Abstract
The chapter reports on a mixed-method study, conducted among 78 English majors, examining the relationship between a language-skill-specific type of anxiety—pronunciation anxiety (PA)—and motivation. Pronunciation anxiety is presented as a multifaceted construct referring to the feeling of apprehension and worry deriving from negative self-perceptions, and beliefs and the fears related specifically to pronunciation (Baran-Łucarz, 2014). When motivation is concerned, it has been conceptualized on the basis of the L2 Motivational Self System Model (Dörnyei, 2005), as the desire to reach highest communication proficiency levels and/or nativelike target language accent, represented by the ideal L2 self and ought-to L2 self. The quantitative data (results of correlation analyses and t-tests) supported by information gathered via semi-structured interviews have suggested motivation to reach a nativelike accent and become highly proficient in speaking to be negatively linked with moderate strength to PA, particularly to subcomponents of PA such as self-image, self-efficacy/self-assessment and beliefs about the sound of the TL and its importance for communication. The statistically significant correlation was found only in the case of the ideal L2 self. The ought-to L2 self revealed no link to PA.
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Acknowledgements
I wish to express gratitude to the Reviewers of this chapter and its earlier versions for all their valuable suggestions and constructive feedback. I am also indebted to the participants of the study, in particular to those involved in the qualitative part of the project, for their time and cooperation. It is thanks to them that looking deeper into the matter of connection between motivation and pronunciation anxiety was possible.
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Appendices
Appendix 1: Measure of Pronunciation Anxiety
Please indicate the extent to which you agree/disagree with the statements below by writing a digit next to each of them. The statements refer to your learning and using of English as a foreign language.
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6—strongly agree (completely true about me)
-
5—agree
-
4—slightly agree
-
3—slightly disagree
-
2—disagree
-
1—strongly disagree (definitely not true about me)
0. Example: I get nervous every time I am asked to answer a question in the foreign language. | 2 |
1. During speaking tasks in the class of English, I tend to have difficulties with concentration. | |
2. When I speak English during the lesson, my performance is usually at a lower level than when I try (rehearse) speaking at home. | |
3. I can feel my heart pounding, have a dry mouth, or clammy hands (or have other symptoms of being stressed) when I am asked to respond in English at the whole class forum. | |
4. I frequently volunteer to answer questions in English. | |
5. I feel shy when I am asked to read aloud in English. | |
6. I feel more comfortable during classes that involve less talking and more writing (e.g. grammar or lexical exercises). | |
7. Usually I feel embarrassed when asked to repeat after the teacher | |
8. I avoid eye contact with the teacher looking for a learner to answer his/her question in English. | |
9. I find it more difficult to improve my English pronunciation than grammar or vocabulary. | |
10. I remember the pronunciation of new words easily. | |
11. My pronunciation is at a lower level than that of my classmates. | |
12. I believe that after a 2- or 3-year course of English with a native speaker, my accent could become target language nativelike. | |
13. I am satisfied (happy) with my present level of English pronunciation. | |
14. I have a talent to pick up the pronunciation of foreign languages. | |
15. My pronunciation of English is far from that of native speakers. | |
16. I look funny pronouncing the ‘th’ sound. | |
17. I like singing and/or speaking to myself in English. | |
18. I do/would not mind pronouncing English sounds and/or words with my native language accent. | |
19. I like imitating English actors/singers. | |
20. I look natural speaking English. | |
21. The comprehensibility of a speaker depends on his/her level of pronunciation. | |
22. I (would) feel uneasy pronouncing English sounds and/or words as they should be pronounced. | |
23. I do not like listening to myself reading in English aloud. | |
24. I think I sound unnatural speaking English. | |
25. I would rather my classmates did not hear me making pronunciation mistakes. | |
26. Some words in English sound awkward and/or funny. | |
27. I feel stressed when the teacher corrects my pronunciation mistakes at the class forum. | |
28. I fear my classmates might find my pronunciation of English strange or funny. | |
29. The pronunciation of English is difficult for speakers of my first language. | |
30. Some sounds of English seem silly and/or strange. | |
31. English is like music to me. | |
32. The level of pronunciation affects the ability to understand spoken language. | |
33. I am worried what others might think of me when they hear my English pronunciation. | |
34. Usually it bothers me when I mispronounce a word in English during a lesson. | |
35. A speaker that mispronounces many sounds can still be understood by his interlocutor quite easily. | |
36. There are several aspects of English pronunciation that are difficult for speakers of my mother tongue. | |
37. I get nervous and feel shy of the teacher when making a pronunciation mistake. | |
38. I feel stressed knowing that other students are listening to me. | |
39. I feel more embarrassed making a pronunciation mistake than any other type of mistake (grammatical or lexical). | |
40. Mastering correct word stress of English is not particularly difficult for speakers of my native language. | |
41. I (would) worry about what other non-native speakers of English could think of me hearing my pronunciation of English. | |
42. I can feel my heart pounding, have a dry mouth, or clammy hands (or have other symptoms of being stressed) when I have to join a conversation in English with other non-native speakers of English. | |
43. Talking to another non-native speaker of English, I would fear that he could consider my English pronunciation funny or awkward. | |
44. Usually I am embarrassed when talking to other non-native speakers of English. | |
45. When talking to a non-native speaker of English, I worry that I might not be understood. | |
46. I (would) feel comfortable and relaxed talking in English to native speakers. | |
47. I (would) worry about what my native speaking interlocutors could think of me on the basis of my pronunciation of English. | |
48. When I have to join a conversation with native speakers of English, I can feel my heart pounding, have a dry mouth, or clammy hands (or have other symptoms of being stressed). | |
49. When talking to a native speaker of English, I worry that I might not be understood. | |
50. Talking to a native speaker of English, I would fear that he could consider my English pronunciation funny or awkward. |
Appendix 2: Pronunciation Motivation Questionnaire
Please indicate the extent to which you agree/disagree with the statements below by writing a digit next to each of them. The statements refer to your learning and using of English as a foreign language.
-
6—strongly agree (completely true about me)
-
5—agree
-
4—slightly agree
-
3—slightly disagree
-
2—disagree
-
1—strongly disagree (definitely not true about me)
0. Example: I get nervous every time I am asked to answer a question in the foreign language. | 2 |
1. It is important for me to improve my pronunciation of English. | |
2. I would like my interlocutors to be able to tell easily where I am from on the basis of my pronunciation of English. | |
3. When I think about my future career, I imagine myself as an employee who is a highly proficient user of English. | |
4. I frequently picture myself communicating easily with other non-native speakers on various matters. | |
5. I would like to speak with an English nativelike accent. | |
6. It is crucial for me to pronounce English vocabulary correctly. | |
7. If I had the opportunity, I would attend a pronunciation course more frequently. | |
8. Being given advice on which aspects of pronunciation to practise and how, I would eagerly and systematically do (keep doing) such exercises at home. | |
9. I systematically practise pronunciation on my own. | |
10. I try to look for opportunities to exercise pronunciation after class. | |
11. I think I have been putting a lot of effort into pronunciation practice. | |
12. When I think about the future, I see myself speaking with a nativelike English accent. | |
13. I frequently visualize myself communicating successfully and effortlessly with native speakers of English. | |
14. In a few years’ time, I will have no problems with communicating effectively and effortlessly in English. | |
15. I can picture myself living in another country, communicating with others only in English. | |
16. When I think about the future, I see myself speaking English without an L1 accent. | |
17. I sometimes imagine other speakers of English being surprised to find out that I am not a native speaker of English. | |
18. I think that in my future job it will be necessary for me to be a highly proficient speaker of English. | |
19. I cannot remember imagining or dreaming about myself communicating in English successfully and effortlessly. | |
20. Sometimes I envy other non-native speakers of English who have a near-nativelike pronunciation of English. | |
21. I have never imagined myself speaking a near-nativelike pronunciation of English. | |
22. Not reaching a highly proficient level of English would have a negative effect on my future life (career, relationships, life opportunities). | |
23. It is not necessary for a graduate of English philology to have a near-nativelike English accent. | |
24. If I did not reach a highly proficient level in English, I would disappoint those I care about. | |
25. If I had a strong L1 accent, it would probably have a negative influence on my life (career, relationships, life opportunities). | |
26. If my pronunciation of English is far from nativelike, I will disappoint those I care about. | |
27. A graduate of English philology should be highly proficient and fluent in English. | |
28. A graduate of English philology should not have an L1 accent. | |
29. It would be a shame for a graduate of English philology not to be highly proficient in English. |
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Baran-Łucarz, M. (2017). FL Pronunciation Anxiety and Motivation: Results of a Mixed-Method Study. In: Piechurska-Kuciel, E., Szymańska-Czaplak, E., Szyszka, M. (eds) At the Crossroads: Challenges of Foreign Language Learning. Second Language Learning and Teaching. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55155-5_7
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