Examining the Role of Anxiety, Self-efficacy, and Motivation in the Vocabulary Performance among MFL Learners

Vocabulary is the key to make communication possible, learners need to acquire adequate vocabulary to help them to communicate appropriately with the target language. to learn Chinese, a foreign learner must have a grasp of a large vocabulary sufficient for communication. This quantitative study examined the potential relationship between foreign language Motivation, Language anxiety, and self-efficacy, and achievement in Mandarin Chinese vocabulary. 98 Malay-speakers of Mandarin Chinese language novice learners in a public university in Malaysia participated in the study. An unannounced vocabulary test was used to check participants' Mandarin Chinese vocabulary performance. The learning motivation, Language anxiety, and self-efficacy were measured by specifically designed instruments that targeted Mandarin Chinese vocabulary acquisition. A multiple linear regression analysis revealed that language anxiety and self-efficacy were positive and significant determinants of Mandarin Chinese vocabulary performance, although motivation was not. This confirms that the learners’ affective feature plays a role in Mandarin Chinese vocabulary acquisition.