The Influence of Teaching Behavior on Students’ English Learning Anxiety

【Abstract】：English learning anxiety often appears in the course of students’ language learning. Language learning anxiety refers to the fear and the unpleasant emotional experience in English learning.Teaching behavior is one of the many factors that lead students’ language learning anxiety. Teaching behavior refers to the observable teaching activities in achieving the teaching goals. This thesis analyzes the influence of teaching behavior on students’ English learning anxiety from the perspective of teacher’s teaching method and the assessment method， and try to provide some suggestions to reduce anxiety so as to effectively promote students' foreign language learning.

【Key words】： teaching behavior; English learning anxiety; influence

1. Introduction

We all know that students may suffer from language anxiety in the course of English learning， because English differs a lot from our native language. And teaching behavior is an important factor affecting the students’ language learning anxiety.

Chen and Deng （2003） conceive that the learner's emotional state in learning process plays a crucial part which determines language filtering and language output. Anxiety， as an emotional variable， should not be ignored.

Teachers using multiple methodologies in language teaching will build a relaxed classroom atmosphere. The assessment is expected to be diverse. It is proved that appropriate teaching behavior help a lot to ease students’ language learning anxiety.

2. The Influence of Teaching Behavior on Student’s English Learning Anxiety

2.1 The Teaching Method and Students’ Anxiety

When teachers teach English in the class， they should pay attention to the students’ learning styles. That is to say， the teaching method must meet students’ learning styles， otherwise it is impossible to achieve the desired purpose.

One of the frequently used means in teaching is lecture method. When this method is appropriately adopted by teachers in class， teaching process is easy to control and students can obtain systematic knowledge in a short time. However， if used inappropriately， it is likely to be the cramming education. And students just learn by the means of following teachers’ instructions without knowing how to learn. And if things go on like this， students are apt to lose interest and have anxiety in learning English.

Questioning method is that teacher asks students some questions and students are required to answer. And it is also effective way for teachers to check if students grasp knowledge they learned .Ye （1999） conceives that if used inappropriately， there are some side effects on English learning. If the questions are too challenging， students may find the questions are out of their ability. And if class atmosphere is too serious， students will be uneasy to answer question， because they are afraid to be criticized by teachers. .

2.2The Learning Assessment and Students’ Anxiety

The learning assessment is to evaluate the teaching process and result according to the teaching aim. The learning assessment is supposed to encourage students to learn more. Gardner amp; Gardner （2012） conceive that teachers should be emotionally enthusiasm and try to communicate more with students in English class.

When under the various learning assessment， students who have different learning styles can find their own merits and demerits. Whereas there is only single assessment in learning， students may feel frustrated when they do not meet the need of the certain criteria. It does harm to students future leaning， because they gradually lose confidence under long-term single negative assessment.

3. "Suggestions for Students’ English Learning Anxiety

3.1 Using Different Teaching Methodologies

According to different types of tasks and students language learning proficiency， teacher is supposed to use different kinds of teaching methodologies. Klem and Connell， （2004） consider that using various teaching methodologies in class is easy to activate students’ motivation. It provide more opportunity for all students to find the suitable methodology. Teacher can play the flash， songs and movie clips. Therefore， teachers should adopt the teaching methodology which provide more space and opportunity for students to practice and consolidate the new language and then truly become masters of learning.

3.2 Employing Formative and Summative Assessment

The formative assessment is to evaluate the students’ daily learning performance. It is based on the continuous observation. Formative assessment makes students change from the passive learner to an active participator. The summative assessment always do in the end of the term. The form of the summative assessment is mainly the “pencil-paper”.

Taras （2005） consists that it is much better to adopt both the formative assessment and summative assessment than choosing the single one. Using these two assessments can not only help students realize their advantages and disadvantages but also aid students to build up confidence and enjoyment in the learning.

4. Conclusion

Teaching behavior does play an important role in students’ English learning. Inappropriate teaching behavior may make students feel anxious in language learning. Teachers， as a controller， guider， facilitator and resource-provider， have multiple roles. What teachers are supposed do is to use different teaching methodologies and employ diverse assessments to make students be at ease in English learning.

References

[1]Gardner， J. N.， amp; Gardner， J. （Eds.）. （2012）. Assessment and learning. London： Sage Pubns.

[2]Klem， A. M.， amp; Connell， J. P. （2004）. Relationships matter： linking teacher support to student engagement and achievement. Journal of School Health， 74 （7）， 262-273.

[3]Taras， M. （2005）. Assessment–summative and formative–some theoretical reflections. British Journal of Educational Studies， 53 （4）， 466-478.

[4]陳靜，鄧曉芳. （2003）. 外語教師課堂行為對學生學習焦慮的影響. 四川大學學報， （3）， 56.

[5]葉靜坤. （1999）. 英語課堂提問的策略. 玉林師專學報，（2）， 45-48.