Foreign language anxiety in Spanish adult learners of English and teachers' anxiety-reducing strategies

Abstract

This study investigated foreign language anxiety (FLA) in adult learners of a B2 Level (according to CEFR) at the official language school in Elche (EOI). The study was conducted in two stages. In the first stage, the students (n = 66) were administered the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) designed by Horwtiz, Horwitz & Cope (1986). In the second stage, the students' teachers (n = 3) were interviewed to discover their level of awareness regarding affective factors influencing the language learning process and the strategies used to reduce FLA. As a pseudo-longitudinal or dynamic approach research, statistical analyses were used to evaluate the findings and to relate them with the information taken from the interviews. Results show that teachers' usage of anxiety-reducing strategies, together with learners' self-concept managing, help anxious learners. In the last part, anxiety-reducing strategies for EFL classes are provided to support EFL teachers.