3. Foreign Language Anxiety
• A distinct complex of self-
perceptions, beliefs, feelings, and
behaviors related to classroom
learning arising from the
uniqueness of the language
learning process.
3
4. • Foreign language anxiety is a
form of what psychologists
describe as specific anxiety
reaction.
• Some individuals are more
predisposed to anxiety than
others and as such may feel
anxious in a wide variety of
situations. 4
5. Conti…
• Foreign language anxiety,
however, is situation specific and
so can also affect individuals who
are not characteristically anxious
in the abovementioned, more
general, situations
5
6. 1-TRAIT ANXIETY is the general
trait of a person being
anxious.
2-STATE ANXIETY is anxiety
experienced in relation to a
particular event.
Types of LANGUAGE ANXIETY
6
7. 3-Communication apprehension: arising
from learner’s inability to express
thoughts and ideas.
4-Fear of negative social evaluation: from a
learner’s need to make a positive social
impression on others.
5-Test anxiety: nervousness from academic
evaluation.
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8. 6-DEBILITATIVE ANXIETY
• Harmful
anxiety
• Tension that
hinders
learning.
7-FACILITATIVE ANXIETY
• Helpful anxiety
• Tension that
keeps the
learner alert and
benefits the
learning process.
8
9. Sources of Anxiety
• Speaking the target language in
front of peers
• Teacher-centered classroom
• Fear of losing oneself
• Making errors
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10. Effects of Foreign Language
Anxiety
• The effects of foreign language anxiety are
particularly apparent in the foreign language
classroom and anxiety is a strong indicator of
academic performance.
• Anxiety is found to have a detrimental effect
on students’ confidence , self-esteem and
level of participation.
10
11. Conti…
• Anxious learners suffer from mental
blocks during spontaneous speaking
activities, lack of confidence, are less
able to self-edit and identify
language errors and are more likely
to employ avoidance strategies such
as skipping class.
11
12. Conti…
• Anxious students also forget
previously learned material,
volunteer answers less frequently
and have a greater tendency to
remain passive in classroom
activities than their less anxious
counterparts.
12
13. Conti…
• The effects of foreign language anxiety also
extend outside the second language
classroom.
• A high level of foreign language anxiety may
also correspond with communication
apprehension, causing individuals to be
quieter and less willing to communicate.
13
14. Conti…
• People who exhibit this kind of
communication reserve/silence can also
sometimes be perceived as less
trustworthy, less competent, less socially
and physically attractive, tenser, less
composed and less dominant than their
less reticent counterparts.
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