Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety, Gender, Discipline, and English Test Performance: A Cross-lagged Regression Study

Abstract

The present research investigated the quasi-causal relationship between foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA) and English performance in relation to gender and discipline via cross-lagged regression analyses. A total of 934 freshmen from a well-known state-owned university in Beijing answered the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale and a background questionnaire at the beginning and the end of a term. Their English test scores in both phases were also collected. Results demonstrated that FLCA was significantly negatively correlated with English test performance for all students. Another major finding was that the overall FLCA, low self-confidence in speaking English, and worry about English classroom performance impacted the students’ test performance differently, depending on gender and discipline, so did test performance impact different aspects of FLCA. These findings show that FLCA is a primary cause for test performance, while the latter is not necessarily an important cause for the former.