Anxiety among learners of Arabic as a foreign language in Saudi Arabia

Abstract EN

This study examines foreign language anxiety among Arabic learners enrolled on different programmes.

Data was collected from 186 students, all of them were learning Arabic as a foreign language.

The students were asked to complete the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) developed by Horwitz et al., (1986), following the modifications to the scale made by Elkhafaifi (2005).

The results of this study reveal that foreign language students experience anxiety in regard to a variety of aspects of language learning.

In addition, foreign language anxiety experienced by learners of Arabic was found to differ according to the type of programme they were enrolled on.

Based on these findings, it is suggested that the concerns that are voiced by students on this issue should be taken into account by the Institute for the Teaching of Arabic to Non-Arabs (ITANA) so that a more supportive learning environment can be facilitated.