The relationship between past language learning experiences and foreign language anxiety of Turkish university EFL students

This study mainly investigated the relationship between past language learning experiences and the foreign language anxiety levels of university EFL learners. It also aimed to find out the extent to which language learning background factors have an impact on foreign language anxiety. The study was conducted in the English preparatory programs at Bilkent and Pamukkale Universities, with the participation of 285 students from three proficiency levels (pre-intermediate, intermediate and upperintermediate). Data were collected through questionnaires and interviews. The questionnaire administered to students included two main sections. In the first section, demographic information about the participants was collected. In the second section, the translation of the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) questionnaire by Horwitz, Horwitz & Cope, 1986 was given to the participants. Questionnaires were analyzed by using t-tests and ANOVA tests. Afterwards, using the results of the analyses involved in the quantitative part, participants who demonstrated high and low levels of anxiety were selected for participation in the qualitative phase. Through the use of in-depth interviews, actual accounts of past language learning experiences and university students’ current anxiety levels were explored. The analysis of the quantitative data revealed that students’ prior history of visiting countries, having had a native teacher, having studied another language besides English were all related to the prediction of foreign language anxiety. The interview results showed that for both high and low anxiety students the role of previous language learning experiences has an impact on forming their current anxiety levels.