Investigating Chinese University-Level L2 Learners’ Foreign Language Anxiety in Online English Classes

Abstract

The growing importance of online classes due to the outbreak of COVID-19 raises concerns about foreign language anxiety in online English classes. However, few studies have focused their attention on this issue. Accordingly, the current study will investigate Chinese university students' foreign language anxiety in online English classes. In addition, it has examined the extent to which age and gender may impact their foreign language anxiety. Ninety-nine Chinese university non-English majors participated in the study. The results demonstrate that 1) among the three aspects of language anxiety proposed by Horwitz et al. (1986), the participants got the highest score in fear of negative evaluation and the lowest in test anxiety. 2) There is a negative relationship between gender and fear of negative evaluation. Possible reasons for the results and some suggestions for online teaching are provided.