SECOND LANGUAGE ANXIETY AND ACHIEVEMENT: A META-ANALYSIS
Abstract
Second language (L2) anxiety has been the object of constant empirical and theoretical attention for several decades. As a matter of both theoretical and practical interest, much of the research in this domain has examined the relationship between anxiety and L2 achievement. The present study meta-analyzes this body of research. Following a comprehensive search, a sample of 97 reports were identified, contributing a total of 105 independent samples ( N = 19,933) from 23 countries. In the aggregate, the 216 effect sizes (i.e., correlations) reported in the primary studies yielded a mean of r = −.36 for the relationship between L2 anxiety and language achievement. Moderator analyses revealed effects sizes to vary across different types of language achievement measures, educational levels, target languages, and anxiety types. Overall, this study provides firm evidence for both the negative role of L2 anxiety in L2 learning and the moderating effects of a number of (non)linguistic variables. We discuss the findings in the context of theoretical and practical concerns, and we provide direction for future research.
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The relationship between FLCA and academic achievement is an oft-researched topic.
“As the construct of FLCA is intrinsically tied to classroom learning, the relationship between FLCA and academic achievement is an oft-researched topic (Teimouri, Goetze, & Plonsky, 2019).”
From The Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale and Academic Achievement: An Overview of the Prevailing Literature and a Meta-analysis (2020) · cites this paper as Teimouri, Goetze, & Plonsky, 2019
Only 33 of the 67 studies included in this meta-analysis were also captured by Teimouri et al. (2019).
“Although it should be noted that the meta-analysis conducted by Teimouri et al. (2019) was a broader study on general second language anxiety and academic achievement, and as such only 33 of the 67 studies included in this meta-analysis were also captured by Teimouri et al. (2019).”
From The Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale and Academic Achievement: An Overview of the Prevailing Literature and a Meta-analysis (2020) · cites this paper as Teimouri et al. (2019)
Teimouri, Goetze, and Plonsky (2019) found an overall effect size of r = -.36 (k = 105; N = 19 933) between FLCA and academic achievement.
“It should be noted that a meta-analysis was recently conducted by Teimouri, Goetze, and Plonsky (2019) on second language anxiety and achievement, which found an overall effect size of r = -.36 (k = 105; N = 19 933) between FLCA and academic achievement.”
From The Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale and Academic Achievement: An Overview of the Prevailing Literature and a Meta-analysis (2020) · cites this paper as Teimouri, Goetze, and Plonsky, 2019
The overall effect size for general academic achievement (r = -.39) was markedly similar to the one found in the meta-analysis of Teimouri et al. (2019) of r = -.36 (k = 105; N = 19,933).
“In addition, the overall effect size found for general academic achievement was markedly similar to the one found in the meta-analysis of Teimouri et al. (2019) of r = -.36 (k = 105; N = 19,933).”
From The Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale and Academic Achievement: An Overview of the Prevailing Literature and a Meta-analysis (2020) · cites this paper as Teimouri et al. (2019)
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“In the context of L2 learning, anxiety can affect language learners’ performance (Liu, 2022; Teimouri et al., 2019).”
- Authors
- Teimouri, Y., Goetze, J., & Plonsky, L.
- Affiliations
- Georgetown University (US)
- Washington University in St. Louis (US)
- Northern Arizona University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Teimouri, Yasser
- Venue
- Studies in Second Language Acquisition
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2019-02-19
- Volume
- 41
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 363-387
- ISSN
- 0272-2631 (ISSN-L)
- 1470-1545
- OpenAlex
- W2917548179
- Semantic Scholar
- 8d1588a3c5cfa75c19e95f60fa78491a838626e1
- Cited by
- 611
- References
- 73
- Citations by year
- 2026: 134 · 2025: 126 · 2024: 88 · 2023: 89 · 2022: 81 · 2021: 50 · 2020: 30 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 1
- FWCI
- 204.33
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Update notices
- correction (2019-07-04)
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Studies in Second Language Acquisition (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Language and Linguistics › EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Second Language Acquisition and Learning
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Communication in Education and Healthcare
- Keywords
- second language anxiety, second language achievement, moderating effect, target language, educational attainment, anxiety types, effect size
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