An Investigation of Chinese University Students’ Foreign Language Anxiety and English Learning Motivation

Abstract

The present paper reports on the findings of a study on the general patterns of Chinese university students’ foreign language learning anxiety and motivation and their relationships to the students’ performance in English. Analyses of 1697 questionnaires revealed that 1) the whole sample, as well as male and female students, reported a medium or even low level of foreign language anxiety and a moderate or even high level of English learning motivation; 2) more than 60% of the respondents reported to be at the low level of foreign language anxiety but at the mid level of English learning motivation. And the differences among students of low-, mid-, and high-level foreign language anxiety and English learning motivation were all statistically significant; 3) the students’ foreign language anxiety and English learning motivation were significantly correlated with each another, and the students’ performance in English; and 4) external motivation, intrinsic motivation, test anxiety, motivation intensity, academic achievement, personal development and going abroad were powerful predictors of the students’ performance in English.