Fears of Language Learning: A Rapid Evidence Review and Secondary Analysis of Foreign Language Anxiety with a Focus on Pakistan
Keywords:
foreign language anxiety; foreign language classroom anxiety; fear of negative evaluation; foreign language enjoyment; English-medium instruction; teacher feedback; PakistanAbstract
Foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA) is one of the most thoroughly researched affective variables in SLA literature; yet, the empirical evidence base is somewhat inconsistent, and its relevance for stakes-based and English-medium environments, such as Pakistan, is insufficiently understood. This rapid evidence review and secondary analysis summarize the international and Pakistani research on FLCA and related phenomena. Based on existing theoretical frameworks and several meta-analyses, this review demonstrates the existence of an established, substantial correlation (between −.34 and −.39) between language anxiety and achievement, with relevant moderators that relate to skill, developmental, and language-related aspects. In descriptive studies conducted in Pakistan, communication apprehension and fear of negative evaluation were found to be the main contributors to language anxiety, especially in relation to oral performance, but inconsistently about gender and achievement. The mechanisms discussed are linked to three classroom- and policy-relevant constructs particular to Pakistan, namely corrective feedback, task design, and English-medium instruction. Further gaps in the research on measurement (construct validity and the “anxiety versus skills” discussion), research design (cross-sectional correlational studies prevail; little causal inference is offered), and interventions (lack of randomized experiments, very few interventions in Pakistan) are outlined. The conclusions suggest some evidence-informed suggestions regarding teaching, assessment, and language-in-education policy in Pakistan.
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