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The Structural Relationships Between Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety, Perceived English Competence, English Learning Motivation, Willingness to Communicate, English Learning Engagement and Motivational Intensity in Hong Kong Secondary Students

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Abstract

This study recruited 305 participants (237 females and 68 males) to complete a survey consisting of six scales in examining the structural relationships among English learning motivation, foreign language speaking anxiety, perceived English competence, willingness to communicate, English learning engagement, and motivational intensity in Hong Kong secondary students. First, English learning motivation (integrative, instrumental) negatively predicts foreign language speaking anxiety, which acts as a mediator between learning motivation and willingness to communicate (speak, read, write, and listen). Second, perceived English competence, which is also a significant mediator between learning motivation and willingness to communicate (speak, read, write, listen), could be predicted positively by learning motivation. This paper might be the first to investigate on the relationships between these constructs within the context of Hong Kong. It serves as a preliminary study to explore the casual relationships of HK secondary students’ psychological aspects in second language acquisition, while validating the instruments to be used in HK. On the pedagogical level, educators could understand the effects of students’ motivational orientations and eventually facilitate English learning through altering students’ affective factors.

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Acknowledgments

I would like to deliver my most sincere gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Leung Man-Tak, for all his time and effort in educating me. Throughout the year, he did not merely teach me skills and steps to finish the study, instead, Dr. Leung has always been kind and encouraging in guiding and reminding me his advises on the essences of conducting research: effort, persistence, and circumspection. It is both my honour and fortune to have become his supervisee and have learnt so much from this wise professor. I would also like to say thank you to all the scholars who generously grant me their permission to use their instruments. Without their generosity, this study could not be conducted well. Lastly, I would like to express my acknowledgement to my dearest friend, Lau, who distributed the questionnaires for me. Without her aid and connection, I would never be able to obtain such a pleasant subject size. Please accept my deepest gratefulness and blessings for those who have provided me support.

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  1. Department of Counselling of Psychology, Shue Yan University, Hong Kong, North Point, Hong Kong

    Wai Sum Chung & Man-Tak Leung

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  1. Wai Sum Chung
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Correspondence to Wai Sum Chung .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Counselling and Psychology, Hong Kong Shue Yan University, North Point, Hong Kong

    Man-Tak Leung

  2. East Asia Research Pte. Ltd., Singapore, Singapore

    Lee Ming Tan

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Chung, W.S., Leung, MT. (2016). The Structural Relationships Between Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety, Perceived English Competence, English Learning Motivation, Willingness to Communicate, English Learning Engagement and Motivational Intensity in Hong Kong Secondary Students. In: Leung, MT., Tan, L. (eds) Applied Psychology Readings. SCAP 2016. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-2796-3_11

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