Abstract:

The purpose of this study is to understand the extent of the anxiety of foreign language present in different levels in the attendees, and its effects on learning Turkish. The target population of the study is 108 students (26 men and 82 women) attending the beginners’ level (A1) Turkish program of the School of Modern Greek Language, the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. The “Pretest-Posttest Control-Group Design” among the test designs was used in the research. Test designs are research models used to identify the cause-and-effect relationships. Foreign language learning achievement (effect) among the attendees was examined by means of the variable of the anxiety levels (cause). The Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale developed by Horwitz et al was used at the beginning (pretest) and end (posttest) of the five-month Turkish as a foreign language course. The attendees’ achievement in learning Turkish as a foreign language at the end of the A1 level Turkish as a Foreign Language course were measured with a final achievement test. The attendees’ anxiety levels were measured by the scale used on all participants of the study, and the detected anxiety levels were compared to the achievement test scores. It is found out that anxiety can increase the level of success up to a certain level, and there is a positive correlation between the achievement in learning a foreign language and speaking a foreign language.

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