2008 Volume 45 Pages 113-131
The present study is a pilot study which investigates affective variables, principally motivation and anxiety, among public elementary school students in Japan. Previous research has revealed motivational processes play a role in facilitating second language communication, and that anxiety has a negative correlation with achievement. It was on this basis that the present investigation was carried out. The participants in this study were 720 public elementary school students, from 1^<st> to 6^<th> graders, who were given a questionnaire concerning their English class. Exploratory factor analysis revealed different factor loading in the lower graders compared with the middle to upper graders. Among the lower graders, the first graders showed higher motivation, and among the middle to upper graders, the third graders showed the highest motivation and interest in English-speaking countries, declining with age. Regarding gender differences, female students showed higher motivation and interest in English-speaking countries, and male students showed higher anxiety among both the lower and middle to upper graders. Noteworthy limitations of the present study and suggestions for improvement were discussed.
