How language anxiety erodes learners' confidence

It turns out that foreign language learning is more than mastering vocabulary and grammar — it can also be emotionally challenging because students must perform publicly — often in front of classmates — and any mistake can bring embarrassment.

Researchers have found that many learners experience foreign language (FL) anxiety: feelings of worry, tension, and even physical stress when speaking, writing, or being evaluated. This anxiety can drain attention, trigger self-doubt, and reduce learners' sense of control, ultimately weakening confidence and slowing progress.

By examining 26,589 students across 37 studies, we found a consistent pattern: students who feel more anxious about learning a foreign language tend to feel less confident in their ability to learn it. This pattern holds regardless of students' age, the type of anxiety, how confidence was measured, differences between native and foreign languages, gender, country, or year.

These findings suggest that fear of failure in language learning is a universal thief of confidence.

Scholars suggest this connection may operate in three ways. First, a student with FL anxiety may face four cascading forces: inhibition, frustration, distracting thoughts, and physical reactions.

When facing a daunting task, like writing an essay in a foreign language, they may feel inadequate and become inhibited, reluctant to try or express themselves. Such struggles often lead to frustration, which can then fuel anxiety. This anxiety may trigger a chorus of distracting thoughts about inadequacy ("I'm just dumb"), excuses ("I feel a migraine coming on"), or even the urge to flee ("I need to see a doctor"). In the grip of anxiety, students may experience emotional turmoil, foggy thinking, and physical symptoms such as headaches or heartburn. Over time, each component of this cycle chips away at their self-confidence and fills them with self-doubt.

Second, according to control-value theory, students who believe in their abilities tend to feel more in control of their learning. As a result, they expect greater success, experience more positive emotions, and feel fewer negative ones. Conversely, those who doubt their abilities often anticipate failure, feel less control, and experience stronger negative emotions — especially anxiety.

Third, according to social cognitive theory, students who are more confident in their ability to deal with potential threats typically worry less. By contrast, those with lower confidence experience greater anxiety and may ruminate about mistakes or negative outcomes.

Breaking the cycle

But fear can be tamed. Schools and teachers can restore students' confidence in language learning in five ways.

First, build strong teacher-student relationships to ease anxiety. Teachers can chat with students before class, after class, or during recess. Discussions in small groups or with the whole class also help teachers and students listen to and learn from one another. As trust grows, students may worry less about public embarrassment when they make mistakes. In turn, they often feel less anxious and more confident about speaking a foreign language.

Second, set clear and fair performance standards. Transparent expectations reduce uncertainty and prevent students from imagining worst-case outcomes. When students understand what counts as success — and believe the standards are reasonable — they are less likely to feel overwhelmed, which can reduce anxiety and strengthen confidence.

Third, teach students how to manage anxiety directly. Simple strategies like deep breathing, short reflective pauses, and reframing their thoughts can empower students to respond to anxiety rather than be dominated by it.

Fourth, have groups of students work toward meaningful goals to build solidarity and reduce fear. Collaborative learning activities like L2 digital storytelling (creating short stories in a second language using digital tools) or wiki editing (working together to improve a shared online page) can make foreign language learning more enjoyable and confidence-building, while also easing anxiety.

Fifth, help students recognize progress and respond to setbacks with resilience. When students learn to celebrate their progress — however small — and embrace their mistakes as stepping-stones, they can break the cycle of insecurity and reclaim confidence from the clutches of fear.

Written by Shuqi Zhou, lecturer, College of Foreign Languages, Donghua University; Mingming Chiu, director, Analytics/Assessment Research Centre, chair professor, department of special education and counselling, The Education University of Hong Kong; and Zehua Dong, associate professor, Jing Hengyi School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University.