“Does English make you nervous?” Anxiety profiles of CLIL and non-CLIL students in Sweden

Abstract

This study aims to explore the relationship between Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) vs. non-CLIL students and language learning anxiety. As part of a larger research project, this study is conducted at the high school level in Sweden and includes students enrolled in CLIL programs (N=109) and non-CLIL programs (N=68) at three different schools. While both CLIL and non-CLIL groups study English as a separate subject, the difference between the two groups is that part of the curriculum is taught through the medium of English in the CLIL programs. The participants completed the Swedish version of the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) (Horwitz, Horwitz & Cope 1986), which is a measure of anxiety that has been used since its inception. First, the factor structure of the instrument was explored in order to ensure its applicability, and then analyses on CLIL status and gender were completed. An exploratory factor analysis and subsequently five 2 x 2 factorial ANOVAs were performed, illustrating the relationship of CLIL status and gender on language learning anxiety. Our study fills a gap in the research by providing baseline data for a longitudinal study of CLIL students in Sweden, thereby allowing the comparison of anxiety over time.