Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety in Online Classes: Can Learner Autonomy Help?

With the onset of the COVID-۱۹ pandemic, educational institutes around the world, including those in Iran, were forced to switch to online teaching, and this change might have an effect on learners’ Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety (FLCA). The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference between learners’ FLCA in online and in-person classes and also the effect of learner autonomy on anxiety in these two contexts. After collecting the data through an online survey using the FLCA and Learner Autonomy Questionnaires from ۳۲۷ participants, it was found that although there was a positive correlation between learners’ perceived anxiety in online and in-person classes, foreign language learners in this study were significantly more anxious in online classes than they used to be in-person ones. In addition, while the participants were highly autonomous language learners, the correlation between learner autonomy and FLCA indicated that there was a significant negative relationship between these two factors in online classes, whereas learner autonomy and FLCA in in-person classes were not significantly related. In other words, the more autonomous language learners are, the less anxious they feel in online classes, but this is not necessarily true in in-person classes. Overall, we can conclude that FLCA is significantly higher in online classes than it is in in-person classes; however, learner autonomy can help learners overcome their anxiety. Based on these findings, online teachers are recommended to help learners become more autonomous so that the anxiety experienced in online classes can be reduced.

کلیدواژه ها:

COVID-۱۹ pandemic ، Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety ، In-Person Classes ، Learner Autonomy ، Online Classes