Foreign language reading anxiety in a Chinese as a foreign language context

Abstract

This study examined the foreign language (FL) reading anxiety level of learners of Chinese as a FL (n = 76) in the United States. Data from an FL reading anxiety survey, a background information survey and a face-to-face interview indicated that there was no significant difference in reading anxiety level among four course levels. In general, Chinese L2 learners experienced a medium level of reading anxiety. 100- and 400-level students experienced higher levels of reading anxiety compared to 200- and 300-level students. A regression model with background variables such as years of learning Chinese, heritage learner status, the number of foreign languages learned, and time spent in China significantly predicted learners’ reading anxiety levels and explained 15% of the variance in their reading anxiety. Worries relating to comprehension, unfamiliar topics, unknown pronunciation, and feeling uncomfortable reading aloud were identified as major sources of FL reading anxiety.