Gender Differences in English Language Anxiety among Moroccan University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54536/ajhp.v3i1.3761Keywords:
Communication Apprehension, English Language Anxiety, Gender Differences, Negative Evaluation, Test AnxietyAbstract
This study focuses on gender differences in English Language anxiety among Moroccan students. A structured questionnaire was employed for data collection by adopting a cross-sectional research design. The respondents comprised 240 university students; the questionnaire included respondents’ demographic data and the English Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (ELCAS). The study aimed to answer three research questions: (1) Does gender significantly influence English language anxiety among Moroccan students? (2) What variables cause male and female students’ English language anxiety? (3) How does English language anxiety affect male and female students’ academic achievement and well-being? The study affirms that the level of English anxiety significantly differs by gender, and the female students had higher English anxiety. Some significantly identified factors include fear of negative evaluation and communication apprehension. The study thus advocates for tailored intervention to address gender-specific language anxiety and promote the student’s academic achievement and well-being.
References
Cheng, Y. S., Horwitz, E. K., & Schallert, D. L. (1999). Language anxiety: Differentiating writing and speaking components. Language Learning, 49(3), 417-446. https://doi.org/10.1111/0023-8333.00095
Elkhafaifi, H. (2005). Listening comprehension and anxiety in the Arabic language classroom. The Modern Language Journal, 89(2), 206-220. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.2005.00275.x
Gregersen, T., & Horwitz, E. K. (2002). Language learning and perfectionism: Anxious and non-anxious language learners’ reactions to their own oral performance. The Modern Language Journal, 86(4), 562-570. https://doi.org/10.1111/1540-4781.00161
Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M. B., & Cope, J. (1986). Foreign language classroom anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 70(2), 125-132. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1986.tb05256.x
Liu, M., & Huang, W. (2011). An exploration of foreign language anxiety and English learning motivation. Education Research International, 2011, Article ID 493167. https://doi.org/10.1155/2011/493167
MacIntyre, P. D., & Gardner, R. C. (1994). The subtle effects of language anxiety on cognitive processing in the second language. Language Learning, 44(2), 283-305. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-1770.1994.tb01103.x
Matsuda, S., & Gobel, P. (2004). Anxiety and predictors of performance in the foreign language classroom. System, 32(1), 21-36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2003.08.002
Park, H., & French, B. F. (2013). Gender differences in the foreign language classroom anxiety scale. System, 41(2), 462-471. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2013.04.001
Saito, Y., Garza, T. J., & Horwitz, E. K. (1999). Foreign language reading anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 83(2), 202-218. https://doi.org/10.1111/0026-7902.00016
Scovel, T. (1978). The effect of affect on foreign language learning: A review of the anxiety research. Language Learning, 28(1), 129-142. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-1770.1978.tb00309
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Youssef Baba Khouya

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.