Teachers and students' views on anxiety in English classrooms and attitudes towards English

The responsibility of being a teacher is different and much more difficult than any other job in that it lends high importance to human beings as both the instrument (the teacher) and the aim (the student). The process of teaching involves the development of a person with the help of that person, which requires a great deal of effort, patience and time. The purpose of this study was to find what learners and ELT teachers thought about the relationship between learning/teaching a foreign language and affective dimensions of language learning (i.e. anxiety and attitudes). The data were collected through both quantitative [The Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) (developed by Horwitz et al. (1986) and translated into Turkish by Dalkılıç, 2001), and a Questionnaire on Attitudes Toward English (developed by Aiken (1979) and translated into Turkish by Tunç, 2003)] and qualitative (interviews and observation) data collection tools from sixth grade learners attending three different middle schools in Karaisalı, Adana, Turkey. Depending on the results of the quantitative data, sixteen interviews with learners (eight about anxiety, eight about attitudes) were conducted. Additionally, interviews with instructors of these learners were carried out in order to reveal their views regarding anxiety and attitudes in teaching English. In addition to interviews, each teacher was observed in their classrooms three times during the 2008-2009 academic year in the spring term. The results showed the acts and applications of the teacher in the classroom, being evaluated in English lesson, L1 and L2 use in the classroom, seating arrangement and motivation were related to students? anxiety in the classroom and their attitudes towards English lessons. Also, the inclusion of an assortment of activities and materials suitable to the learners? needs and interests were found to have positive influences on students? anxiety and attitudes. Additionally, students? fears of making errors in English (L2), their peers? reactions, family pressure, and self-confidence were found to be effectual on students? anxiety negatively. On the other hand, students? goals for learning English and their regarding English as a lesson vs. English as a foreign language were recognized to be effective on their attitudes towards English lessons.Key Words: Teacher, Student, Affective Factors, Anxiety, Motivation, Attitudes, EFL, ELT