A Cross-Cultural Study on Iranian and Arab L2 Learners’ Foreign Language Anxiety

Abstract

This study is an attempt to provide an alternative insight into the nature of foreign language anxiety (FLA) from a cross-cultural perspective. The participants were 122 Arab and 107 Iranian second/foreign language students. The present study used a mixed methods design, i.e. questionnaire and interview, to gain a richer understanding of the participants’ FLA. It was found that in addition to experiencing anxiety due to pressures related to teacher feedback, a majority of Arabs also experienced FLA because of their perceptions of their instructors. The results further showed that both groups of participants did not consider attending additional foreign language classes anxiety-provoking. This study also corroborates the findings of the previous work on the negative relationship between FLA and self-concept variables. Finally, this view that FLA is a concern of face in different cultures is supported by the findings of the present study, especially with reference to the Iranians.