Belief Patterns and Anxiety Levels of Turkish EFL Students in Relation to Level of Instruction

Volume 11 Issue 2 August - October 2017

Research Paper

Belief Patterns and Anxiety Levels of Turkish EFL Students in Relation to Level of Instruction

Aysegul Okay* , Cem Balcikanli**

* Research Scholar, Department of ELT, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey.

** Associate Professor, Department of ELT, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey

Okay, A., and Balçikanli, C. (2017). Belief Patterns and Anxiety Levels of Turkish EFL Students in Relation to Level of Instruction. i-manager’s Journal on Educational Psychology, 11(2), 18-28. https://doi.org/10.26634/jpsy.11.2.13784

Abstract

This study investigates whether there is a relationship between anxiety levels and belief patterns of Turkish EFL students in relation to level of instruction. A total number of 207 students voluntarily participated in the study. To gather quantitative data, adapted Turkish versions of Beliefs about Language Learning Inventory (BALLI) and Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) were used, and qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The quantitative data analyses revealed that low-proficient students are more anxious than their high-proficient peers. In addition, a significant relationship was found between students' anxiety levels and four belief patterns: high-anxious students believed that (1) English is a difficult language; (2) they do not have language aptitude; (3) they will not eventually learn to speak English; and (4) they feel self-conscious when speaking English in front of other people – the opposite beliefs were found to be true for low-anxious students. The qualitative data analyses also supported the finding that learner beliefs and anxiety have a close relationship. The implications are discussed.