Introduction

In this final chapter, we would like to bring together the main themes emerging from all contributions to this volume in terms of recent developments in theorising about language anxiety, empirically investigating it and suggesting practical ideas for addressing it. As many authors in this anthology have acknowledged, research into language anxiety is not new to the field of second language acquisition (SLA) (cf. Horwitz, 2010). In this sense, the present volume could be viewed as a compilation of new insights into language anxiety which, taken together, are indicative of a need to broaden the agenda on three fronts: theory, research and practice. In what follows, we discuss what we feel are the most salient themes with regard to language anxiety and these three aspects.

Theorising About Language Anxiety

A common thread evident in most chapters in this volume is the recognition that language anxiety is not monolithic and unidimensional but might more usefully be conceived of as a complex construct. In his overview of language anxiety research and trends in its development, MacIntyre discusses the increasingly influential Dynamic Approach in which anxiety is conceptualised and investigated in connection with a complex set of language experiences. Additionally, strong interconnections were found to exist between anxiety and other language learning psychology constructs. For example, Horwitz suggests that language anxiety, motivation, autonomy and self-concept should be studied in tandem. Şimşek and Dörnyei propose a new, self-based conceptualisation of language anxiety which they designate the ‘anxious self’, thus highlighting the link between anxiety and the self. Gkonou demonstrates that learner agency and extrinsic interest in the foreign language interplay with language anxiety. Tóth found that there exists a strong, dynamic relation between high anxiety levels and self-perceived competence and ability. Mercer (2013: 376) has argued that ‘at present, SLA is undergoing what could be termed a “complexity turn” [...] as researchers become increasingly aware of and sensitive to the inherent complexity and dynamism involved in learning and teaching foreign languages’.