Sources and Consequences of Foreign Language Anxiety in Learning German: A Qualitative Approach

Language anxiety (LA) in foreign language (FL) learning has been recognized for more than three decades as a determinant factor affecting the language learning process. Thus, in recent years, there has been a particular emphasis on research on LA in the field of language teaching and learning. The relevant literature focuses, among other things, on defining LA and determining its sources and consequences and, on a second level, on strategies for dealing with it. However, in the field of FL learning in the Greek educational context, the relevant empirical research is still quite limited and, especially regarding German, which is the target language of our research, almost non-existent. Thus, in the context of the present article, a qualitative exploratory approach to LA in the learning of German as a FL in Greece is sought. Specifically, we attempted to qualitatively investigate LA in German through semi-structured interviews with advanced learners of German as a FL. Twelve advanced semester students at the School of German Language and Literature of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki participated in the study. The interviews with them were conducted online, via the Zoom platform, between late June and early July 2024. The content analysis of the subjects’ answers showed evidence consistent with the results of other international studies on LA. For example, students’ personality traits such as low self-confidence and perfectionism can be considered sources of LA, and the same is true for the classroom environment. A supportive environment and careful management of learners’ mistakes on the part of the teacher may have a calming effect on students’ LA, while, on the contrary, strictness and lack of support may intensify their anxiety. The consequences of LA are evident through the physical reactions and performance of the students of the research. These included intense heartbeat and dizziness before oral examinations, as well as overeating, while voice trembling during public speaking was a classic symptom. Furthermore, the study participants acknowledged that LA negatively affected their oral performance in German. The value of the present research lies in the fact that it seeks to contribute to the understanding and analysis of LA among FL (and particularly German) learners in Greece, something that is still a challenge for the Greek educational research. Its results may be useful to German and other FL teachers, students and researchers. More research is needed to understand LA as a factor in language learning and especially to come up with suggestions for its treatment based on empirical data.