Foreign Language Teaching Anxiety in Pre-Service and In-Service English Teachers

Strategic Insights -

Research has reconceptualized foreign language teaching anxiety (FLTA) as a multidimensional construct involving both linguistic and non-linguistic components. A study surveyed 170 pre-service and 186 in-service English teachers to investigate the intricacies of FLTA. The findings highlight the interconnectedness of linguistic and non-linguistic dimensions within both groups, with self-perception of language proficiency and lack of student interest emerging as central dimensions.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study reconceptualized FLTA as a multidimensional construct, involving both linguistic and non-linguistic components, and found that the interaction of these two types of anxieties differs between pre-service and in-service teachers.
  • The psychological network analysis revealed intricate interrelationships among linguistic and non-linguistic FLTA dimensions within both pre-service and in-service teacher groups.
  • The results showed that self-perception of language proficiency and lack of student interest emerged as the most central dimensions in the pre-service and in-service teacher networks, respectively.
  • Network comparison tests identified significant differences in two interrelationships: lack of student interest-fear of negative evaluation, and teaching inexperience-fear of negative evaluation.
  • The study advanced understanding of FLTA by highlighting its complexity and situational specificity through a complex systems lens.
  • The findings have practical implications for teacher education and instructed second language acquisition.

Statistics:

  • 356 English teachers were surveyed in total (170 pre-service and 186 in-service).
  • The study used psychological network analysis to visualize intricate interrelationships among linguistic and non-linguistic FLTA dimensions.
  • Self-perception of language proficiency emerged as the most central dimension in the pre-service teacher network (0.34).
  • Lack of student interest emerged as the most central dimension in the in-service teacher network (0.27).
  • Significant differences in interrelationships identified between pre-service and in-service teachers: lack of student interest-fear of negative evaluation (0.15) and teaching inexperience-fear of negative evaluation (0.11).

Sources:

  • (Language Teaching Research, 2025)
  • (Guofang Zeng, Zhejiang University, People's Republic of China)
  • (NewsRx, October 18, 2025; p 6847)