Foreign Language Anxiety's Impact on Immigrants and Refugees

Abstract

Foreign language anxiety (FLA) has been tested from myriad different angles with many different populations in varying locations and contexts. The research demonstrates that FLA has a consistent, moderate negative impact on the learning and performance of a foreign or second language. Those learning in a formal setting (e.g., university students) have by far been the most investigated population within FLA research. Those living in the target second language group environment, who learn and utilize a second language outside of a formal learning setting, particularly immigrants and refugees, have also been shown to be impacted by FLA. This chapter first examines past reviews of the literature on FLA. Next, examples of FLA's impact on individuals outside of formal learning settings and then FLA's impact on immigrants and refugees are examined in order to discuss the similarities and differences between FLA's impact on different populations within various learning settings.