Foreign language anxiety and its mediating role on Chinese language proficiency: A case study of Chinese flagship students

Abstract This study explored the relationship between foreign language anxiety (FLA), oral proficiency, and other individual differences among 58 students in an intensive Chinese language program in the United States. The individual differences tested in this research include overseas experiences, academic year, and self‐efficacy. Participants were administered self‐reported questionnaires and completed an oral proficiency interview. We analyzed the data using Bayesian mediation analysis. Our results indicate that higher levels of anxiety were associated with lower levels of ACTFL OPI scores. Furthermore, FLA partially mediated the relationship between self‐efficacy and student oral proficiency levels, as well as between overseas experience and oral proficiency, but not between academic year and oral proficiency. These findings highlight the significant impact of FLA on language learning and provide insights for pedagogical strategies aimed at managing anxiety and enhancing oral proficiency in intensive language programs.