Foreign language anxiety in Turkey: the role of multilingualism

Abstract

As part of a larger study on individual differences and language learning in Turkey, this study explores the relationship between foreign language anxiety and two operationalisations of multilingualism: any experience with a third language and Perceived Positive Language Interaction; it also illuminates connections among the aforementioned constructs and tolerance of ambiguity. This study addresses the anxiety profiles of 156 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in Turkey, an under-studied context. Using the data from the Turkish version of the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale, an exploratory factor analysis (Maximum Likelihood with a Direct Oblimin rotation) and subsequent one-way analyses of variance indicate significant group differences in both operationalisations of multilingualism. Influenced by the Dynamic Model of Multilingualism, the analysis indicates that a participant's multilingual profile is constantly changing as a result of the interconnected elements in the linguistic systems. As such, this paper offers a fresh approach to operationalising multilingualism, as well as the connection of multilingualism to foreign language anxiety. The discussion also offers an analysis of the use of factor analysis itself and the implications thereof.

Keywords:

• anxiety
• EFL
• multilingualism
• multilinguals
• second language acquisition

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported, in part, by the University of South Florida Research & Innovation Internal Awards Program [grant number 0074160].