How Stressful Language Learning Is For Me.

Source of Questionnaire: Greg Thomson

Directions: Put your answer to the following statements in the left hand column, choosing a number from a scale of 1 to 6 as follows: 1 = "very much like me" and 6 = "hardly at all like me". Don't use fractions in your answers!

	1. I feel fully relaxed when speaking to local strangers in their language.
	2. I almost never feel bad when I realize I have made a grammar error in my new language.
	3. I don't mind speaking in front of other learners who are more advanced than I am.
	4. It doesn't bother me if a fellow learner seems to be learning more quickly than I am.
	5. When speaking to local good friends in their language, I rarely feel nervous.
	6. When I make a grammar mistake, I don't mind if I can't understand what I did wrong.
	7. I almost always look forward with pleasure to language sessions/or classes.
	8. My heart almost never speeds up when I have to speak this language to someone.
	9. If someone talks to me and I only half understand, I don't feel under pressure.
	10. I almost never feel discouraged about the complexity of the grammar.
	11. If a native speaker seems to think that I sound funny, I don't mind.
	12. I almost always feel relaxed going into my language session/class.
	13. I almost always feel encouraged at the end of my language session/class.
	14. It is almost always pleasant for me to use the language in real life interactions.
	15. If I realize I said something ridiculous, it doesn't really bother me.
	Score (add up the answers)

Interpretation:

If your score is near 15, you find language learning a low stress activity, pleasant and enjoyable. If your score is 60 or higher, you may need to think of ways to deal with the relatively high stress or unpleasantness of your language learning experience. How might you do this? Example: discuss with colleagues, get in touch with the deeper thoughts underneath the stress you feel (fear of failure? competition with colleagues?) to deal with these in a healthy way.