Investigating English Majors’ Online Learning Anxiety and Its Influencing Factors

Anxiety in second language acquisition refers to the tension or unease that students experience while learning a foreign language. Despite extensive research on anxiety in second language acquisition, little has been done to explore online learning anxiety. This study aimed to examine Chinese English majors’ anxiety and its influencing factors in online learning from the control-value theory perspective. Through a utilization of questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, this study found: (1) Chinese English majors exhibited a moderate level of online learning anxiety, with gender and academic year level exerting no significant influence on anxiety levels; (2) Multiple influencing factors, involving the individual learners, their teachers and peers as well as the learning environment, contributed to Chinese English majors’ online learning anxiety. It is suggested that teachers prioritize increasing communication and interaction with students in online teaching to alleviate the anxiety, boost the learning effect and promote the physical and mental well-being of the students.