The influence of receiver apprehension in foreign language learners on listening comprehension among Puerto Rican college students

The purpose of this researcher was to ascertain the relationship between Receiver Apprehension (RA) in the second language/Foreign language and listening comprehension, language competency, exposure to the second language, and the gender in a sample of 451 college students in Puerto Rico. Specific problems to be studied were: (1) To determine the relationship between ESL/EFL learners' level of proficiency in English listening comprehension, their RA in English and in Spanish, and their CEEB scores. (2) To determine whether there is a significant difference between male and female ESL/EFL students on RA in English and Spanish. (3) To determine the effects of the amount of exposure to English on the ESL/EFL learners' level of RA in English. (4) To determine the relationship between RA levels in English and Spanish. (5) To determine the factors that promote increased levels of RA.;The students were administered English and Spanish forms of the RAT, a 20 item scale designed to measure receiver apprehension (Appendix A); the CELT Listening Test, a Form L-A (Appendix E), and a survey instrument (Appendix B) that contained background information and self-report items on exposure to English. Research questions were answered using t-tests of means and correlational analysis. A supplemental analysis was conducted using multiple regression analysis.;The major findings of the study were: (1) high receiver apprehension was significantly related to lowered listening and language proficiency in the second language; (2) there were no significant differences in receiver apprehension levels between male and female students; (3) high exposure to English was significantly related to lowered receiver apprehension; (4) there was no significant relationship between receiver apprehension in the first language and the second language; (5) dyadic communication created the greatest amount of receiver apprehension, followed by receiving information, communication in a group, and watching TV, respectively; and (6) receiver apprehension is most affected by listening competency, followed by exposure and language competency, respectively.