ENGLISH LANGUAGE READING ANXIETY

278 Pages·2016·5.11 MB·English

ENGLISH LANGUAGE READING ANXIETY: THE EFFECT OF
SEMANTIC MAPPING STRATEGY ON SECONDARY SCHOOL
ESL LEARNERS OF PUDUCHERRY

A thesis submitted to Pondicherry University in partial fulfilment of the
requirements for the award of the degree of

Doctor of Philosophy
in
English

by
MARIA LISA MATHEW

Under the supervision of
Dr. BINU ZACHARIAH
Assistant Professor, Department of English

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
PONDICHERRY UNIVERSITY
PUDUCHERRY
July 2016
Dr. Binu Zachariah
Assistant Professor (Senior Scale)
Department of English
Pondicherry University
Puducherry 605014
Tel No: [phone]
0413-2654802

E-mail: [email protected]
[email protected]

CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the thesis entitled, “English Language Reading Anxiety: The
Effect of Semantic Mapping Strategy on Secondary School ESL Learners of
Puducherry” submitted to Pondicherry University in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English is a record
of original research work done by Ms. Maria Lisa Mathew during the period of her
study 2011-2016 in the Department of English, Pondicherry University, under my
supervision and that the thesis has not formed the basis for the award of any Degree/
Diploma/ Associateship/ Fellowship or any other similar titles before.

Place: Puducherry Dr. Binu Zachariah
Date: (Research Supervisor)

Countersigned:

Dr. Clement S Lourdes
Associate Professor and Head,
Department of English
Pondicherry University
Puducherry, India.
Maria Lisa Mathew
Ph. D. Scholar
Department of English
Pondicherry University

Puducherry – 605014

DECLARATION

I hereby declare that the thesis entitled, “English Language Reading Anxiety: The
Effect of Semantic Mapping Strategy on Secondary School ESL Learners of
Puducherry” submitted to Pondicherry University in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English is a
record of original research work done by me, under the supervision and guidance of
Dr. Binu Zachariah, during the period of my study 2011-2016 in the Department of
English, Pondicherry University and the thesis has not formed the basis for the award of
any Degree/ Diploma/ Associateship/ Fellowship or any other similar titles before.

Place: Pondicherry Maria Lisa Mathew
Date:
Acknowledgements

I am forever indebted to my research supervisor and guide, Dr. Binu Zachariah
for his invaluable guidance and consistent support throughout my research work. If not
for his timely advice and constructive feedback, this study would never have been
possible. I would like to thank his loving family for the kindness and care that they
bestowed up on me all these years.
I have benefited greatly out of the practical suggestions and encouragement that
I received from my doctoral committee members Dr. H. Kalpana and Dr. Nalini J.
Thampi. It was the resourcefulness and dedication of my teacher Dr. P. Bhaskaran Nair
that inspired me to choose English language teaching for my research. I thankfully
remember him for guiding me the proper way whenever I was meddling with confusions
and contradictions.
I am grateful to the Head, faculty and office staff of the Department of English,
Pondicherry University for their valuable help and motivation which was instrumental
in my survival in the campus during the past five years. I profoundly thank our Head of
the Department Dr. Clement S. Lourdes, and my teachers; Prof. N. Natarajan, Prof.
Sujatha Vijayaraghavan, Prof. S. Murali, Dr. P. Bhaskaran Nair, Dr. T. Marx, Dr. K.
Reshmi, Dr. Vishaka Devi, Dr. Ujjwal Jana and Dr. Lakhimai Mili, for their moral and
academic support.
My gratitude also goes to the librarian and staff of Ananda Rangapillai Library,
Pondicherry University; Ramesh Mohan Library, EFL University; Sayaji Rao
Gaekward Library, Banaras Hindu University; M.G University Library and Kannur
University Library for their cooperation and help.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the principals and teachers of
Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya,Periya Kalapet; Kendriya Vidyalaya No.1, JIPMER
Campus; Kenndriya Vidyalaya No.2, Pondicherry University Campus; The Study
School, Kalapet; and Aditya Gurukul Academy, Villianur Main Road for their support
and assistance throughout my data collection. I am indebted to the eighth standard
learners of these schools who were the participants of my study for their patience, hard
work and liveliness which was a perfect remedy for my stress and anxieties regarding
I
data collection. I would like to thank my friends Lois, Nisha and Yunush for being with
me and helping me spending their valuable time for my data collection.
I am thankful to Prof. Elaine Horwitz for readily granting me the permission to
use FLCAS and FLRAS in my research. I thank Vani for her helping hand in my data
analysis, if it was not for her I could hardly make out what those SPSS output meant.
My co-scholars Prachand, Elango, Rina, Finitha, Jithin, Abin and Jeba were
excellent company to work with during my stay in the Department. I remember Athira,
Jyolsna, Ratheesh, Amit, Swathy, Raghav and Yogesh for all the trips that we had in the
past few years for paper presentations and library visits. I was happy that I had
wonderful seniors like Shanti Acca, Manu Chettan, Dada, and J P Anna who were
ready to help me any time. My friends Neepa, Arun, Vivek, Sareena, Karthika, Somo,
Subbu, Hemand, Peri, Nishna, Belga, Rishi, Balu, and Mansoor are to be mentioned for
their unparallel support through all these years.
I am indebted to my friends Lois, Meera, Nisha, Devu, Harish, Ashly, Arbina,
Sherin, and Ammu for being with me as my support mechanisms and making my stay in
the university cheerful and memorable. My M.A friends Yams, Navya, Arul, Sijiya, Ram,
Satheesh; my ex-roommate Suryechi; my U.G friends Dalu and Shajina were with me
all these years brightening my spirit with their calls and visits.
Thanks is not enough to express my gratitude to my parents, who gave me the
freedom to move forward in life according to my choices and had trust in my decisions
even when I was losing faith in myself. I thank my little bro Matt for being the
responsible and mature one taking care of me all the time while it should have been the
other way round. I owe much to my in-laws for their support and love, and my husband
for his patience and encouragement without which this research would never have been
possible.

II
Abstract

Second language reading anxiety is an emerging topic in the Indian ESL context. The
aim of this study is to explore the level of second language anxiety (SLA) and second
language reading anxiety (SLRA) felt by 268 secondary school ESL learners of
Puducherry and its correlation to their reading comprehension performance (RCP). It
also attempts to investigate whether the anxiety levels and reading comprehension
performance vary with the school, school type (public/private), gender and social
background of the participants. Additionally, the effectiveness of using semantic
mapping strategy on the anxiety levels and reading comprehension performance of both
control and experimental groups are to be examined along with their variation with
gender and social background.
The basic premise of the study is that second language reading anxiety can hinder the
reading performance of the learners if not checked, and that semantic mapping strategy
training can reduce the anxiety levels of the learners, thereby enhancing their reading
skills. The present study makes use of both quantitative and qualitative techniques, as
survey design was adopted for gaining quantitative data and informal interview for
qualitative data. The study uses FLCAS (Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale),
FLRAS (Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scale), background information
questionnaire, RCTS (Reading Comprehension Test Score) and informal interview as
research instruments. The quantitative data collected in this research were analyzed
using SPSS (Version 21). Descriptive statistics, chi-square analysis, one way ANOVA,
independent samples t test, pearson correlation, and paired samples t test were used for
quantitative analysis whereas qualitative analysis involved grouping of learners’
responses in the interview into categories of similar answer.
The significant findings of the study were high anxiety level and low reading
achievement of the participants, significant positive correlation between SLA and
SLRA and a significant negative correlation between RCP and SLA, RCP and SLRA.
Significant variation in anxiety scores and RCP were discovered among schools,
whereas significant variation was found only in SLA among school type. There was no
significant variation in anxiety and reading comprehension performance with regard to
gender, whereas significant variation in anxiety and reading comprehension
III
performance was observed with regard to social background. Significant variation in the
RCP and anxiety scores of experimental group learners proved that semantic mapping
strategy was effective in reducing the anxiety levels and enhancing the reading
comprehension performance of these learners. The study found significant variation in
RCP among gender and social background of the participants after the strategy training.
Key words: second language anxiety, second language reading anxiety, reading
comprehension performance, semantic mapping, FLCAS, FLRAS

IV
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page. No.
Acknowledgements I
Abstract III
Table of Contents V
List of Tables XII
List of Figures XIV
List of Appendices XV

1. CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1-21
1.1 Background of the research 1
1.1.1 English in India 1
1.1.2 History of English education in India 1
1.2 Second language learning 4
1.3 English as a second language context 5
1.4 General aspects of reading 6
1.5 Comprehension 7
1.6 Reading comprehension 8
1.7 Second language reading 9
1.8 Second language reading and factors affecting it 10
1.9 Statement of the problem 12
1.10 Rationale of the study 13
1.11 Need for the study 14
V
1.12 Objectives 15
1.13 Research questions 16
1.14 Scope of the study 17
1.15 Definitions and explanations of words used in the thesis 18
1.16 Overview of the thesis 20
1.17 Limitations 21
1.18 Chapter overview 21

2 CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 22-65
2.1. Anxiety research 22
2.1.1. Language anxiety 25
2.1.2. Studies on language anxiety 27
2.1.3. Reading anxiety 27
2.1.4. Foreign language anxiety 28
2.1.5. Second language anxiety and research on
second language anxiety 30
2.1.6. Language anxiety in relation to gender variable 32
2.1.7. Foreign language/ second language reading anxiety 33
2.2. Reading strategies research 36
2.2.1. Reading strategies: An outline 36
2.2.2. A brief account of major reading strategies 40
2.2.2.1. Before reading strategies 40
2.2.2.2. During reading strategies 40
2.2.2.3. After reading strategies 41
VI
2.2.3. Strategies commonly used in research based
reading comprehension instruction 42
2.2.4. Reading comprehension strategies 43
2.2.5. Studies on the benefits of reading strategies 44
2.2.6. Reading anxiety and reading strategies 44
2.2.7. Reading instruction to reading strategy instruction 44
2.2.8. Advantages of reading strategy instruction 45
2.2.9. Explicit strategy instruction 46
2.2.9.1. Steps in explicit strategy instruction 46
2.2.10. Graphic organizers 47
2.2.10.1. Theoretical background of graphic
organizers 49
2.2.10.2. Benefits of graphic organizers
in the classroom 50
2.2.10.3. Utility of graphic organizers
with ESL learners 52
2.2.11. Semantic mapping 54
2.2.11.1. Semantic mapping procedure 56
2.2.11.2. Purpose of using semantic maps 58
2.2.11.3. Semantic mapping and schema theory 59
2.2.11.4. Studies on semantic mapping 60
2.2.11.5. Studies on the advantages of semantic
mapping on reading comprehension 61
2.2.11.6. Semantic mapping as a means to
reduce second language reading anxiety 62
VII