Affective Factors in Language Learning: The Impact of Foreign Language Anxiety (FLA)

Abstract

The value that has been lately assigned to language knowledge has contributed to the development of linguistic research. Among the most significant advances in the field there is the emergence of differential psychology, which focuses primarily on the relationship between learners’ individual differences and their language learning outcomes. Although this intricate issue has been deeply studied, no conclusive findings are available yet. For the purpose of providing a comprehensive overview of this complex domain, a brief summary of the main students’ variables influencing language learning is presented in this project. Special emphasis is placed on cognitive and affective factors, and more particularly on anxiety. Foreign language anxiety is actually the focal point of the present study, which aims to raise knowledge and understanding of such an overlooked feature. Therefore, the main goal of this project is to review the most relevant approaches and theories regarding the aforementioned factor. In order to achieve this target, a thorough analysis of its principal effects and causes together with a deep evaluation of its pedagogical implications is included. The practical application of these theoretical assumptions is eventually illustrated in a teaching proposal. The suggested activities are intended to help instructors face the problems that language anxiety may bring to the classroom.