THE INFLUENCE OF ENGLISH PROFICIENCY ANXIETY AND SOCIAL ATTITUDES TOWARD JAPAN ON STUDENTS' MOTIVATION TO CHOOSE JAPANESE LANGUAGE FOR THE GAKAO IN SHANDONG PROVINCE, CHINA

Abstract

Subject of the study: The increasing number of Chinese senior high school students choosing Japanese instead of English for the Gaokao has attracted growing attention, yet limited research has examined the psychological and sociocultural factors associated with this language choice.

Objective: This study examined the relationships between English proficiency anxiety, social attitudes toward Japan, and students’ motivation to choose Japanese for the Gaokao in Shandong Province, China.

Methods: Guided by Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Theory, Gardner’s Socio-Educational Model, and Expectancy-Value Theory, the study adopted a quantitative correlational design. A total of 300 senior high school students who had selected Japanese as their Gaokao foreign language were recruited through purposive sampling. Data were collected using the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale, the Bogardus Social Distance Scale, and the Attitude/Motivation Test Battery. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression analysis.

Results: English proficiency anxiety (r = .490, p < .001) and social attitudes toward Japan (r = .559, p < .001) were significantly and positively associated with motivation to learn Japanese. Multiple regression analysis indicated that both English proficiency anxiety (β = .479, p < .001) and social attitudes toward Japan (β = .550, p < .001) significantly contributed to the prediction of motivation, jointly accounting for 54.2% of the variance.

Conclusion: Students’ motivation to choose Japanese was associated with both English-related anxiety and sociocultural perceptions of Japan.