Psychological Stress in Second-Language Oral Communication and Coping Strategies against It

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23520658
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Foreign language education
• Research Institution: Hirosaki University
• Principal Investigator: NORO Tokuji 弘前大学, 教育学部, 教授 (90344580)
• Project Period (FY): 2011-04-28 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: コミュニケーション不安 / 心理的ストレス / ストレス対処方略 / オーラルコミュニケーション / 英語 / 第二言語習得

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The present study aimed to explicate the effects and mechanism of psychological stress in second-language (L2) oral communication as well as the developmental processes of coping strategies against it. The research results showed that the stress experienced by L2 learners debilitates recollection of vocabulary and message intended to express, lowering the fluency, accuracy, and complexity of their utterances and eventually leading them to lose initiative in communication scenes. Examination of the mechanism of L2 communication stress revealed that, in addition to language difficulties, too high aspiration levels and too much self-consciousness as well as a sense of alienation are among major contributing factors. As for coping with L2 communication stress, gradual regaining of self-control through activation of self-monitoring was the most frequently observed strategies other than linguistic ones.

Free Research Field

英語教育学