An Assessment of English Language Writing Test Anxiety: The Case of Two Private University College Students Taking Sophomore English Writing Course
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Date
2007-08
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The main objective of this study was to assess students' levels of English language writing test anxiety with reference to Admas and St. Mary's private University College students taking sophomore English writing common course in the second semester of 1999 E.C. The subjects of the study were one hundred thirty (i.e. 30% of the total population, 432) in which eighty six (86) of them were selected from Admas University College (AUC) while forty four (44) of them were from St. Mary's University College (SMUC). Subjects were selected using systematic sampling technique. Four kinds of data collection instruments were used in this study, namely, questionnaire, observation, focus group discussion, and interview. The data collected using these instruments were analyzed by making use of different statistical analysis methods and qualitative description, such as frequency counting percentage, mean, and description of some qualitative data. The findings (i.e. the results) indicated that the large majority of the subjects of the study were found to be poor in their writing background before they joined university colleges. And, as a result, their levels of anxiety were high when taking the writing tests. So, the administrations of both university colleges should look for some possible mechanisms (or strategies) which may be helpful to minimize students' levels of writing test anxiety, by giving simple additional writing courses before those complex ones like those of sophomore, for example.
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Taking Sophomore English Writing Course