Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Introduction
1.1 Background
Of the four skills of English, which are listening, speaking, writing, and
reading, reading can be regarded as especially important because reading is assumed
to be the central means for learning new information (Grabe and Stoller, 2001).
Additionally, Grabe and Stoller (2002) states that reading is a way to draw
information from the printed page and interpret information appropriately. It can be
elaborated that through reading, students can add their knowledge of new
information from text books, journals, newspapers and magazines. By reading,
students can get some information and expand their knowledge about what they are
learning and what they need to know. Furthermore, reading is very important skill
which can support students learning activity. Reading is not only about assigning the
words or sounds of written words, but also understanding the message or
comprehending the words.
Reading is an activity that people do to enrinch their knowledege. Annamalai
& Muniandy (2013) defines reading as a process of understanding while looking at
the text, then comprehends what has been written. They further states that a person
does not need to understand everything what he reads since people read for different
reasons and purposes. Reading is regarded as one of the most important components
in learning language and it is an essential tool for lifelong learning for all learners
(Pandian, 1997; Mokatsi, 2005). Additionally, according to Lone (2011), reading can
be defined as the ability to recognize, examine the meaning of written printed
characters, words or sentences and understand the information.
Harmer (2001) lists some reasons that make reading important to be taught.
First, it is used for language acquisition. He claims that reading helps the students to
get the idea or to know what expression is used in certain occasion; from reading text,
words, and sentences. Second, reading can be a model of future writing. Many kinds
of knowledge and information can be gained through reading and what students have
read can inspire them to write. When reading becomes an activity that the students
1
usually do, they will have better reading skill. However, there are still some problems
in students reading activity. One of the main problems are anxiety. Based on a study
done by Ismail (2015), he believes that students who are anxious in reading English
text tend to have lack of knowledge in vocabulary and grammar of English. It is
because the students have less interest in reading in English and lack of facility for
them to read books especially English books. In addition, Anxiety UK (2015)
believes that anxiety can make a person imagine that things in their life are worse
than they really are, and prevent them from confronting their fears.
One of the affective factors which play an important role in learning foreign
language is anxiety. Anxiety is associated with feelings of being uneasy, frustrated,
apprehensive, or worried (Brown, 2000). Lehmann (2007) believes that in foreign
language learning context, there are various factors that influence the learning process
such as motivation, attitudes, anxiety, learning achievements, etc. In relation to the
statements above, foreign learners tend to be anxious to read English text, whether
they cant pronounce the words or feel ashamed to read aloud. Saito and Samimy
(1996) believe that students anxiety in learning process can affect students
performance. Furthermore, based on the writers informal interview with some
students of the second year of SMA Islam Az-Zahrah Palembang, they experience
anxiety towards reading comprehension even though some of them have known about
reading in English since elementary school, but when they read in English they feel
anxious because of unable to translate and identify some vocabularies they read, and
it makes the students feel anxious when their teacher asked them about what they
have read.
According to Program for International Student Assesment (PISA) students in
Indonesia got poor score in PISA reading literacy result. In the year 2000, Indonesia
was in 39th rank out of 41 countries participated. Year 2003, Indonesia went down in
39th rank out of 40 countries. Indonesias reading achievement got a bit increasing in
the year 2006, which was in 48th out of 56 countries participated. In 2009, Indonesia
was in the 57th rank out of 65 countries participated. While the latest PISA result was
2
happen easily by itself, especially the information that students are reading is
interesting.
2.3 The Concept of Anxiety
Anxiety is the subjective feeling of tension, apprehension, nervousness, and
worry associated with an arousal of the autonomic nervous system (Spielberg,
Gorsuch, Lushene, Vagg, and Jacobs, 1983). It relates to Brown (2000), that anxiety
is associated with feelings of being uneasy, frustrated, apprehensive, or worried.
Psychologically, emotion also affects someones learning activity. Negative emotions,
such as; sadness, fear, nervous, etc, can reduce brains ability to attend and process
new information because the brain is swamped with the task of exercising control
over powerful emotions (Jalongo & Hirsh, 2010). From the psychological
perspective, anxiety is classified into three types; (1) state, (2) trait, and (3) situationspecific anxiety (MacIntyre & Gardner, 1989).
2.3.1 State Anxiety
State anxiety is transitory and can fluctuate over time (MacIntyre, 1999). It
takes place at a particular moment, such as when taking a test, making a public
speech, or trying to communicate in a second foreign language (Spielberg et al.,
1983).
2.3.2
Trait Anxiety
People with high level of trait anxiety are generally nervous people in a wide
range of circumstances. Goldberg (1993) concludes that people with high level of
trait anxiety are usually nervous people and they lack emotionally stability.
2.3.3
Situation-Specific Anxiety
Situation anxiety can be defined as apprehension at a particular moment as a
intrigued by a specific situation or event over time, such as taking a test, public
speaking, class participation, talking with foreigner in a foreign-language, solving
physical problem. Because of the features of the situation-specific anxiety, MacIntyre
and Gardner (1991) suggest that foreign language anxiety should be studied with
situation-specific measures. According to Horwitz et al. (1986), foreign language
classroom anxiety is typical situation-specific anxiety.
2.4 Foreign Language Reading Anxiety
Some learners might find reading English texts very difficult as the writing
systems do not exactly reflect or symbolize the real pronunciation. The different
language structure could cause them to feel more anxious as they are not familiar
with it. In addition, unfamiliar vocabulary might impede learners comprehension and
cause difficulty which in turn leads anxiousness. Saito et al. (1999) state that with
respect of the unfamiliar writing system, it seems likely that the less the learner can
depend on the reliability of a specific system of sound-symbol correspondence, the
more anxiety he or she would be expected to experience in the act of reading.
Different cultural elements in reading texts might also cause anxiety in
learners. However, unfamiliar cultural background might not cause immediate
anxiety as unfamiliar writing scripts do. Not being familiar with English or other
cultures might inhibit their reading comprehension process and cause anxiety as the
culture represented in the texts is foreign to them. Thus, it is important for learners to
be able to make sense of the culture in the reading text or they might misinterpret and
misunderstood the text.
Horwitz et al. (1986) identified foreign language anxiety as one of
performance anxiety within academic and social contexts and drew parallels between
it and three other related performance anxiety. Below are the conclusions for reading
anxiety indicators:
Table 1
Reading Anxiety Indicators
Variable
Sub-Variables
Reading apprehension
Reading anxiety
Test anxiety
Fear of negative
evaluation
Indicators
- Tension and worry over reading
in the class.
- Tension and worry over reading
out of the class.
- Worry to fail in the reading test
- Fear of the teachers evaluation.
- Fear of friendss evaluation.
boys & girls both. The normal level of anxiety gives positive affect in reading
comprehension.
Wu (2008) conducted the research about anxiety and reading comprehension
performance in English as a foreign language. His study was done in Taiwan in
2008, the aim of the study was to find out whether or not there is a significant
difference between the reading comprehension performance of the EFL students with
high, mid, and low levels of language anxiety and reading anxiety. A total 91 students
studying English as a foreign language from two classes in a private university in
Southern Taiwan participated in the study. They all enrolled in the first semester
reading courses in 2008. Among the participants with the age ranging between 19 and
21, and the mean age of 20, 48 (52.7%) were males and 43 (47.3%) were females.
The result shows that the students with Language anxiety tend to have reading
anxiety. Decreasing students anxiety and creating low anxiety classroom environment
might help improve students comprehension performance.
A study done by Yulia (2014), entitled the correlation among reading
achievement, reading interest, and reading anxiety, in order to find out the
contribution among the three variables of tenth graders of Madrasah Aliyah Negeri,
Baturaja. The study was conducted in Baturaja, Sumatera Selatan. 225 students were
conducted in this study, therefore they were given a reading achievement test, reading
interest and anxiety questionnaires. This study was statistically applied by Pearson
Product Moment Correlation, in order to find out the correlation among reading
achievement, reading interest, and reading anxiety. First, the result showed that there
was a significant positive correlation between students reading interest and reading
achievement. Second, it was found that there was significant negative correlation
between students reading anxiety and reading achievement. Third, there was also
siginificant negative correlation between reading interest and reading anxiety.
A study conducted by Tarmizi (2014), entitled the correlation among English
reading anxiety, reading strategy use, and reading comprehension. Descriptive
statistics, Pearson product-moment correlation, and independent sample t-test were
9
used to analyze the collected data. The result showed that reading anxiety was
negatively and significantly correlated with reading comprehension, reading strategy
was positively correlated with reading comprehension, while reading anxiety was not
positively but there is no significantly correlated with reading startegy use. The writer
of this study expected that EFL lecturers should lessen the students reading anxiety
level by encouraging them to read extensively and actively.
Furthermore, the previous studies above have similarities and differences with
this study. It is similiar because they used the same variables ,which are reading
anxiety and reading comprehension achievement, and instruments, which are FLRAS
questionnaire and reading comprehension test. Additionally, it is also different
because they had different number of participants and location where they conducted
the research.
3. Methodology
3.1 Method of the Study
In this study, the writer uses correlational study to find out the correlation
between the students reading anxiety and their reading comprehension achievement.
Donnelly (2007, p. 309) states that correlation describes how two variables relate one
another. Correlation measures both the strength and direction of the relationship
between independent variable and dependent variable. In addition, correlational study
is the study that involves collecting two sets of data in order to determine the
relationship between them.
3.2 Variables of the Study
The variable which influences or predicts is called independent variable while
the one that is affected by or is predicted by independent variable is dependent
variable (McMillan & Schumacher, 2006). In this study, the predictor (independent)
variable is the students reading anxiety. While the criterion (dependent) variable of
this study is the students reading comprehension achievement.
10
Table 2
The Population of the Study
11
No.
1.
2.
3.
Class
Number of Students
XI.IPA 1
33
XI.IPA 2
29
XI.IPS
31
Total
93
Source: SMA Islam Az-Zahrah Palembang (2015/2016)
The population of this study is the second year students of SMA Islam Az-
12
3.5.1 Questionnaire
Questionnaire is an instrument which is designed to be given to participants in
a study in order to get information about what participants likes or dislikes, the
participants usually checklist the answers (Creswell, 2012). To measure the level of
students reading anxiety, the writer uses the ready-made questionnaire entitled
FLRAS (Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scale) by Jafarigohar (2012). FLRAS
was adapted from FLCAS (Foreign Language Class Anxiety Scale) by Horwitz,
Horwitz & Cope (1986). This questionnaire consists 33 Likert-style questions (see
Appendix A). Furthermore, Table 3 below shows the specification of reading anxiety
questionnaire.
Table 3
Reading Anxiety Questionnaire Specification
Variable
SubVariables
Indicators
a)Tension and
worry over
Reading
reading in the
apprehension class.
Reading
anxiety
Test anxiety
Fear of
negative
evaluation
b)Tension and
worry over
reading out of
the class
Worry to fail
in the reading
test.
a)Fear of the
teachers
evaluation.
Item Number
Total
Items
a) 2,3,9,15,21,22,27
9
b)1,5
4,8,13,14,18,20,23,24,31,32
10
a) 6,7,12,17,19,26,28,29,30
14
b) 10,11,16,25,33
b)Fear of
friends
evaluation
Total
33
13
14
development of sound evidence to demonstrate that the test interpretation. The writer
will possibly make 25 items of tests in form of short essay questions. In order to
validate the test, the writer will try out the test to second year students in one of nonlocal senior high schools. In this study, the writer will also validate the test which will
be obtained by asking experts judgements. Experts judgements can be obtained
before the test is tried out. The test will be given to 10 experts judgements to rate the
level of appropriateness and difficulties of the test items. The experts judgements
will be chosen from English Department background, they are from 5 English
teachers of several senior high schools and 5 English Department lecturers of
Sriwijaya University.
Before the reading text will be given to the experts judgements and students,
the writer should find out the readability of all the texts by using Flesch-Kincaid
grade level program in order to know whether the texts are appropriate or not for the
grade of the sample.
3.6.2 Reliability of the Test
Based on Creswell (2012, p. 159), reliability refers to the stability and
consistency of the scores from an instrument. Reliability is a necessary characteristic
of any good test: for it to be valid at all, a test must first be reliable as measuring
instrument. To find the reliability of the test, the writer will try out the reading
comprehension test to students who have similiar characteristics with the sample. The
test will be tried out to non sample students in one of non local high schools in
Palembang which has same characteristics of students and accreditation with SMA
Islam Az-Zahrah Palembang. Cronbachs Alpha will be applied to obtain the
reliability of the test and the test will be tried out by using SPSS (Statistical Package
for Social Science). The reliability coefficient of the test should be at least 0.70 and
higher. If the reliability coefficient of the test is 0.70 or higher, it means the test is
reliable and can be used. If the reliability coefficient of the test is under 0.70 it means
that the test is unreliable and can not be used.
15
involving reading anxiety to her study by using the same questionnaire (FLRAS). She
conducted her study at the second year students of Madrasah Aliyah Negeri Baturaja,
Sumatera Selatan. She tried out the FLRAS questionnaire at SMK Kader
Pembangunan Baturaja which has the same characteristic with the school she
conducted research at. Based on her calculation with Cronbachs Alpha, it can be
found that the reliability coefficient of the questionnaire is 0.82. Since the reliability
16
coefficient should be at least 0.70 or higher, it can be concluded that the two
researchers above had their questionnaire reliable which means the reliability
coefficient is higher than 0.70. Moreover, the questionnaire will not be tried out
because of based on the two reserachers above who used the same questionnaire
already got the reliability coefficient above 0.70 and had the similarities of sample
with the writer, which are foreign language students (Asian) and senior high school
students.
Furthermore, before the questionnaire will be distributed to students, the
writer will translate the statements of questionnaire into Bahasa Indonesia in order to
make the students easily give a response to the statements by making a checklist ()
on the answer sheet.
3.7 Data Analysis
In this study, correlation analysis and regression analysis will be used to
analyze the data.
3.7.1 Correlation Analysis
To find out the first research question about the correlation between reading
anxiety and reading comprehension achievement of the second year students of SMA
Islam Az-Zahrah Palembang, the writer will use Pearson Product Moment Correlation
Coefficient. After getting the correlation coefficient, the value will be categorized to
the correlation interval in order to see the strength of the degree correlation. If the robtained is higher than the r-table, it can be concluded that Ho is rejected while H1 is
accepted which means there is a significant correlation between reading anxiety and
reading comprehension achievement. On the other hand, if r-obtained is lower than
the r-table, it means there is no significant correlation between reading anxiety and
reading comprehension achievement. The following criterion from Creswell (2012)
will be used to see the degree of correlation coefficient.
17
Table 5
The Degree of the Correlation Coefficient
r-value
Degree of Correlation
0.0 0.19
Very Weak Correlation
0.20 0.35
Weak Correlation
0.36 0.65
Fair Correlation
0.66 0.85
Strong Correlation
0.86 - 1
Very Strong Correlation
Source: Creswell (2012)
3.7.2 Regression Analysis
To find out the second research question about the contribution of reading
anxiety and reading comprehension achievement of the second year students of SMA
Islam Az-Zahrah Palembang, the writer will use regression analysis. The regression
analysis is applied to see whether the independent variable (reading anxiety)
contributes to dependent variable (reading comprehension achievement).
References
Allington, R. L., & Cunningham, P. M. (2007). School that work : where all children
learn to read and write. Boston, M.A: Pearson Education, Inc.
18
Annamalai, S. & Muniandy, B. (2013). Reading habit and attitude among Malaysian
Polytechnic students. International Online Journal of Educational Sciences,
5(1), p. 32-41. Retrieved from http://www.iojes.net/
Anxiety Information. Retrieved March 4, 2016, from the Anxiety UK, Manchester.
Web site: https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk/get-help-now/anxiety-information/
Arikunto, S. (2010). Prosedur penelitian: Suatu pendekatan praktik. (Edisi Revisi).
Jakarta: PT. Rhineka Cipta.
Brown, H. D. (2000). Principles of language learning and teaching. New York:
Addison Wesley Longman.
Brummit, J. (2008). What is reading comprehension?.
http://k12reader.com/what-is-reading-comprehension/
Retrieved
from
19
20
OECD (2012), PISA 2012. Results: What Students Know and Can Do-Student
Performance in Mathematics, Reading and Science (Volume I), PISA, OECD
Publishing. Retrieved from http://oecd.org/pisa/keyfindings/pisa-2012-resultsvolume-I.pdf
Royer, J. M. (2004). Uses for the sentence verification technique for measuring
language comprehension. Amherst, Massachusetts: Reading Success Lab.
Retrievedfrom
http://www.readingsuccesslab.com/Reading_Comprehension.html
Sadoski, M. (2004). Conceptual foundations of teaching reading. New York, NY:
The Guilford Press.
Saito, Y., & Samimy, K. (1996). Foreign language anxiety and language performance:
a study of learner anxiety in beginning, intermediate, and advanced level
college students of Japanese. Foreign Language Annuals. 29:239-251.
Saito, Y., Horwitz, E. K., & Garza, T. J. (1999). Foreign language reading anxiety.
The Modern Language Journal, 83(2), 202-218.
Spielberg, C. D., Gorsuch, R. L., Lushene, R., Vagg, P. R., & Jacobs, G. A. (1983).
Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Form Y). Palo Alto, CA:
Consulting Psychologists Press.
Tarmizi, M. I. (2014) The correlation among English reading anxiety, reading
strategy use, and reading comprehension (Unpublished masters thesis).
Sriwijaya University, Palembang.
Twist, L., Sizmur, J., Bartlett, S. & Lynn, L. (2012). PIRLS 2011: Reading
Achievement
in
England.
Retrieved
from
http://www.nfer.ac.uk/publications/PRTZ01
Vazalwar, C. (2011). Effect of anxiety in reading comprehension in English.
International Journal for MultidisciplinaryResearch, 1(170), 272-278.
Wu, H. J. (2008). Anxiety and reading comprehension performance in English as
foreign language. Asian EFL Journal, 13(2), 273-306.
Yulia, H. (2014). The correlation among the students reading achievement, reading
interest, and reading anxiety of madrasah aliyah negeri baturaja
(Unpublished masters thesis). Sriwijaya University, Palembang.
21