An Empirical Study on Psychological Factors Affecting Elementary School English Learners

Focusing on Grades and Class Hours

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to reveal the psychological effects of grades and class hours on young English learners. Participants were 466 students (128 third, 120 fourth, 100 fifth, and 118 sixth graders) who have 35 class hours of English activities, and 479 students (130 third, 114 fourth, 97 fifth, and 138 sixth graders) who have 70 class hours of English class time. It was found that, in the 70 hours group, perceived competence in English, interest in English, willingness to communicate in English, willingness to read, write, and speak in English when they become junior high school students, and motivation were all more salient psychological factors than they were in the 35 hours group. Although two variables, perceived competence in English (PCE) and willingness to read, write, and speak in English when they will become junior high school students (WTRWS), correlate with English abilities, there was a difference between them, namely that the negative effect of English anxiety on PCE was greater than that of WTRWS.