A Review on the Effects of Foreign Language Anxiety on Second Language Learning

Abstract

Foreign language anxiety (FLA) plays an indispensable role in students’ second language (L2) learning. This paper briefly reviewed the relevant research based on the foreign language classroom anxiety scale (FLCAS) in terms of the effects of FLA on students’ L2 skill performance and the debate on the role of FLA in L2 learning. The research indicated that FLA served as a confounding affective variable influencing L2 performance and achievement differently among the individuals. Furthermore, from the perspectives of L2 cognitive processing and the interference of the first language (L1), whether FLA was a cause or effect came under a heated discussion. Together, these findings suggest that L2 instructors should take both FLA anxiety reduction and L2 skill improvement into account to facilitate students’ L2 learning effectively.