The Impact of Collaborative Activities on EFL Learners’ Speaking Anxiety Levels and Attitudes

Öz

This study aims to research the effect of cooperative learning activities on EFL learners’ English-speaking anxiety and attitude levels. It is a six-week action research study with nine preparatory school students enrolled in the English Language and Literature Department in a state university. The Foreign Language Anxiety Scale developed by Horwitz, Horwitz, and Cope (1986) and adapted to Turkish by Aydın (1999), and Attitudes Towards English Course Scale developed by Aydoslu (2005) were used as the pre-test and the post-test. Weekly evaluation forms and a focus group interview were also tools to collect data. The fear of making mistakes, wrong vocabulary choice, mispronunciation, and probable peer mocking cause anxiety are some reasons behind anxiety. Students thus seek a positive and enjoyable learning atmosphere reducing or eliminating tension. Students thus seek a positive and enjoyable learning atmosphere reducing or eliminating tension. Results showed that group work activities decreased students’ anxiety levels and provided them developing positive attitudes towards speaking skill in a learning environment.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• English Speaking Skills
• Speaking Activities
• Cooperative Learning
• Group Work
• Anxiety
• Attitudes

İşbirliğine Dayalı Konuşma Etkinliklerinin İngilizce Sınıf kaygısı ve Tutumuna Etkisi

Öz

Bu çalışma, işbirliğine dayalı tasarlanan konuşma etkinliklerinin, öğrencilerin İngilizce dersine yönelik kaygı ve tutum düzeylerine etkisini incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. İngiliz Dili ve Edebiyatı Bölümü hazırlık sınıflarından dokuz öğrenci ile altı haftalık çalışma yürütülmüştür. Nitel ve nicel verilerin kullanıldığı karma desen türünde ve eylem araştırması niteliğindedir. Horwitz, Horwitz ve Cope (1986) tarafından geliştirilen ve Aydın (1999) tarafından Türkçeye uyarlanan Yabancı Dil Sınıf Kaygısı Ölçeği ve Aydoslu (2005) tarafından geliştirilen İngilizce Dersine Yönelik Tutum ölçeği ön test-son test olarak uygulanmıştır. Öğrenciler haftalık çalışma değerlendirme formlarıyla ve çalışma sonundaki odak grup görüşmesiyle görüşlerini belirtmişlerdir. Konuşma sırasında hata yapma, doğru kelimeyi bulamama, kelimeyi doğru söyleyememe ve akranların olası alaycı tavırları gibi korkuların kaygıya neden olabileceği saptanmıştır. Öğrenciler bu yüzden kaygıyı azaltan ya da ortadan kaldıran güvenli ve eğlenceli öğrenme ortamları aramaktadır. Sonuçlar grup çalışmasındaki etkinliklerin öğrenme ortamında öğrencilerdeki kaygıyı azalttığını ve öğrencilerin derse yönelik olumlu tutum geliştirmelerini sağladığını göstermektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• İngilizce Konuşma Becerisi
• Konuşma Etkinlikleri
• İşbirliğine Dayalı Öğrenme
• Grup Çalışması
• Kaygı
• Tutum

Kaynakça

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