A Study On Learning Anxiety In ESP Classrooms At Universities Of Chinese Medicine

With the gradual internationalization of Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),talents with abundant TCM knowledge and high proficiency in English are therefore required.However,the current compound talents of Chinese medicine can not meet the needs for foreign exchange and cooperation and Chinese medicine's move toward the world.As an important channel for cultivating related talents,how to improve the teaching effect of ESP classes becomes the top priority of the current education and teaching reform.Therefore,based on foreign language learning anxiety theory of Horwitz and tolerance of ambiguity theory of Ely,this paper investigated the anxiety levels and influencing factors of students studying ESP classes in one university of Chinese Medicine by means of a questionnaire survey,interviews and case studies.Drawing on the findings,the study put forward specific suggestions so as to provide some references for curriculum reform.It was found that the participants broadly reported a middle level of anxiety in professional English classrooms,there were no significant differences in anxiety levels among students of different majors in the same grade.But there were significant differences in anxiety levels among students of different grades,the anxiety level of Grade 3 is the highest,however,the anxiety level of Grade 1 is the lowest.Medical students have significantly higher anxiety levels than pharmaceutical students.And there were no significant differences in anxiety levels between male and female students.In the four aspects of anxiety scale,the anxiety level of being questioned among pharmaceutical students was the lowest,however,the level of general anxiety among medical students was the highest.Some factors such as tolerance of ambiguity,CET4 score,professional knowledge and personality may influence their classroom learning anxiety to varied degrees.It is suggested that teachers pay special attention to the questioning in class and the control of teaching pace,balance students' individual differences,teach in accordance with students' aptitude and keep all of them under a moderate level of tension and anxiety so as to make students take part in classroom activities actively.At the same time,the school and related departments should also take necessary measures to increase students' emphasis to ESP courses in order to improve the teaching quality and achieve better teaching effect.