FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANXIETY AND ACADEMIC STRESS OF DYSLEXIC AND NONDYSLEXIC CHILDREN: A COMPARISON

Abstract

The study aims to find out how dyslexic children and non-dyslexic children differ in their foreign language anxiety, academic stress, and the association between the two. The study utilized a convenience samples of dyslexic (N = 84) and non-dyslexic (N = 132) children studying in different secondary schools of Ernakulam district. The data, collected by administering the English Language Anxiety Scale and English Language Related Academic Stress Scale, were analysed by using appropriate statistical techniques by keeping the hypotheses in mind. The analysis revealed that dyslexic and non-dyslexic children differ significantly in their foreign language anxiety and English language related academic stress, wherein the dyslexic children were found to have greater anxiety and stress in learning English as second language. Whereas the dyslexic boys and dyslexic girls were alike in their foreign language anxiety and academic stress, significant difference was found to exist between nondyslexic boys and non-dyslexic girls with respect to the variables. A significant and positive correlation was found to exist between foreign language anxiety and academic stress of both dyslexic and non-dyslexic children. Neither the dyslexic condition nor the gender, however, was found to be significant in discriminating secondary school students on the basis of the association between their foreign language anxiety and English language related academic stress.