The effect of anxiety on learning English as a foreign language

Abstract EN

Anxiety of/earners has become a central concern of second/ foreign language learning research since it is considered one of the affective variables that influence this process.

Studies conducted in this domain have confirmed the existence of the concept "language anxiety" and focused almost exclusively on the negative effects of tension ( or " stress " ) that Induce this phenomenon.

The present study is an endeavour to shed light on the nature of language anxiety and its role In the process of learning English as a foreign language.

Besides, the 33 - item Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale ( FLCAS ) developed by Horwitz, et al.

( 1986 ) is manipulated to identify the perceptions of EFL Iraqi learners towards feelings of anxiety during foreign language learning.

The findings come to prove that those learners are highly anxious, the fact that may explain the mediocrity of their foreign language skills.

The study ends up with presenting a number of suggestions that might be of aid to such learners to reduce the high levels of anxiety they are suffering from and to improve the environment of language learning in the classroom.