Abstract for thesis entitled
A study of the effect of anxiety in a drama-oriented second language classroom
Submitted by Carollia K. W. Fung
for the degree of Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics
at the University of Hong Kong
August, 2005
This study investigates the effect of anxiety in a drama-oriented second language
classroom. It aims to explore the issue of anxiety by looking at whether drama
activities reduce or cause anxiety in a second language classroom, the sources of
anxiety and students’ coping strategies in a drama-oriented second language
classroom. Participants of the study were thirty-seven form one students in an EMI
(English as the medium of instruction) secondary school in Hong Kong. The
participants were asked to keep journals. Questionnaires were distributed to students
after 10 drama lessons. Follow-up individual interviews were conducted to further
explore students’ views.
Findings of this study indicated that most students experienced a low level of
anxiety in the drama-oriented second language classroom. However, a minority of
them expressed that they felt nervous in the lessons from time to time. The results
showed that the effect of anxiety on students varied.
It was also found that major sources of students’ anxiety in a drama-oriented
second language classroom were insufficient time to answer teachers’ questions in the
class, pronouncing difficult words, being singled out without preparation and being
assessed by the drama tutor. This result was generally in line with past studies. Role
play was found to be an activity causing a low level of anxiety in this study. This
result differs from those conducted in a regular second language classroom.
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Students in this study were generally aware of their anxiety and tried to look for
coping strategies. The results indicated that major strategies were actively
encouraging oneself to take wise risks in language learning, trying to relax when
feeling anxious, positive self-talk and practice in private.