A STUDY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANXIETY OF MALE AND FEMALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN LEARNING ENGLISH

Abstrak / Ringkasan

The objective of this study is to find out whether or not there is a significant difference in foreign language anxiety between male and female Elementary School students in learning English.
This study involved 38 students of 4th grade students of SDN Samirono in the academic year of 2013/ 2014 as the subjects of the study. The data were collected by using one instrument i.e. a questionnaire: the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (Horwitz, Horwitz, & Cope, 1986). The data were analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics analyses. The hypothesis testing was done to meet the objective of this study to find out the differences between male and female FLA scores by used t-test. Before the t-test was applied, the test of normality and homogeneity were administered.
The result of the data analysis showed that foreign language anxiety of SDN Samirono students had mean score 60.58 and average mean of each item 1.86. The results showed that being afraid to speak in English, test anxiety, and fear of being less competent and making mistakes were three main constructs of the students’ anxiety. Furthermore, the result of the t-test showed that t observed of the foreign language anxiety scale of the students of SDN Samirono is 0.643 and df = 36. To see whether the hypothesis was accepted or rejected, the t observed was consulted to the t table at the 0.05 significance level. The result showed that the t table is 2.028. It means that t observed (0.643) was lower than the t table (2.028). Thus, the hypothesis that there is a significant difference in foreign language anxiety between male and female students of SD N Samirono in learning English is rejected. The present study provides evidence that the difference of the foreign language anxiety scale between male and female students is not significant. This raises a question because it is not congruent with existing theories. The uniqueness of this finding of the study may indicate a new phenomenon concerning gender characteristics. Unfortunately, such indication is beyond the scope and purpose of the present study. Further studies are needed to verify this finding.

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