The Effects of Computer-Mediated Communication on Foreign ...

Estimated Marginal Means
Estimated Marginal Means
Figure 6
Pre- and Post-test Anxiety Scores for Experimental Small Groups
(Heritage vs. Non-Heritage)
60
50
40
Estimated Marginal Means <strong>of</strong> MEASURE_1
At recoded group = small group
1
TIME
FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANXIETY AND CMC 53
2
HERITAGE
heritage
non-heritage
Figure 7
Pre- and Post-test Anxiety Scores for Experimental Large Group
(Heritage vs. Non-Heritage)
54
52
50
48
46
44
42
Estimated Marginal Means <strong>of</strong> MEASURE_1
At recoded group = large group
1
TIME
2
HERITAGE
heritage
non-heritage
Overall the size <strong>of</strong> the ACMC group did not have an effect on anxiety. <strong>The</strong> anxiety
scores for both the small ACMC groups and the large ACMC group dropped by about five points
from pre-test to post-test. However, in both groups the anxiety scores dropped more for nonheritage
students than it did for heritage students. In the small ACMC groups the anxiety score
dropped by about nine points (whereas it only dropped one point for heritage students) and in the
large group the anxiety score dropped about eight points (whereas it only dropped about three
points for heritage students).
One very interesting finding was that the level <strong>of</strong> anxiety after the ACMC treatment was
higher for heritage students (cf. 50.25) than for non-heritage students (cf. 44.40) in the large
experimental group. This was the only instance in this study when the heritage students
experienced a higher level <strong>of</strong> anxiety than the non-heritage students. One reason may be that
some <strong>of</strong> the heritage students in this study lacked appropriate literacy skills in Spanish (which is