The relationships of reading anxiety and reading performance in Chinese people learning English as a second language

Abstract

This study examined the relationships between reading anxiety and reading performance, and the factors impacting reading anxiety, covering both first language (L1) and second language (L2). Participants were Chinese learners studying English as second language. They were asked to complete the Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scale and reading comprehension tests. The Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scale (FLRAS; Saito, Horwitz, & Garza, 1999) was employed to measure reading anxiety in L1 and L2. Reading comprehension tests were used to measure the participants' reading performance in L1 and L2. Correlation analysis indicated that reading anxiety is negatively related to reading performance for both L1 and L2. In addition, the study found that participants' self-perceived language proficiency and certain reading behavior were significant factors attributing to the participants' L1 and L2 reading anxiety. Results from the hierarchical regression indicated that frequency of reading in Chinese Academics and Chinese Newspaper significantly contributed to the decrease of English reading anxiety, indicating the influence of reading behavior across languages, from L1 to L2. The findings from this study can contribute to increasing awareness of the affective domain of reading for both L1 and L2 among language professionals. Teachers are suggested to pay attention to the reading anxiety level experienced by language learners, in order to help students to effectively cope with their language/reading difficulties.