Foreign Language Reading Anxiety and Mindfulness
Ronald Schmidt-Fajlik
The Language Teacher July 1, 2020 DOI: 10.37546/jalttlt44.4-1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 41 |
| Population | Japanese university students |
| Intervention | Mindful reading technique |
| Duration | 3-week follow-up |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Key findings | After learning and practicing a mindful reading technique, many of the 41 Japanese university students reported on a questionnaire three weeks later that mindfulness was helpful when reading. The authors suggest the technique may reduce anxiety about unfamiliar vocabulary and grammar, increase focus, and build confidence, though the design relies on student perceptions rather than controlled comparison. |
Abstract
Students might approach reading with a sense of anxiety if they are unable to completely comprehend the text that they are reading. The purpose of this article is to determine whether the introduction of a mindful reading technique decreases anxiety about unfamiliar vocabulary and grammatical structures, increases focus, and builds confidence, thereby contributing to a more positive reading experience. Forty-one Japanese university students took part in the study. After the introduction of a mindfulness technique and putting it into practice, a questionnaire was administered to all 41 students taking part in the study three weeks after the introduction of the technique to determine its effectiveness. Results indicate that many students found mindfulness helpful when reading. 学生達は自分が読んでいる外国語の文章を完全に理解することができていないため、読むことについて不安を抱いている可能性がある。本論は、（自分の呼吸に注意を向けながら読書する）マインドフルリーディングのテクニックの導入が、親しみのない単語や文法構造についての不安を減らし、集中力と自信を高め、その結果より積極的なリーディング体験に寄与する手助けとなるかどうか判断することを目的としている。41人の日本の大学生が本研究に参加した。マインドフルリーディングのテクニックを導入した三週間後に、有用性を判断するアンケートを実施した。結果は、読むときにマインドフルネスが有用であると、多くの被験者が認識していることを示した。
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on anxiety, most cited first.