Review of Foreign Students’ Turkish Learning Anxiety

The aim of this study is to examine the Turkish learning anxiety levels of foreign students and whether their anxiety levels differ in terms of some socio-demographic variables. In the study, causal-comparative model, one of the quantitative research methods, is used. The population of the study consists of foreign students (aged between 10-15) studying in public secondary schools in Basaksehir district of Istanbul province. The sample of the study includes 372 students. Before the study, it is tested whether the students have sufficient Turkish knowledge to understand the questions in the scale. Participants are asked 5 questions to measure their Turkish reading comprehension levels. The surveys filled out by participants who answer 4 of these questions correctly (350 students) are included in the data set. In the study, “Turkish Learning Anxiety Scale of Foreigners” is used as a data collection tool. The results of the research show that the anxiety levels of foreign students in the process of learning Turkish are high. Anxiety levels felt by foreign students in the process of learning Turkish differ significantly according to the variables of native language, language spoken at home, country of origin and mother's education level. The anxiety levels felt by the students in the process of learning Turkish do not show a significant difference according to the variables of other languages known, father's education level and Turkish education received out of the school. High level of anxiety in the process of learning Turkish is a factor that can negatively affect students' performance in the entire language learning process. Considering this situation, it is useful to teach students strategies to reduce anxiety and to raise awareness of teachers and parents about the negative effects of anxiety.