151. Psychological adaptation difficulties and anxiety relief in cross-cultural language learning

Abstract Background Intercultural language learners commonly face challenges in social interaction, language expression, and learning adaptation in unfamiliar cultural environments. Studies show that approximately 50% of international students experience language anxiety, 35% experience social withdrawal or decreased self-esteem, and over 40% experience limitations in academic and daily life due to communication barriers. Psychologically supportive language courses, as a proactive intervention combining emotion regulation exercises, expressive exposure, and peer interaction, can improve language anxiety and social adaptation through positive feedback, role-playing, and cultural understanding training. Therefore, this study uses psychological scale assessments to analyze the improvement of psychological anxiety and adaptation in intercultural language learners, and evaluates its actual effects on communication anxiety, learning confidence, and social integration experience, providing empirical evidence for intercultural education interventions. Methods This study included 160 international students aged 18-25 years who were entering a target language learning environment for the first time and were receiving Chinese or English language instruction at overseas universities. Participants were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 80) and a control group (n = 80). The intervention group received a 10-week psychological support language intervention, three times a week for 90 minutes each time. The intervention included: ① language communication anxiety management training, ② cultural difference expression and coping exercises, and ③ group collaboration and interaction strategies with immediate teacher feedback. The control group only received regular language classes and assignments. Psychological status was assessed using the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) and the Social Adaptation Assessment Scale (SAAS) at pre-intervention (T0), during intervention (week 5, T1), and post-intervention (T2). Independent samples t-tests were used to compare the two groups, with a significance level set at p<.05. Cohen's d effect size was also used to evaluate the magnitude of the intervention effect. Results The total FLCAS score in the intervention group decreased from 71.6 ± 7.8 in stage T0 to 52.3 ± 6.4 in stage T2 (p<.001, d = 2.61), with significant improvements in communication phobia and negative self-evaluation sub-items (p<.01). The intervention group's SAAS score showed a significant improvement in social adaptability, rising from 42.7 ± 5.9 in stage T0 to 57.8 ± 6.2 in stage T2 (p<.001, d = 2.41), which manifested as increased willingness to participate in class, increased peer interaction, and improved learning confidence. In contrast, the FLCAS and SAAS scores of the control group did not change significantly during T0 to T2 (p>.05). Discussion A 10-week psychologically supportive language course significantly alleviated classroom anxiety in intercultural language learners and improved their social adaptability and learning engagement. The results indicate that systematic, contextualized emotional support and collaborative language teaching can effectively improve the mental health of intercultural language learners, providing quantifiable intervention data for intercultural education management. Future research could further explore intervention duration, combinations of intervention content adapted to different cultural backgrounds, and long-term follow-up data to optimize the intercultural learning psychological counseling system and support the development of precise guidance strategies. Funding No. XSYXSGG202108; No. 2023YB53; No. SGH24Y3013; No. 20251793; No. S202510722055; No. XSYXTT233.