Strategies to Reduce Foreign Language Anxiety in Adult EFL Students of the European Union

Author

Kathleen Hershner, University of San FranciscoFollow

Date of Graduation

Spring 5-21-2015

Document Access

Project/Capstone - Global access

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

College/School

School of Education

Department/Program

International and Multicultural Education (IME)

First Advisor

Dr. Onllwyn C. Dixon

Abstract

One of paradoxes in adult foreign language learning is that older learners must communicate in the very language, in this case English, they struggle to acquire. The discomfort that arises from needing to use deficient or non-existent skills in a new language is more acutely felt in adults than children. Adults approach learning new languages with an assumed level of control over themselves and their environment and can easily become frustrated when they're unable to maintain their usual levels of confidence and competence, which can lead to foreign language anxiety. FLA is a specific kind of anxiety defined as an unpleasant emotional condition characterized by feelings of tension and apprehension. As English is now firmly positioned as the lingua franca in the European Union and is the most commonly spoken foreign language throughout the E.U., working adults are often required to learn English for job security or advancement. EFL teachers can use the strategies in this project to mitigate the tension and psychological stress caused by FLA and increase the levels of motivation, commitment and enjoyment their adult students experience when learning English.

Recommended Citation

Hershner, Kathleen, "Strategies to Reduce Foreign Language Anxiety in Adult EFL Students of the European Union" (2015). Master's Projects and Capstones. 483.
https://repository.usfca.edu/capstone/483