Language Anxiety. Restriction of Saarländisch in the Classroom

Master's Thesis from the year 2019 in the subject Speech Science / Linguistics, grade: A, University of the Basque Country, language: English, abstract: This thesis explores how power relationships between language varieties are related to students experiencing language anxiety. It has specifically been looked into the relationship between the restriction of Saarländisch in the classroom and students experiencing language anxiety in the context of a primary school located in a rural area in the German federal state Saarland. In this area, the language variety Saarländisch is commonly not accepted within the classroom. This thesis comprises an empirical study which has been analysed in a mix-method using both qualitative and quantitative data. The sample group consisted of 20 students in grade 4 who have been picked after answering a background questionnaire and who were then given the main questionnaire related to how Saarländisch is viewed in the classroom, the restriction of Saarländisch in school and language anxiety. Furthermore, the two teachers who teach the aforementioned students have been questioned in interviews. It has been investigated that Saarländisch is seen as inferior to Standard German both in general and within the classroom. Even though, the restriction of Saarländisch in the classroom and students’ language anxiety have been found to not have a statistically significant correlation with each other, some qualitatively and quantitatively obtained data indicated a relation between the two variables. Therefore, the definition of language anxiety should be rethought and extended referring to learning and/or using different language varieties rather than only referring to the anxiety that appears when learning and/or using a second/foreign language.