Second Language Anxiety - (Psychology of Language Learning and Teaching) by Richard L Sparks (Hardcover)

About the Book

This book brings together three decades of research to show that L1 skills and L2 aptitude are confounding variables in studies of language anxiety and that learners' levels of anxiety for L2 learning are strongly related to their levels of language achievement. It holds the potential to change the ways in which we think about language anxiety.

Book Synopsis

This book brings together three decades of research to show that L1 skills and L2 aptitude are confounding variables in studies of language anxiety and that learners' levels of anxiety for L2 learning are strongly related to their levels of language achievement. It holds the potential to change the ways in which we think about language anxiety.

Review Quotes

A comprehensive exploration of 33 years of research into the L2 anxiety hypothesis, examining the relationship between L1 skills, L2 aptitude, and language achievement. This volume critically evaluates anxiety measurement tools and offers new insights, making a valuable contribution to the study of individual differences in second language acquisition.

Drawing on his wealth of expertise and experience as a researcher and practitioner, Sparks makes a compelling case explaining why the theoretical conceptualisation of L2 anxiety and the most popular measure associated with it are problematic, and why, as a consequence, anxiety cannot be regarded as a direct cause of language learning outcomes. Essential and highly thought-provoking reading for all L2 researchers interested in individual learner differences, this truly is a landmark contribution to our field.

This book sheds new light on anxiety as an independent, dependent, or intervening variable in interaction with many others, predicting both learning and communication processes. It is a welcome addition to the individual differences literature that tends to focus on aptitude and motivation.

About the Author

Richard L. Sparks is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Graduate Education at Mount St. Joseph University, USA. His research interests include L2 aptitude, L1-L2 relationships, language and learning disabilities, and foreign language anxiety, and he has published extensively in foreign language and learning disability journals. He is the author of Exploring L1-L2 Relationships: The Impact of Individual Differences (Multilingual Matters, 2022).