Academic
Exchange Quarterly
Winter 2004: Volume 8, Issue 4
English-Use Anxiety in
Diane Mizrachi,
Snunith Shoham,
Mizrachi, M.A., is an
Information Literacy/Reference Librarian at College Library, UCLA, and Shoham, Ph.D., is Senior Lecturer and Chair of the
Information Studies Department at Bar Ilan.
Abstract
In
high-tech, highly educated small language communities, college students are
often dependent on non-native language material, usually English, for their
studies and research. In a study of library anxiety among Israeli college
students, applying English language skills for the specific purpose of computerized
library searches in an academic library environment was found to be the single
most debilitating factor. This result
proved consistent regardless of student’s age, gender, year of study or native
language.
Introduction
Library
anxiety was first described and systematically studied by Constance Mellon
(1986), and later defined as an uncomfortable feeling or emotional disposition
characterized by tension, fear, a sense of uncertainty and helplessness,
negative and self-defeating thoughts, and mental disorganization that appear
only when students are in or contemplating a visit to the library (Jiao &
others, 1996). In 1992, Sharon Bostick developed the Library Anxiety Scale, which has
proven its reliability in several quantitative studies (Bostick,
1992; Jiao & others, 1996; Jiao & Onwuegbuzie,
1997).
Many
discussions and studies have been published on the difficulties that non-native
English-speaking students encounter while studying at American universities and
using American academic libraries (Wayman, 1984; Ball
& Mahoney, 1987; Macdonald & Sarkodie-Mensah,
1988; Allen, 1993; Jiao & Onwuegbuzie, 1997; Zoe & DiMartino, 1996; Onwuegbuzie & Jiao, 1997; Liu & Redfern,
1997). Onwuegbuzie
and Jiao (1998) state that even “bibliographic instruction courses do not
appear to reduce levels of library anxiety for non-native English speaking
students” (p.245). This study presents an inversion of this problem in that the
Israeli students are studying in their own cultural environment, instruction is
in their native language, librarians and library staff speak Hebrew, and yet
the students are often required to conduct library searches and use library
material in a foreign language.
All Israeli B.Ed. students must display a minimum
level of English proficiency before being accepted into their study program,
and are required to continue their English studies until showing sufficient
ability for the bachelor’s degree level.
But when required to apply their English language skills in a
computerized library search or an academic library environment, do they display
the self-confidence necessary to fully profit from these resources, or does
their level of library anxiety cause an affective handicap?
Library anxiety study
The
purpose of this study was to measure the library anxiety levels of Israeli
college students and investigate the possible relationship between library
anxiety and computer attitudes. Among
the factors of library anxiety investigated was the ‘English language factor;’
discomfort caused by performing library searches in English and using English
language resources and materials.
The sample
population consisted of 664 B.Ed. students from eight teachers colleges
throughout
Of
the 654 students who answered the question about their native language, 82%
reported Hebrew, 12% Arabic, 1% English, and 5% other. This roughly parallels the national ethnicity
of the state of
Instruments
To measure library anxiety, Bostick’s Library Anxiety Scale (1992) was translated into
Hebrew and modified to reflect cultural differences. As the Hebrew-Library Anxiety Scale (H-LAS),
it contained 35 Likert-type statements and was
categorized into seven factors. These
factors include:
All factors tested adequate reliability
scores using Cronbach’s alpha except for the
policies/hours factor, which was retained in the additional checks because of
its theoretical importance to library anxiety.
No previous studies of library anxiety were found that measure English
language comfort as a factor. Three
questions addressed this factor, which received a Cronbach’s
alpha reliability score of 0.76:
To
measure computer attitudes this study used a Hebrew translation of Loyd and Gressard’s (1984)
Computer Attitude Scale. Students were also asked to provide demographic
information, including their age, gender, year of study, and native language.
On a scale of 1-5, with higher numbers
representing higher anxiety levels, the overall average score of library
anxiety was 2.51, almost in the precise middle. Performing searches in English and using
English language resources and materials - the English language factor - scored
3.63 (s.d. 1.08). This is 0.82 higher than any other
library anxiety factor measured.
Because of the differences between the English
language factor average and the rest of the factors, the possible statistical
significance of these differences was checked.
The general comparison was made via an analysis using repeated measures with
contrasting ad hoc. Anxiety caused by
the use of English language library searches and materials proved significantly
greater than all the other factors of library anxiety.
This clearly
shows that for Israeli B.Ed. students, the most debilitating library task is
searching and using English language material and resources. Since only 1% of the students surveyed named
English as their mother tongue, this reluctance to use a foreign language is
consistent with the research done on foreign language anxiety. It also shows a consistency with studies done
on the high levels of library anxiety shown by foreign students in American
universities.
Most scholarly
material is published in English and relatively few publications are translated
to Hebrew. Israeli institutes of higher learning, especially the universities,
require their researchers to publish at least some of their work in English,
and Israeli college educators assign English language texts in their syllabi
both because of the relative dearth of Hebrew language resources and to promote
mastery of English in the educational process.
Students often have few options but to search and read English language
resources. The current study shows that
the necessity of using English as a second language in an academic library
environment significantly raises library anxiety for Israeli college students.
Native language
The vast majority of the sample
population in this study consisted of native Hebrew speakers. Since only 6% listed their native language as
English or other, it was decided to compare the Hebrew speaking group to the
native Arabic speaking group.
Significant
differences were found in library anxiety
levels in two factors; Arabic speakers showed higher anxiety in the knowledge
factor; 2.82 vs. 2.16, and Hebrew speakers showed more anxiety in the English
language factor, 3.69 vs. 3.42. This
study thus shows mixed results in the significant relationships between these
two native languages and library anxiety.
The finding that Hebrew speakers showed more
anxiety when using English language searches and resources than did Arabic
speakers was unexpected. For the Hebrew
speakers, English is only the second language required for their studies,
whereas for the Arabic speaking students in Israeli colleges it is their third,
and one would expect more anxiety with each additional required language. One can speculate that the Arabic speaking
students accepted into the B.Ed. programs at these colleges have a higher level
of English language competence than their Hebrew speaking counterparts, but a
comparison study of actual proficiencies should be done in order ascertain
whether these results reflect cognitive skill levels or affective attitudes. This is the first study to include native
language as a factor of library anxiety, and while the Israeli students are in
a different position than foreign students in American universities, they are
not unique compared to students in other small-language communities and
non-English speaking countries throughout the world.
Gender
Women
scored significantly higher in three factors of library anxiety; the English
language; 3.67 vs. 3.33, staff; 2.28 vs.2.08, and resources factors; 2.15 vs.
1.94.
This is the
first study to show females suffering more library anxiety than males. All
others that measured gender as a variable of library anxiety showed either no
difference (Bostick, 1992; Mech
& Brooks, 1997) or greater anxiety among male students (Jacobson, 1991;
Jiao & others, 1996; Jiao & Onwuegbuzie,
1997). Perhaps the male students in this
study have more confidence in their library skills, including using English
language searches and materials, than the female students. A comparison of the actual English language
proficiency levels between the two groups, like the native language groups
above, might shed more light on this phenomenon.
Age
The range of
ages in this study ran from 18 years old to 55 with the median at 24
years. For this study, two age groups
were formed and compared, 18-24 and 25-55. The
younger group showed significantly more anxiety in the language, knowledge,
library policies, and resources factors.
Both age
groups scored relatively high on the language factor (3.71 and 3.5), but the
lower score by the older students may reflect greater exposure and comfort with
the English language and perhaps more worldliness and experience.
Year of study
Contrasting
POST-HOC tests were performed that showed significant differences of library
anxiety scores between the various years of study. In the language factor,
significant differences were found between first year students and second and
third year students. English language
anxiety was higher for second
and third year students than for first year students. By the fourth year, the anxiety level declined,
so that the difference between the first and fourth years was not
significant.
These scores thus displayed a bell shaped
curve with first year students showing the least amount of language
anxiety. From an average of 3.42 in the
first year, there is an increase to 3.85 in the second year, another slight
increase to 3.87 in the third, and finally a drop to 3.56 in the fourth. The difference between fourth and first year
scores is not statistically significant.
This pattern may reflect the rising need to use English language texts
in the second and third years, with fourth year students already feeling more
proficient. This is the first study to
measure the effects of English language anxiety on college students whose
native language is not English. It would
be interesting to research this further to see if other student populations
follow this general pattern, or if the
level of English proficiency is unusually high for this particular first year
group.
Computer attitudes
Pearson’s correlation coefficient was
used to check the relationships between each factor of library anxiety and the
three factors of computer attitudes: liking, confidence and anxiety. The strongest relationships were between the
English language, staff, and knowledge factors of library anxiety and all three
computer attitude factors.
Computer anxiety
affected the language factor more than any other computer attitude, perhaps
because of the association of computers with the need to use English language
commands and searches, which, as shown above, raises the library anxiety level
of Israeli B.Ed students more than anything else. Trying to use a keyboard on which two and
sometimes three different alphabets are represented (English, Hebrew, and
Arabic) can be a flustering experience for any computer novice.
Conclusion
The important point revealed by this
study is that anxiety over using English language searches and resources is the
most prevalent factor of library anxiety among Israeli B.Ed. students. English language anxiety is related to
computer attitude factors as well, especially computer anxiety.
In non-English
speaking countries, overcoming this anxiety necessitates greater emphasis on
improving English language skills, so that the need to use them will not cause
an affective barrier.
The challenge of reading online resources
in a second or third language may subside as computer technologies
advance. Today there are applications
that translate words from English into Hebrew and vice-versa. In the near future, readers may merely have
to scan a text in one language and receive an immediate translation in
another. It would be interesting to compare
how college students cope in other technologically advanced small language
communities, with the problems and anxieties that Israeli students face.
References
Allen, M. B. (1993). International students in academic libraries:
a user survey. College &
Research Libraries, 54, 323-333.
Ball, M.A. and M. Mahoney. (1987).
Foreign students libraries and culture. College
& Research Libraries, 48, 160-166.
Bostick, Sharon L. (1992). The development and validation
of the Library Anxiety Scale.
Doctoral dissertation, Wayne State University, Detroit.
Jacobson, F. F. (1991). Gender
Differences in Attitudes toward Using Computers in Libraries: An Exploratory
Study. Library and Information Science Research, 13, 267-279.
Jiao, Q.G., and others. (1996). Library
anxiety: Characteristics of 'at-risk' college students. Library and Information Science Research,
18, 151-163.
Jiao, Q.G., & Onwuegbuzie
A.J. (1997). Antecedents of library anxiety.
Library Quarterly, 67, 372-389.
Liu, M., & Redfern,
B. (1997). Information seeking behavior of multicultural students: A case study
at
Loyd, B. H., & Gressard, C.
(1984). Reliability and factor validity of computer attitude scales. Educational and Psychological Measurements,
44, 501-505.
Macdonald, G., & Sarkodie-Mensah E. (1988).
ESL students and American libraries.
College & Research Libraries, 49, 425-431.
Mech, T. F.,
& Brooks, C. I. (1997). Anxiety
and
confidence in using a library by college freshmen
and seniors. Psychological Reports, 81, 929-930.
Mellon, C. (1986). Library anxiety: A
grounded theory and its development. College
and Research Libraries, 47, 160-165.
Onwuegbuzie,
A. J., & Jiao, Q. G. (1997). Academic
library usage: A comparison of native and non-native English speaking students.
Australian Library Journal, (August),
258-269.