本研究旨在探討國中學生的英語學習焦慮以及學習英語時所面臨的問題。本研究以高雄縣某國中八年級的六十四位學生為對象，其中男學生有二十七位，女學生為三十七位。本研究的工具為英語學習情形問卷、學生學習日誌、教師觀察筆記、非正式訪談及訪談，同時採行質與量的方法，以取得更多相關資訊。
本研究主要發現摘要如下：
1.國中學生的英語焦慮程度為中等，在全班面前說英語以及考試是英語課中最容易引發英語焦慮的活動。
2.男、女學生英語焦慮的情形並無顯著的差異。
3.不同英語學習成就的學生在英語焦慮上有顯著的差異。英語焦慮較高的學生，其英語學習成就較低。
4.不同課外英語學習經驗的學生也存在顯著的英語焦慮差異。課外英語學習經驗較長久的學生，英語焦慮的程度比課外英語學習經驗較短的學生來得低。
5.文法、造句及翻譯為國中學生在學習英語時最常遇到的問題。
研究最後並進一步提出研究限制、應用以及對未來研究的建議。

The purposes of this study were to investigate: (a) the situation of junior high school student’s foreign language anxiety; (b) the differences between male and female student’s foreign language anxiety level; (c) the differences in foreign language anxiety among students with different English academic achievements; (d) the differences in foreign language anxiety among students with different English extra learning experience; (e) the difficulties or problems in English learning for junior high school students.
The subjects of the questionnaires in this study consisted of 64 EFL students of a junior high school student in Kaohsiung County. All the subjects were the eighth graders, including 27 male students and 37 female students. The instruments used in this study included questionnaire, student’s learning journal, teacher’s observation notes, informal interview, and interview. The questionnaire consisted of student’s background information, an adapted foreign language anxiety scale, and questions of learning difficulties and anxiety. Some of the data were analyzed by t-test and one-way ANOVA in the SPSS program; the other data were qualitatively analyzed. In addition, ten students with the highest degree of foreign language anxiety were interviewed about their experience and causes of foreign language anxiety. Then the interview data were analyzed qualitatively.
The major findings were as follows:
1. EFL junior high school students revealed a moderate level of anxiety on the foreign language anxiety scale. The most anxiety-provoking events in English classroom were being called upon to speak English and taking tests.
2. There were no significant differences between male and female students’ foreign language anxiety level in junior high school.
3. There were significant differences of student’s foreign language anxiety level among students with different English academic achievements. The higher the students’ foreign language anxiety was, the more likely they were to receive low grades.
4. Significant differences of foreign language anxiety were also found among students with different extra English learning experiences. Students with longer years of extra English learning experiences tended to posses lower level of foreign language anxiety.
5. Grammar, making sentences, and translating Chinese into English were the most mentioned difficulties among junior high school students in learning English.
Some limitations, implications, and suggestions for future research were provided at the end of the study.

Chinese Abstract ………………………………………………………………….v
English Abstract ………………………………………………………………… vi
Table of Contents …………………………………………………………………viii
List of Tables and Figures …………………………………………………………xiii
Chapter 1: Introduction ……………………………………………………………1
Background and Motivation …………………1
Purposes of the Study ………………………………………………………5
Research Questions …………………………………………………………5
Significance of the Study …………………………………………………6
Definition of Terms ……………………………………………6
Foreign Language Anxiety ………………………………………6
FLCAS ………………………………………………………7
Learning Difficulties/ Problems…………………………7
Extra English Learning Experience ………………………………7
Academic Achievement……………………………………………7
Chapter 2: Literature Review ……………………………………………………8
Affective Factors Affecting Language Learning …………………………8
The Concept of Foreign Language Anxiety ………………………………10
The Construct of Foreign Language Anxiety ……………………………12
Communication Apprehension …………………………………13
Test Anxiety ……………………………14
Fear of Negative Evaluations………………………………………16
The Sources of Foreign Language Anxiety …………………………18
Personal and Interpersonal Anxieties ………………………………18
Instructor Beliefs About Language Learning ………………………20
Learner Beliefs About Language Learning ………………………20
Instructor-learner Interactions ……………………………………21
Classroom Procedures ……………………………………………22
Language Testing …………………………………………………23
The Effects of Foreign Language Anxiety …………………………………23
The Effects on Foreign Language Learning ………………23
The Effects on Cognitive Process …………………………………26
Foreign Language Anxiety and Gender ……………………………27
Foreign Language Anxiety and Extra English Learning Experience 28
Related Studies ……………………………………………………29
Summary of the Related Studies……………………………………33
Chapter 3: Method ………………………………………………………………34
Research Design …………………………………………34
Participants ………………………………………………35
Researcher’s Role……………………………37
Instruments ………………………………………………37
Questionnaire……………………………………………………….37
Student’s Learning Diary …………………………………………..40
Interview ……………………………………………………………40
Informal Interview & Teacher’s Observation Notes ……………… 41
Pilot Study …………………………………………………………………42
Procedures ……………………………………………………………44
Data Collection ………………………………………………………45
Data Analysis ……………………47
Chapter 4: Results and Discussion.…………………………………………50
Situation of Student’s Foreign Language Anxiety…………………………50
Results from the Background Information……50
Results from the Foreign Language Anxiety Scale……………………54
Results from the Open-ended Questionnaire…………………57
Results from the Interview……………………………………………62
Results from Student’s Learning Journal………………………………67
Results from Informal Interview and Teacher’s Observation Notes…68
Gender Difference in Foreign Language Anxiety………………………69
The Difference in Foreign Language Anxiety among Students with Different English Academic Achievement……………………………70
The Difference in Foreign Language Anxiety among Students with Different Extra English Learning Experience……………………………………73
Results about Difficulties in Learning English……………………………76
Discussion…………………………………………………………………83
Junior High School Student’s Foreign Language Anxiety……………83
Foreign Language Anxiety and Gender………………………………84
Foreign Language Anxiety and English Academic Achievement……85
Foreign Language Anxiety and Extra English Learning Experience…86
Difficulties in Learning English………………………………………87
Chapter 5: Conclusions and Suggestions …………………………………………89
Summary of the Major Findings………89
Conclusions…………………………………………………………………91
Limitations ……………………………………………………………92
Implications……………………………………………………………93
Suggestions for Future Research…………………96
References ………………………………………………………………………….98
Appendix …………………………………………………………………………107
A Questionnaire for Junior High School Students’ English Learning Situation (Formal English Version) ……………………107
B Student’s Learning Diary (English Version)…………………………113
C Guide Questions of the Interview (English Version)…………………114
D Questionnaire for Junior High School Students’ English Learning Situation (Chinese Version)…………………115
E Student’s Learning Diary (Chinese Version)…………………………120
F Guide Questions of the Interview (Chinese Version)…………………121
G Questionnaire for Junior High School Students’ English Learning Situation (Pretest English Version)……………………………122

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