A Study on the Impact of Disciplinary Differences on Foreign Language Learning Anxiety — A Comparative Analysis of Science and Engineering Disciplines and Humanities and Social Sciences

Foreign language learning anxiety continues to influence college students' acquisition of foreign languages, and the factors that trigger this anxiety have received increasing attention. This study aims to explore the differences in foreign language learning anxiety and emotional regulation strategies among college students in different disciplinary contexts. Using the most widely accepted classification method, data were collected from 140 students in science and engineering disciplines and humanities and social sciences disciplines via the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS short form) and the Emotional Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ short form). The results showed that students in science and engineering disciplines generally had higher overall foreign language anxiety levels than did those in humanities and social sciences disciplines, with significant differences, particularly in dimensions such as “classroom speaking anxiety” and “self-comparison anxiety”. Humanities students exhibited significantly higher frequencies of cognitive reappraisal strategies than science and engineering students did, whereas science and engineering students tended to rely more on emotion suppression and avoidance strategies. This study elucidates the mechanisms underlying disciplinary differences in the formation and regulation of foreign language learning anxiety, providing empirical evidence for universities to implement differentiated foreign language instruction and optimize classroom emotional atmospheres.