2.1 Learning Process and social anxiety.
This is chapter focuses on the background and literature review on ESL students and their social anxiety in class. The next section will dwell on the historical ground of language anxiety. The main reason for this is to expose the process of discovery of social anxiety in various disciplines. The next section 2.2 will deal with language conceptualization in regards to social pressure and its theoretical framework. The following paragraph 2.3 will be the introduction of social anxiety with the introduction of the English language as the second language. This will be in line with the researcher’s focus on language acquisition. The next section is 2.4 and will focus on language and social anxiety in classrooms as accompanied during presentations. Lastly is the 2.5 area. This section reflects on the previous studies in literature and the new ideas which may be insightful to the project. This is according to social anxiety and the development of the second language.
2.1 Learning Process and social anxiety.
Anxieties have been an area of interest to the researchers. This has prompted them to conduct various studies in linguistics and other areas such as psychology. The main result from these studies has resulted in them learning different languages. Most of these languages are the second languages, and English as a language is the primary language being understood. All these started during the twentieth century. According to Young, 2019, instructions were supported through both disciplines, and it aimed to support language learning at various surface levels. He also states that researchers have explored in learning languages deeply and figuring out the similarities and differences of the foreign languages. These explorations are the ones that have guided them in adapting to second language learning.
Learning a new language has many perceptions. Some people regard it as the process which is controlled then predicted. This is according to past researchers. According to Skinner, 2017, his thought is that language is a practice of verbal communication but under certain conditions such as during reinforcement. In this case, language is then considered as a process of adopting a strange language through an oral and a controlled process. In such a scenario, students can be seen to be emphasized during their process of learning. There have been advocates in the language learning sector. An example is the advocates of the Audio-lingual Method (ALM). This sector has been seen having failed since they no longer advocate for the learning of the second language as expected. This is because it does not consider students by recognizing them, especially in making sure that the process of learning ids followed and adhered to. Most students think while learning, and this is not an average ability to all.ALM has always been considered as a method used to learn and teach many languages. This technique was used long ago because of its nature to integrate more than three languages. These are mainly foreign languages, and the experiences from this method have made sure that unpleasant experiences are dealt with using a mechanical drill (Shrum & Glisan, 2014).
2.2 Language conceptualization in regards to social pressure and its theoretical framework
It is also evident that acts of human nature were among the focus of this research. There have been studies conducted concerning social anxiety in students. Psychologists mostly do these studies. Their main areas of focus are the behaviors of the students. Linguists always deal with the language. This was done beyond the level of the surface (Young, 2019). He explains that the use of mechanical language in describing behavioral activities to students had no enough explanation on how learners in the learning institutions get to cope with the new language. A hypothesis by Chomsky was used to explain how the Language Acquisition Device exists. This device is used in the explanation of structures mainly syntactic (Chomsky, 2016). According to his hypothesis, it is clear that language acquisition is developed when human beings are born. This was a challenge to the language learning that focused on behaviorism-based. This hypothesis by Chomsky gathered some support from other researchers such as Richard, 2018. Social anxiety can be linked with some language anxiety because both are processes developed per human behavior, which composed of the linguistic surroundings in their environments. According to Richard, 2018, interactive human society was ignored by past research that is significant in the language acquisition process. Schema theory was used to support this process of new language acquisition. This theory incorporates past learners’ experiences that existed before. These include cultural and social knowledge. It also consists of the newly acquired language (Bransford, 2019). This theory does explain and emphasizes environments. The external environment is the central part that constitutes and affects new language acquisition. It is, therefore, clear that it focuses not only on its existence in the human mind.
Another theory in this research is the cognition theory. This theory has an emotional characteristic that is believed to have existed since the twentieth century. Emotions are the difference between living creatures and the human mind. This difference is mainly crucial. Emotions are thus a form of information which has been processed and then subjected to unconscious human products (LeDoux, 2016). This shows that the characteristics of emotions are not related to others. Human beings regulate these emotions in their mind and are independent. Social anxiety in learning is thus affected by emotions, especially when it comes to language processing. In most studies related to this one, it is clear that there has been researching meant to explore the reasons that contribute to the foreign language being linked to emotions (Young, 2019). According to Schumann 2017, there are implications that research how and why social anxiety affects their language. In this study, there is an investigation on the relationship between the learner’s speech and social anxiety. The results were that attitude was a factor. This was because of the classroom set up. It is clear that the agendas of the teachers may have differed but on very few points. The study also confirmed the relationship between student’s emotions and their social life. Some of the obstacles found are that there exist barriers in learning and interaction between students and teachers. This then hindered students from getting to acquire their second language. It is clear that the higher the anxiety then, the higher the filters and this information cannot be supplied to the brain as expected (Dulay & Burt, 2017).
Social anxiety is said to be a disorder that affects teenagers. This is mainly the youths. It is, therefore, clear that undergraduate students in Toronto are mostly youths. The characteristics of social anxiety include fear. Fear is developed in unfamiliar surroundings. Most people are strange and cannot socialize with one another due to new faces or scrutiny by others. Social anxiety is, therefore, a disorder and mainly affects university students. Adverse events of life may influence this type of pressure. There are several other risk factors associated with social anxiety. One of the elements is temperament. This issue mainly affects persons who are new to a particular environment of these people who are shy and cannot reasonably express themselves. The situations worsen if the person is exposed or faces a new problem in life. Most of these undergraduate students try to do something for their first time due to peer pressure. This makes them anxious, wildly when they speculate on what may happen after that. It is also clear that family history may also be a risk factor in the spread of social anxiety. A person may develop this kind of fear, especially if their family has biological traces of social anxiety. It is also evident that work demands and a new social life are a contributing factor.
In most instances, at the university, there is a lot of interaction with one another. This makes it sure for undergraduate students to trigger some symptom s of social disorder. This is because of the events they attend and may be required to give a speech. This exposes them to new people who they have not interacted before, thus increasing their chances of anxiety.
2.3 Introduction of social anxiety with the introduction of the English language as the second language.
Students who speak English as their second language in their classrooms for the first time in their undergraduate classroom may explore some nature of social anxiety. Most learners in the university may have a history with the language they have learned for the first time in their life. These memories can either be negative or positive. It is clear that when there is a negative memory, the student may not be interested in reviewing the language again. If the experience is positive, then the student is likely to have a good memory and give them some familiar platform where they can practice more. The second language, which is mainly English in the university, may have several challenges to the person practicing it as compared to other disciplines. It is evident that when undergraduate students learn a new language, they are required to communicate using it. Failure to communicate triggers them some fears which may paralyze their social anxiety (Foster, 1997).The communication always takes place with their peers being physically present. There is a need for university students to take risks to acquire a new language. This can be achieved by using the language mainly when an opportunity arises (Brown, 2010).However, it is difficult to understand the language and deliver it as required at the same time. This is because of the language barrier challenges, such as choosing the right vocabulary and providing the information with the correct pronunciation. The first language may limit most of these students to prosper in their second language due to low self-esteem and poor confidence (Storti, 2011).
The anxiety of language can be identified as specific anxiety that has some relationship with the second language. The feelings associated with this language are tension, nervousness, apprehension, and some worry, which can be linked with the nervous system and how it arouses(Tanveer,2007).According to the author, the English language can be provocative when spoken without any practice of the social contexts. It is evident that when the students feel some weaknesses in their language, there is a possibility of triggering some anxiety. Anxiety has been confirmed to be adapted by students when their feelings are low, and when they may not have sufficient knowledge to display (Tanveer, 2007). Some of the factors contributing to the anxiety in language can be uncertain since there is no specific factor in the type of language usage is taking place. There might be a different language of learning which is chosen by the student. The target of the language may also be influenced by the cultural factors which may arise according to the community of origin. Anxiety may be caused by insecurities, which may develop during the negotiation of norms and traditions. In such a scenario, the learner may feel inferior (Tanveer, 2007). Some of the manifestations of anxiety resulting from language include the changes in behavior, for example, talking negatively about self and doubting of the poor performance. Others include setting high standards that cannot be realized (Tanveer, 2007). There are three categories of language anxiety based on their performance. These include anxiety while communicating, anxiety in testing, and the negative fear of social evaluation. Some levels of stress can be facilitated highly to boost individual performance (Brown, 2000).
Tutors and lecturers at the university have a duty to minimize anxiety in language. Some recommendations have been put in place to assist these tutors in helping students overcome social fear in class. These tutors need to understand the anxiety of the language of the students in a class so that they can provide the necessary support. There is a need to implement an approach that is communicative in order to overcome social anxiety. It has also been stated that skills of the language which are restricted can have some limitation on personal expression. Students know how to present themselves in class though there might be some despair with how they know who they are (Foster, 2017).
ESL students learning English in their second language are likely to develop some social anxiety. These students who learn a new language often describe their feelings over uncertain choices, especially in a modern context. Some of these learners may represent some of the disturbing scenarios where they have been undergoing harsh conditions (Fenimore,2017). Some of the aspects which are useful in learning the second language include social identity, intercultural and cultural identities. Some of the consequences of the second language are far from losing the first language. The participants who are the students in Toronto universities do not come from the same culture but meet and study different cultures.
2.4 Social anxiety development in class
Undergraduate students experience various anxieties, especially during Interaction with people in their social setting. This mainly happens in the classroom. In this research, various potential sources have been established under multiple categories under the theoretical framework. These are the experiences under social anxiety in class that has been accomplished through interviews with undergraduate students. Social anxiety tends to develop amongst students, especially in pronunciation and good grammar, when students from foreign lands are comfortable when they are involved in language mistakes in some learning areas. Such a moment is referred to as a construct in social and language anxiety. This is a strategy which works for other social places such as the public speaking gatherings and other test anxieties (Beaty & Andriate, 2015). These constructs state the differences between the social tensions of the undergraduate students in class and their language anxiety. Those students who are fond of being anxious with their language are mainly the users of the social anxiety platforms but may have different feelings in their language use. The performance of undergraduate students cannot be affected by social anxiety since other factors hinder their language anxiety. These factors include the student’s personality and the surrounding environment in the classroom (Beaty & Andriate, 2015). Research by Skehaan on students’ language anxiety and their social anxiety presented different kinds of undergraduate students. Some students are introverts, while others are extroverts. From the research, it can be noted that extroverted students get to enjoy their communication having less anxiety in language. On the other hand, shy students are affected by social anxiety in class. The level of concern among these students is spread according to the subjects. Introverted students may do well in courses such as sciences and applied mathematics. This is because they are experienced with language anxiety and have less social anxiety in class. These students may also devise different ways to regulate their behavior (MacIntyre, 2015). Social anxiety was regarded as the type of pressure which is different from language anxiety, especially in a class. It is therefore recommended for tutors in the classroom to assist undergraduate students in overcoming fear to improve social pressure and the language. In the research, there was an examination of the correlations in the performance of the university students and their social anxiety. There was oral anxiety in ESL students during their communication with their surroundings. It was found that when they speak in English while being faced by native speakers, they become more anxious (Woodrow, 2016).
In every classroom, communication skills are core, especially during teaching and learning. Students who are proficient in business subjects can be seen to have their future careers to be on point. This is because most of their presentation skills are in English. In this case, these students practice these courses just for their standard degree programs while they focus on a new career (Nakamura, 2002). Social anxiety may vary according to the student’s proficiency in the language. Social anxiety and language anxiety can be promoted by adopting coral presentations to undergraduate students in the class. Sourcing feedback from undergraduate students is crucial in presentations since it links the learners and their classmates to interact (Prince & O’Donovan, 2013).
2.5 Previous studies in literature and the new ideas which may be insightful to the project.
According to this research, the role of the teachers needs to be changed to prevent student’s language anxiety. Some teachers are perceived to be authoritative instead of being facilitative. A definitive act can be seen as not being flexible to the students. This is because it induces fear to the students. The teachers should then comfort their students, especially regarding public speaking through literature communication. This method can be beneficial to undergraduate students who are native speakers, because social anxiety may affect those who have adopted other languages, especially English (King, 2002). The most appropriate way of reducing stress bin thee classrooms, there is a need to clarify the language of the students. This will assist teachers in developing proper skills that will boost student speaking instructions. There is also a need to explore new environments, which can decrease students’ anxiety during presentations. Students with high social pressure can cope effectively in situations of social gatherings and thus become more productive in academic fields.