“I am a SALCer”: Influences of Identity on Fear of Making Mistakes in English Interactions
This preliminary study attempts to examine the potential factors that enable EFL learners working in an English-only self-access learning center (SALC) to overcome their fear of making mistakes when they communicate in English with their peers. Through the interviews with those student workers calle...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Kanda University of International Studies
2015-06-01
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| Series: | Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://sisaljournal.org/archives/jun15/noguchi/ |
| _version_ | 1818212633956843520 |
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| author | Junko Noguchi |
| author_facet | Junko Noguchi |
| author_sort | Junko Noguchi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This preliminary study attempts to examine the potential factors that enable EFL learners working in an English-only self-access learning center (SALC) to overcome their fear of making mistakes when they communicate in English with their peers. Through the interviews with those student workers called “SALCers,” it was revealed that the degree of their Willingness to Communicate (WTC) (McCroskey & Baer, 1985) was quite high when they interact with other SALCers in the SALC. On the other hand, their WTC is low when they are instructed to communicate in English in their English classrooms. The findings seem to indicate that some of the distinctive characteristics of the SALC work environment free the learners from the fear of making mistakes in English. Moreover, an analysis of interviews conducted with the SALC student staff indicated they had strong identities as SALCers and a shared sense of community, which also seemed to enhance their WTC. In this paper, the prominent characteristics of both the SALC and the SALCers themselves which seem to enhance their willingness to communicate by reducing the anxiety of making mistakes will be delineated with examples. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T05:51:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2874a94de67f499a991a2a89b2c3f795 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2185-3762 2185-3762 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T05:51:30Z |
| publishDate | 2015-06-01 |
| publisher | Kanda University of International Studies |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-2874a94de67f499a991a2a89b2c3f7952022-12-22T00:35:40ZengKanda University of International StudiesStudies in Self-Access Learning Journal2185-37622185-37622015-06-0162163175“I am a SALCer”: Influences of Identity on Fear of Making Mistakes in English InteractionsJunko NoguchiThis preliminary study attempts to examine the potential factors that enable EFL learners working in an English-only self-access learning center (SALC) to overcome their fear of making mistakes when they communicate in English with their peers. Through the interviews with those student workers called “SALCers,” it was revealed that the degree of their Willingness to Communicate (WTC) (McCroskey & Baer, 1985) was quite high when they interact with other SALCers in the SALC. On the other hand, their WTC is low when they are instructed to communicate in English in their English classrooms. The findings seem to indicate that some of the distinctive characteristics of the SALC work environment free the learners from the fear of making mistakes in English. Moreover, an analysis of interviews conducted with the SALC student staff indicated they had strong identities as SALCers and a shared sense of community, which also seemed to enhance their WTC. In this paper, the prominent characteristics of both the SALC and the SALCers themselves which seem to enhance their willingness to communicate by reducing the anxiety of making mistakes will be delineated with examples.https://sisaljournal.org/archives/jun15/noguchi/Willingness to CommunicateCommunity of PracticeJapanese learners of English |
| spellingShingle | Junko Noguchi “I am a SALCer”: Influences of Identity on Fear of Making Mistakes in English Interactions Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal Willingness to Communicate Community of Practice Japanese learners of English |
| title | “I am a SALCer”: Influences of Identity on Fear of Making Mistakes in English Interactions |
| title_full | “I am a SALCer”: Influences of Identity on Fear of Making Mistakes in English Interactions |
| title_fullStr | “I am a SALCer”: Influences of Identity on Fear of Making Mistakes in English Interactions |
| title_full_unstemmed | “I am a SALCer”: Influences of Identity on Fear of Making Mistakes in English Interactions |
| title_short | “I am a SALCer”: Influences of Identity on Fear of Making Mistakes in English Interactions |
| title_sort | i am a salcer influences of identity on fear of making mistakes in english interactions |
| topic | Willingness to Communicate Community of Practice Japanese learners of English |
| url | https://sisaljournal.org/archives/jun15/noguchi/ |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT junkonoguchi iamasalcerinfluencesofidentityonfearofmakingmistakesinenglishinteractions |