ABSTRACT
Even though foreign language anxiety (FLA) has been studied in second language online learning more generally (Fondo & Jacobetty, 2019;Hurd, 2007;McNeil, 2014;Pichette, 2009), there is a lack of research on how FLA may affect university students’ academic engagement in online learning while studying through L2 English/French as a medium of instruction. The present study explored the effects of FLA on university students’ academic engagement with online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. We surveyed 91 students studying through L2 English as a medium of instruction (L2 EMI) and 76 students studying through L2 French as a medium of instruction (L2 FMI) at universities in Costa Rica, using two adapted scales for measuring FLA and student engagement with online learning. Students were also asked what universities can do to support those who may suffer from FLA. We conducted two exploratory factor analyses on the scales used and multiple linear regressions to explore whether FLA affected students’ academic engagement with their online learning. Results of multiple linear regression analyses suggest that for students studying through L2 EMI, FLA positively influenced their academic engagement with online learning and that coming from a rural area positively affected online engagement. For students studying through L2 FMI, FLA also had a significant positive influence on their online engagement;however, coming from a rural area did not seem to significantly affect their online engagement. Additionally, students mentioned the need for more support, mainly via better organized learning contexts and psychological support. Overall, the results showed that university students experienced FLA in online learning and that it influenced their online academic engagement.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To predict the impact of face personal protective equipment on verbal communication during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. DESIGN: We assessed the effect of common types and combinations of face personal protective equipment on speech intelligibility in quiet and in a simulated noisy environment. RESULTS: Wearing face personal protective equipment impairs transmission of middle-to-high voice frequencies and affects speech intelligibility. Surgical masks are responsible for up to 23.3% loss of speech intelligibility in noisy environments. The effects are larger in the condition of advanced face personal protective equipment, accounting for up to 69.0% reduction of speech intelligibility. CONCLUSION: The use of face personal protective equipment causes significant verbal communication issues. Healthcare workers, school-aged children, and people affected by voice and hearing disorders may represent specific at-risk groups for impaired speech intelligibility.