Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) to Decrease Anxiety Levels in Learners of English as a Foreign Language

Authors

Rosa Awilda López-Fernández

Universidad APEC, República Dominicana

awildalopezfernandez@gmail.com

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8267-4855

Kyoko Ito-Morales

Universidad de Granada, Granada-Andalucía, España

kyoko@ugr.es

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9095-8797

Jerónimo Morales-Cabezas

Universidad de Granada, Granada-Andalucía, España

moralesc@ugr.es

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3446-620X

Abstract

This is an investigation based on the empirical demonstration of EFT or Emotional Freedom Technique to reduce anxiety levels in students of English as a foreign language and influence the improvement of the oral production skills. Technical English courses have a high population of students who gradually acquire a large vocabulary, master grammatical elements, etc., but still show excessive insecurity and anxiety when speaking in the target language. These students seek solutions at a cognitive level by addressing the situation with successive re-enrollment with special courses or for specific purposes. Thirty-nine (39) students of English as a foreign language from the Dominican Republic took part in this research. The use of the emotional freedom technique, focusing on the meridian tapping points of the hands was proposed. An Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to approximate the effect of the technique on the results of the exams, after applying the technique. For this purpose, the mean values before and after were considered and the parameters were formulated with a confidence level of 95% and a margin of error of 0.05%. The investigation showed that EFT decreases anxiety levels, that tapping hand meridians is effective and that the state generated after applying the technique could influence a greater mastery of the oral competence of the students of English as a foreign language.

Keywords

language anxiety english language teaching (ELT) english as a foreign language (EFL) emotional freedom techniques (EFT)

How to Cite

López-Fernández, R. A., Ito-Morales, K., & Morales-Cabezas, J. (2022). Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) to Decrease Anxiety Levels in Learners of English as a Foreign Language. Caribbean Educational Research Journal (RECIE), 6(2), 68–84. https://doi.org/10.32541/recie.2022.v6i2.pp68-84

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Section

Research article

Author Biographies

Rosa Awilda López-Fernández, Universidad APEC, República Dominicana

Master in Educational Sciences from the University of Camaguey and International Teaching Certification from the University of Cambridge. Adjunct Professor and General Academic Coordinator of the Language School of the Universidad Pro Acción y Cultura -APEC and Adjunct Professor and coordinator of the subjects of Leadership - Social Action and Ethics in English at the Universidad Iberoamericana UNIBE.

 

Kyoko Ito-Morales, Universidad de Granada, Granada-Andalucía, España

Kyoko Ito-Morales, PhD. is Full-time lecturer at University of Granada. She obtained PhD in Social Science (University of Granada, Spain), MA in Human Right (Essex University, UK) and BA in Liberal Arts (International Christian University, Japan). She developed researches in Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (Chile), Chulalongkorn University (Thailand) and Osaka University (Japan). She has worked at NGOs related to the issues of human trafficking, minority rights, rights for children refugees and immigrant rights. Her research interests are Japanese society and politics, human rights in Asia and teaching of Japanese as a foreign language and its culture. She belongs to the Research Group DLEx HUM-1011 (Didáctica de las Lenguas Extranjeras), Asociación de Estudios Japoneses en España (AEJE), Asociación Española de Estudios de Asia Oriental (AEEAO) and European Association for Japanese Studies (EAJS). She is currently Steering Committee member of APJE (Spanish Association for Professor of Japanese).

Jerónimo Morales-Cabezas, Universidad de Granada, Granada-Andalucía, España

PhD in Philology, Associate Professor in the Department of Teaching Language and Literature at the Faculty of Educational Sciences of the University of Granada (UGR). Secretary of the Official Spanish as a Foreign Language Master’s Degree of the UGR and Professor of the Official Spanish as a Foreign Language Master online of the University of Jaen (Spain). Researcher in the Project of excellence "Educational video-games for ICT classrooms", as well as in the European Project EU-SPEAK-3 for Immigrants. Member of the DLEx Research Group (Foreign Languages Teaching) of the Andalusian Research System.
Interests: Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language; ICT