Second language anxiety: Construct, effects, and sources

Second language (L2) anxiety is the most studied affective factor in the field of second language acquisition. Numerous studies have been conducted on this emotion from different perspectives over the last few decades. These studies can be classified into three groups. The first group has tried to conceptualize and operationalize L2 anxiety and identify the different components or dimensions of the construct (e.g., Cheng, 2004; Horwitz et al., 1986). The second group has explored the impact of L2 anxiety on various motivational, behavioral, learning, and performance aspects of L2 learning (e.g., Gkonou et al., 2017). Finally, the third group has investigated different sources of L2 anxiety (Papi & Khajavy, 2021). In this manuscript, we will draw on studies from the three strands to present an overview of the state of research on this construct and conclude by discussing major issues with the conceptualization, measurement, and design of studies on L2 anxiety.