Many reports has been revealing that anxiety and negative emotion could appear and become an obstacle during language learners' language learning (e.g. Atay & Kurt, 2006; Cheng, 2001, 2004; Horwitz, 2001; Kurt & Atay, 2007; Leki, 1999). This qualitative study has been conducted to explore the anxiety the relevant reasons why university…

This article investigates the development of intercultural awareness in an electronic mail (e-mail) discussion project between Hungarian learners of English and American speakers. Students discussed topics relating to cultures, languages, and pedagogical issues. The e-mails were analyzed in terms of language skill improvement, apprehensiveness…

This study examined the impact of writing anxiety and computer anxiety on language learning for 45 ESL adult learners enrolled in an English grammar and writing course. Two sections of the course were offered in a traditional classroom setting whereas two others were given in a hybrid form that involved distance learning. Contrary to previous…

The education of under-prepared college students is a topic that interested and motivated this researcher to conduct a study on learning communities and measuring change in writing apprehension and locus of control of developmental students at a community college. Higher education is generally viewed as a place for the intellectually elite.…

A considerable number of research and reports attempted to tackle the different aspects of writing apprehension. The current research dealt with the topic quantitatively and qualitatively in an attempt to know why Palestinian university students majoring in English feel anxious and stressed when they are asked to write. The possible remedies for…

This study investigated writing apprehension, motivational levels, and writing performance of 68 undergraduates enrolled in four freshman composition courses during one semester. Participants in the treatment groups received relevance, confidence, or a combination of relevance and confidence motivational strategies based on Keller's ARCS model. In…

Teacher educators have found portfolios to be a valuable way to judge readiness for student-teaching and initial certification as well as an effective means of examining and validating teacher preparation programs. Tension exists between using the portfolio as a product for evaluation and maintaining its focus as a personal examination, synthesis,…

Much of Debra Matthews' teaching experience has been with apprehensive writers, and while teaching freshman English to primarily nontraditional students, she found that the students were often nervous about the writing process. The students acknowledged that they felt threatened by the evaluation process, and some were intimidated by the writing…

Time and opportunity to discover truths are essential in education. Discovery takes repetition and trial and error. Discovery crosses intellectual and disciplinary boundaries as well. What is learned through the diverse experiences of one's academic and individual lives will pollinate each other if there is room left for discovery. The tyranny of…

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of Albert Bandura's four hypothesized sources of self-efficacy on students' writing self-efficacy beliefs (N = 1256) and to explore how these sources differ as a function of gender and academic level (elementary, middle, high). Consistent with the tenets of self-efficacy theory, each of the…

Suggests ways to make adults comfortable about the writing process: (1) recognize that adults want more involving lessons; (2) recognize their varied experiences; (3) enable writers to show that experiences will add to understanding of classes; (4) assess writing samples in nonthreatening ways; and (5) indicate that learning to write is a…

Studies done in L1/L2 English settings have revealed the negative effects of writing anxiety on both learner motivation and academic achievement and teachers' attitudes towards writing and the practices they use in their own classes. The present study aims to find out the effects of peer feedback on the writing anxiety of Turkish prospective…

Presents findings of a descriptive study designed to compare instances of writer's block in English and Spanish, among and within three groups of bilingual writers. Tries to determine if the same writing factors stymie both the novice bilingual writer and the practiced bilingual writer. Suggests ways to lessen writing apprehension. (RAE)

The authors investigated changes in self-efficacy in writing and writing apprehension in a sample of first-year college students in an interdisciplinary writing-intensive course taught by faculty from varied disciplines at a liberal arts college. Results showed that self-efficacy in writing significantly increased while writing apprehension…

States that many writers face rejection of their work and includes a quiz consisting of 17 quotations about famous authors whose work was at some time rejected. (DF)