Abstract

This study examines how second language (L2) English learners differ in their amount of language anxiety across three communication tasks: a formal academic speaking test, an informal casual interaction with a classmate during an activity in pairs, and a formal interview with an unfamiliar native speaker. It also addressed whether and how their language anxiety across the three tasks affected their accuracy, comprehensibility, and rate of speech. Thirty-seven intermediate-high L2 English learners participated in the three communication tasks. They also completed a general language anxiety questionnaire and three anxiety inventories--one before each task. Results demonstrated that the speaking exam caused more anxiety than the other two tasks. This anxiety had a positive correlation with both accuracy and comprehensibility, but not speech rate. The anxiety caused by the native speaker activity was found to have a correlation with comprehensibility, but nothing else. Finally, the anxiety caused by the pair activity did not have a significant relationship with any variable. It was also found that the participants' speech rate was higher in the native speaker activity than the pair activity, but that there was no significant difference in speech rate, or any other factor, between the exam and the other two activities. The results of the current study suggest that anxiety has a demonstrable effect on the way people speak. Higher anxiety was more likely to produce significant effects on one or more aspects of the participants' speech, including more comprehensible and accurate speech.

Degree

MA

College and Department

Humanities; Linguistics

Rights

https://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/

Date Submitted

2023-08-14

Document Type

Thesis

Handle

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/etd12920

Keywords

language anxiety, L2 English, rate of speech, pronunciation

Language

english

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