Positive anxiety as an affective component of shadowing in language learning and use

Abstract

Language anxiety, as an affective component of second/foreign language learning, has been studied since the 1970s. Recognized as a complex phenomenon with a significant impact on language learning and use, this paper explores the effects of positive anxiety in shadowing on language learning and use. Shadowing serves as a technique for simultaneous interpretation and second/foreign language learning. Since the 1990s, successful application of shadowing for language learning purposes has been observed in Japan. However, distinctions exist between shadowing for simultaneous interpretation and language learning, with the former involving unknown authentic audio and audiovisual texts in the student's first language, and the latter utilizing shorter sequences in the student's second/foreign language with known content. This paper presents two ethnographic instances in which the shadowing method for simultaneous interpretation was employed to enhance second language learning for adult learners and public service interpretation students. Additionally, it showcases an ethnographic example of shadowing designed for regular foreign language students—learning German, Spanish, French, English and Italian—and immigrant students learning Norwegian and English at an upper secondary school in Norway. The findings hold significance for researchers, language teachers, and learners, revealing that language learning students improved not only their listening and oral skills, but also achieved deep learning wherein language-dependent discourse, syntax, phraseology, and vocabulary were retained in long-term memory. Moreover, the research indicates that students often experienced symptoms of healthy/positive anxiety, suggesting a vital role of positive anxiety in the foreign language learning process. However, further research in this domain is needed./ Keywords: second/foreign language learning, shadowing, positive anxiety, deep learning, listening and oral skills