The Influence of Prior Language Experience on Foreign Language Anxiety: A Study on a Russian-Speaking Sample

The topic of foreign language anxiety has attracted considerable attention in the scientific community in recent years. However, there is no universal approach to how to overcome foreign language anxiety. Apart from everything else, it creates barriers and prevents foreign language learners from ach...

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Main Authors: Asiia Erzhanova, Anatoliy V. Kharkhurin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University) 2022-12-01
Series:RUDN Journal of Psychology and Pedagogics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.rudn.ru/psychology-pedagogics/article/viewFile/32242/21257
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author Asiia Erzhanova
Anatoliy V. Kharkhurin
author_facet Asiia Erzhanova
Anatoliy V. Kharkhurin
author_sort Asiia Erzhanova
collection DOAJ
description The topic of foreign language anxiety has attracted considerable attention in the scientific community in recent years. However, there is no universal approach to how to overcome foreign language anxiety. Apart from everything else, it creates barriers and prevents foreign language learners from achieving high results. The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of prior experience of learning foreign languages on language anxiety. The study sample consisted of 152 Russian-speaking persons aged 16-45 who were surveyed using the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale to evaluate communication apprehension, fear of negative evaluation and test anxiety. The participants also answered questions regarding their language learning experiences: about the number of acquired languages, the age of their acquisition and the level of proficiency in these languages. The MANCOVA results showed that the group with the similar language experience had lower levels of fear of negative evaluation ( F (1, 156) = 4.07, .05, η2 = .06). Based on the results of the study, the authors put forward several practical recommendations: firstly, it is advisable for the teacher to be aware of the student’s prior language experience; secondly, it is proposed, in the educational process, to focus on the similarities in the phonology of the languages being studied; and, thirdly, it is also useful to pay extra attention to common morphemes in different languages.
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spelling doaj.art-8320ee2c11b14c55af70daa1e1b3a50a2022-12-22T04:29:42ZengPeoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University)RUDN Journal of Psychology and Pedagogics2313-16832313-17052022-12-0119344846410.22363/2313-1683-2022-19-3-448-46420914The Influence of Prior Language Experience on Foreign Language Anxiety: A Study on a Russian-Speaking SampleAsiia Erzhanova0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3871-3818Anatoliy V. Kharkhurin1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5970-5003HSE UniversityHSE UniversityThe topic of foreign language anxiety has attracted considerable attention in the scientific community in recent years. However, there is no universal approach to how to overcome foreign language anxiety. Apart from everything else, it creates barriers and prevents foreign language learners from achieving high results. The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of prior experience of learning foreign languages on language anxiety. The study sample consisted of 152 Russian-speaking persons aged 16-45 who were surveyed using the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale to evaluate communication apprehension, fear of negative evaluation and test anxiety. The participants also answered questions regarding their language learning experiences: about the number of acquired languages, the age of their acquisition and the level of proficiency in these languages. The MANCOVA results showed that the group with the similar language experience had lower levels of fear of negative evaluation ( F (1, 156) = 4.07, .05, η2 = .06). Based on the results of the study, the authors put forward several practical recommendations: firstly, it is advisable for the teacher to be aware of the student’s prior language experience; secondly, it is proposed, in the educational process, to focus on the similarities in the phonology of the languages being studied; and, thirdly, it is also useful to pay extra attention to common morphemes in different languages.https://journals.rudn.ru/psychology-pedagogics/article/viewFile/32242/21257foreign language anxietyprior languagelearning experiencelanguage affinityforeign languageclassroom anxiety scaleadult learners
spellingShingle Asiia Erzhanova
Anatoliy V. Kharkhurin
The Influence of Prior Language Experience on Foreign Language Anxiety: A Study on a Russian-Speaking Sample
RUDN Journal of Psychology and Pedagogics
foreign language anxiety
prior language
learning experience
language affinity
foreign language
classroom anxiety scale
adult learners
title The Influence of Prior Language Experience on Foreign Language Anxiety: A Study on a Russian-Speaking Sample
title_full The Influence of Prior Language Experience on Foreign Language Anxiety: A Study on a Russian-Speaking Sample
title_fullStr The Influence of Prior Language Experience on Foreign Language Anxiety: A Study on a Russian-Speaking Sample
title_full_unstemmed The Influence of Prior Language Experience on Foreign Language Anxiety: A Study on a Russian-Speaking Sample
title_short The Influence of Prior Language Experience on Foreign Language Anxiety: A Study on a Russian-Speaking Sample
title_sort influence of prior language experience on foreign language anxiety a study on a russian speaking sample
topic foreign language anxiety
prior language
learning experience
language affinity
foreign language
classroom anxiety scale
adult learners
url https://journals.rudn.ru/psychology-pedagogics/article/viewFile/32242/21257
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