Review on Foreign Language Writing Anxiety in Second Language Context
Abstract
With a comprehensive study of foreign language (FL) acquisition, language-skill-specific anxiety has increasingly garnered the interest of scholars. Among them, foreign language writing anxiety, as a significant influencing factor of second language (L2) acquisition, has become a research focus in the domain of L2 acquisition. In-depth researches on foreign language writing anxiety can provide useful references for FL teaching practice. Therefore, this paper provides an overview of foreign language writing anxiety by summarizing previous researches and introducing typical studies in detail. Researchers have found that, most L2 learners experience moderate anxiety when performing foreign language writing (FLW). Language writing anxiety (LWA) can affect writing achievements. There are many causes of foreign language writing anxiety, in addition to peer influence and other outside influences, the majority of L2 learners suffer from anxiety for personal reasons. L2 learners can address foreign language writing anxiety through various strategies such as self-regulation and some external means.
References
- Carroll, S. E. (1999). Putting “input” in its proper place. Second Language Research, 15(4), 337–388.
- Mlynarczyk, R. (1998). Conversations of the mind: The uses of journal writing for second-language learners. Erlbaum.
- Harklau, L. (2002). The role of writing in classroom second language acquisition. Journal of Second Language Writing, 11(4), 329-350.
- Cheng, Y.-S. (2004). A measure of second writing anxiety: Scale development and preliminary validation. Journal of Second Language Writing, 13, 313-335.
- Spielberger, C. D. (1983). State-trait anxiety inventory for adults (Form Y): Sampler set. Mind Garden.
- Scovel, T. (1978). The effect of affect on foreign language learning: A review of the anxiety research. Language Learning, 28(1), 129-142.
- Spielberger, C. D. (1972). Anxiety as an emotional state. In Anxiety: Current Trends in Theory (pp. 3-20).
- MacIntyre, P. D., & Gardner, R. C. (1991). Investigating language class anxiety using the focused essay technique. The Modern Language Journal, 75(3), 296-304.
- Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M., & Cope, J. (1986). Foreign language classroom anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 70(2), 125-132.
- MacIntyre, P. D., & Gardner, R. C. (1991). Methods and results in the study of anxiety and language learning: A review of the literature. Language Learning, 41(1), 85-117.
- Young, D. J. (1999). Affect in foreign language and second language learning. McGraw-Hill.
- Oxford, R. L., & Ehrman, M. (1992). Second language research on individual differences. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 13, 188-205.
- Chastain, K. (1975). Affective and ability factors in second language acquisition. Language Learning, 25(1), 153-161.
- Horwitz, E. K. (1986). Preliminary evidence for the reliability and validity of a foreign-language anxiety scale. TESOL Quarterly, 20(3), 559-562.
- Guo, Y., & Xu, J. F. (2014). A multidimensional study on foreign language learning anxiety among non-foreign language major college students. Foreign Language World, (4), 2-11.
- Quvanch, Z., & Si Na, K. (2022). Evaluating Afghanistan university students’ writing anxiety in English class: An empirical study. Cogent Education, 9(1), 2040697.
- Yang, X., Zhang, M., Kong, L., Wang, Q., & Hong, J. C. (2021). The effects of scientific self-efficacy and cognitive anxiety on science engagement with the “question-observation-doing-explanation” model during school disruption in COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 30(3), 380-393.
- Hu, X., Zhang, X., & McGeown, S. (2024). Foreign language anxiety and achievement: A study of primary school students learning English in China. Language Teaching Research, 28(4), 1594-1615.
- Zhang, C., & Zhang, W. (2022). The impact of academic procrastination on second language writing: The mediating role of L2 writing anxiety. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 851120.
- Zhang, L., & Li, J. (2019). Text readability and teaching of academic paper writing. Modern Linguistics, 4, 570–576.
- Rasool, U., Qian, J., & Aslam, M. Z. (2023). An investigation of foreign language writing anxiety and its reasons among pre-service EFL teachers in Pakistan. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 947867.
- Rasool, U., Aslam, M. Z., Qian, J., & Barzani, S. (2022). The effects of online supervisory feedback on student-supervisor communications during the COVID-19 pandemic. European Journal of Educational Research, 11, 1569-1579.
- Rasool, U., Aslam, M. Z., Mahmood, R., Barzani, S. H. H., & Qian, J. (2023). Pre-service EFL teacher's perceptions of foreign language writing anxiety and some associated factors. Heliyon, 9(2).
- Ma, J., & Dong, P. (2017). Research on self-regulation strategies for college students' English writing anxiety. Foreign Language World, 5, 83-89.
- Bailey, D., & Cassidy, R. (2019). Online peer feedback tasks: Training for improved L2 writing proficiency, anxiety reduction, and language learning strategies. CALL-EJ, 20, 70-88.