Writing Anxiety and L2 Writing Performance: A Systematic Literature Review

This systematic literature review examines the relationship between writing anxiety and L2 writing performance. Complying with the PRISMA guidelines, 34 studies were collected from ERIC, ProQuest, LLBA, WoS, and fifteen well-known international journals, covering the period from 1975 to the present. By addressing key research questions regarding the methods employed in these studies and the recommendations offered for further research on the relationship between writing anxiety and L2 writing performance, this review sets preconditions for anxiety-relieving pedagogical strategies and contributes to the widespread application of research synthesis in SLA. The findings demonstrate that i) the joint examination of writing anxiety alongside other IDs has become a major trend; ii) correlational studies remain the primary research method, while experimental designs are relatively scarce; iii) research predominantly focuses on English majors in tertiary education, though these studies often lack sufficient demographic and proficiency details; iv) holistic measures are adopted in most research while analytic measures focus on CAF; v) critical statistical indexes of reliability and validity are commonly underreported in sample portrayal, proficiency levels, writing measurements, and data analysis. Future research is suggested to explore the integration of writing anxiety with additional IDs, use more experimental designs, include primary and secondary participants, employ more analytic measures for writing outcomes, and increase the transparency of scientific reporting. Future reviews are also recommended to meta-analyze the anxiety-L2 writing relationships, offering more robust review findings.