本研究主要的目的是探討錄音式對話日誌是否能夠降低學生說英語時的焦慮。本研究為期一學期，對象為淡江大學西語系二年級學生，實驗之初有十八名學生自願參加錄音式對話日誌，中途有七名學生退出。研究對象每週錄製三分鐘的日誌並交給研究者，研究者針對錄音內容錄製回饋。資料蒐集方式包括研究者設計的問卷、學生每週的錄音，及個別訪談，以了解學生對錄音式對話日誌的感想，和學生在參加錄音前後英語口說焦慮的變化。研究結果顯示，大多數的研究對象在參加錄音式對話日誌後，英語口說焦慮較參加之前低。錄音式對話日誌提供一個舒適、低焦慮的環境讓學生有勇氣開口說英文，也提供學生更多練習說英文的機會。當學生的口說能力增加時，他們的信心也更增強；研究者認為，錄音式對話日誌可作為學生朝向面對面溝通的第一步。研究結果顯示錄音式對話日誌有助於學生英語口語能力進步。研究者認為錄音式對話日誌的練習，有助於降低學生英語口說焦慮，更可以當作學生成為一名流利的溝通高手前的基本練習。本研究也提供實際的教學建議，以及實行錄音式對話日誌的建議。

This study intended to investigate the effects of audiotaped dialogue journals on reducing students’ speaking anxiety.  Initially, 18 Spanish majors at Tamkang University volunteered to participate in the recording project; nevertheless, only 11 of them completed the project.  During the course of the project, the participants recorded journal entries every week for three minutes and turned them in to the researcher.  After listening to students’ recordings, the researcher recorded feedback and returned it back to the students.  The instrument of the study included a questionnaire, students’ audiotaped journal entries, and one-on-one interviews.  At the end of the project, all of the participants, including the dropouts, were interviewed individually.  In addition, the 11 participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire.  From the results of the questionnaires, students’ responses in the interviews, and the researcher’s observation, most of the participants’ anxiety in speaking English was lowered down after the audiotaped dialogue journal project.  Oral dialogue journals created a comfortable, low-anxiety environment for the participants to speak up and practice speaking English.  As students build competence, their confidence was also reinforced.  The recording project could serve as a first step toward face- to- face communication.  Results of the study revealed that oral dialogue journals might be a good way for the students to improve speaking skills.  In a nutshell, the researcher was convinced that audiotaped dialogue journals could be served as a foundation for real-life communication and through them; students are able to practice speaking in a less anxious manner.  Pedagogical implications and suggestions for future research were also discussed in the study.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………………………….	i
CHINESE ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………..	ii
ENGLISH ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………..	iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS……………………………………………………………	v
	
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION……………………………………………….	 1
   Background……………………………………………………………………...	1
Statement of the Problem………………………………………………………..	3
Lack of English speaking environment……………………………………...	 4
Problems in Taiwan’s English teaching……………………………………...	 4
      Speaking Anxiety…………………………………………………………….	 6
   Using Audiotaped Dialogue Journals to Reduce Students’ Speaking Anxiety………………………………………………………………..................	
 8
   Purpose of the Study…………………………………………………………….	 9
   Significance of the Study………………………………………………………..	10
   Research Questions……………………………………………………………...	10
	
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF LITERATURE……………………………………	11
Perspectives of Anxiety………………………………………………………….	12
Foreign Language Anxiety………………………………………………………	13
      Components of Foreign Language Anxiety…………………………………	13
Debilitating and Facilitating Effects of Foreign Language Anxiety………...	15
      Studies on Foreign Language Anxiety in Taiwan…………………………...	16
         The Relationship between Foreign Language Anxiety and 
Learning Achievement ………………………………………………….	
17
         Teacher Characteristics/Behaviors and Language Anxiety……………...	18
         Anxiety-provoking Situations…………………………………………...	18
         Studies Relevant to Speaking Anxiety…………………………………..	19
Suggestions from the Previous Studies………………………………….	19
   Definition of Dialogue Journals and Audiotaped Dialogue Journals……………	21
   A Brief History of Dialogue Journals…………………………………………...	22
Studies on Dialogue Journal Writing in Language Learning……………………	23
Studies on Audiotaped dialogue journals………………………………………..	26
	
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY…………………………………………...	32
Research Questions…………………………………………...............................	32
Participants…………………………………………............................................	32
Instrument………………………………………….............................................	33
Procedure…………………………………………..............................................	34
Data Collection and Data Analysis………………………………………….......
	36
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION……………………………….	37
Results…………………………………………...…………………………….. .	37
         Results of the Questionnaires…………………………………………....	37
         Results of the Interviews…………………………………………...........	39
         Researcher’s Observation of the Audiotaped Dialogue Journal 
Entries………………………………………….......................................
Grace’s Case……………………………………………………………
Audiotaped Dialogue Journals Provided Students More Chances to Practice English………………………………………………………….
Audiotaped Dialogue Journals Built Close Teacher-Student 
Relationships……………………………………………………………..
Interviewing the Dropout Participants……………………………………	
43
44

46

47
48
Discussion………………………………………….............................................	49
      Effects of Audiotaped Dialogue Journals on the Participants’ 
Speaking Anxiety…………………………………………............................	
50
         Findings Relevant to Previous Research………………………………...	50
Weaknesses of Audiotaped Dialogue Journals…………………………..	52
      The Ways to Correct Student Errors…………………………………………	55
     Audiotaped Dialogue Journals on Teacher-student Relationship	56
      The Effectiveness of Audiotaped Dialogue Journals on the 
Advanced Student…………………………………………...........................	
57
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………….	58
	
CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS……………………….	59
Summary of the Study…………………………………………………………...	59
Pedagogical Implications………………………………………………………..	60
Limitation of the Study………………………………………….........................	61
Suggestions for Future Research…………………………………………...........	61
	
REFERENCES…………………………………………...........................................	63
APPENDIXES…………………………………………............................................	75
   A. Questionnaire………………………………………………...........................	75
   B. Interview Questions.………………………………………………………….	79
   C. Instructional Sheet for the Audiotaped Dialogue Journal Project.…………...	80
   D. Reference Topics for the Participants.……………………………………….	81
TABLE	
   4.1 Results of the Questionnaire………………………………………………….	38

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