiteScore

1.00

自引率

0.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： Language Learning in Higher Education deals with the most relevant aspects of language acquisition at university. The CercleS journal presents the outcomes of research on language teaching, blended learning and autonomous learning, language assessment as well as aspects of professional development, quality assurance and university language policy. Its aim is to increase the quality of language teaching and learning programmes offered by university language centers and other providers in higher education by presenting new models and by disseminating the best results of research activities carried out at language centers and in other higher education departments.