Foreign language anxiety and cognition: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Many studies have investigated how cognitive factors (e.g. working memory and attention) and emotional-motivational factors (such as foreign language anxiety) may impact foreign language (FL) learning. Despite this progress, there is still much to be understood about the combined effect of these factors on the FL learning process. This systematic review aims to address this gap by analysing the relationship between foreign language anxiety and cognition. The review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The search strategy identified 278 studies, of which only 13 eligible records were identified, after the screening process. The eligible studies explored the relationship between foreign language anxiety and cognitive factors, such as cognitive load, working memory, attention, and need for cognition. These studies generally indicated that foreign language anxiety (FLA) is associated with higher cognitive load, lack of attention and poorer working memory functioning. This result is fully supported by the metanalytic result (θ =–0.28, Z = −10.20, SE = 0.027, p < 0.001). Future research should specifically examine the impact of FLA on cognitive abilities, focusing on intra-linguistic factors in native and foreign languages. Conducting rigorous experiments with robust random sampling and similar instruments will help making the results comparable and generalisable.