A study on the impact of language anxiety of university Chinese learners on their willingness to communicate

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the language anxiety of university Chinese language learners and its influence on their willingness to communicate (WTC) among 71 university students majoring in Chinese. The major findings identify three key anxiety factors: communication anxiety, fear of negative evaluation, and negative attitudes towards Chinese classes. The results show that that students with Chinese language training experience exhibit significantly lower anxiety levels, with communication anxiety being the most prominent factor influencing WTC. The study emphasizes the impact of speaking anxiety on learning and speaking frequency, emphasizing the importance of addressing communication anxiety in language education.