On Foreign Language Learning Anxiety and Its Countermeasures

Foreign language learning is influenced by anxiety, one of the main blocking affective factors. Research indicated that anxiety could interfere with the acquisition, retention and production of the new language. It also indicated that serious language anxiety might cause other related problems with self-esteem, self-confidence, risk-taking ability, and ultimately hampered proficiency in foreign language. This paper discusses the main anxiety-generating factors. Basing on the conclusions of the discussion, we put forward some countermeasures to reduce learners’ anxiety, and hence optimize teaching methods and techniques.