第二语言口语产出过程中 “积极-消极”情绪动态变化探讨

, Pearson correlations can be appropriate to answer this research question and an arbitrary benchmark of r = .30 (Mischel, 2013) is adopted for determining correlations of interest. Table 4.1 presents the correlations between FLA and FLE for each participant in different L2 oral production tasks. As can be seen in Table 4.1, 6 out of 12 correlations are substantial and negative whereas the rest show a weak negative, positive as well as nearly zero relationship between FLA and FLE. However, the correlation pattern between the two emotional variables can be very different and meaningful when the speech tasks were segmented into smaller time intervals (25s for each). Therefore, the next step to answer this question was to zoom in on one learner and focus on the interaction pattern between FLA and FLE on a smaller time interval. 

Chapter Five Conclusions

5.1 Major Findings

The present research is designed to achieve its two-fold objectives: (1) To provide an in-depth understanding of Chinese EFL learners’ negative and positive emotional experiences (exemplified by the two prevent ones, namely FLA and FLE) during L2 oral production tasks; (2) To investigate the potential effect of foreign language emotions on Chinese EFL learners’ speech performance. The first two research questions correspond to the first objective while the third research question corresponds with the second objective. The major findings are summarized as follows.

Firstly, concerning the dynamic correlation pattern between FLA and FLE, the most typical dynamic pattern is an alternation between negative and positive correlation. Utilizing an idiodynamic approach, it was found that FLA and FLE constantly interacted, sometimes converging and sometimes diverging during a specific time interval. The FLA-FLE relationship can be negative (high anxiety-low enjoyment; high enjoyment-low anxiety), positive (high anxiety-high enjoyment; low anxiety-low enjoyment) or nearly zero even at the intra-individual level. These findings indicate that FLA and FLE are two sub-systems nested with the larger foreign language emotion system rather than two ends of the same continuum. 

Secondly, regarding the factors attributing to the fluctuations of FLA and FLE, the current research revealed a dominant role of learner-internal factors in instigating the two emotions, although they were susceptible to both individual and interpersonal factors during L2 oral production. Factors such as fears, mistakes, FL ability and previous experiences attributed to the emergence of FLA while preparedness, positive-self-perceived beliefs and controllability were the main sources of FLE during L2 oral production tasks. Besides, while the two emotional variables have unique sources of their own, some common themes can activate both FLA and FLE in an English speech contest scenario, such as speech text, teacher, planning and controllability. 

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