shynessandefllearningintaiwanastudyofshyandnon-.docVIP

Shyness and EFL Learning in Taiwan: A study of shy and non-shy students’ use of strategies, foreign language anxiety, motivation, and willingness to communicate Hsiang-Ning Rebecca Chu University of Texas at Austin Abstract This study probed the relationship between shyness and English learning strategy use, as well as the impact that shyness may have on language learning motivation for Taiwanese university students who were enrolled in required English courses. Results indicated that non-shy students reported using strategies in their English studies more often than their shy counterparts, while both reported using compensation strategies most often, and social strategies least often. In addition, as students’ intrinsic motivation to engage in their English studies rose, their use of strategies increased. No gender differences were found on students’ reported strategy use and their motivation in English studies. Purpose The purpose of the study was to explore how shy Taiwanese college students manage and cope with the EFL classroom. In a foreign language class, where students are required to speak or respond in their new language, submissive participation in class is not desirable and can hold back a learner’s progress in perfecting language skills and knowledge. To be successful in a foreign language class, a shy individual is expected to adapt to the communicative nature and demands of the course by possibly altering the learning strategies he or she normally uses in other classes. A second purpose of the study was to see whether shy and non-shy students had different types of motivation regarding English learning, and whether the type of motivation influenced their strategy use. In addition, the relationship between shyness, foreign language anxiety and willingness to communicate was investigated. Theoretical Framework In the prolific literature on shyness, views on its nature vary considerably: some think it is a form of social anxiety (Buss, 1980; Leary