The relationship between reading and listening anxieties in EFL classrooms: Exploring the mediating effect of foreign language classroom anxiety

Abstract

Abstract The purpose of the current study is threefold: (a) to present a descriptive picture of classroom anxiety (FLCA), reading anxiety (FLRA), and listening anxiety (FLLA) in foreign language classrooms; (b) to explore the association between FLCA, FLRA, and FLLA; and (c) to test the mediating effect of FLCA on the relationship between FLRA and FLLA. The participants included 341 tertiary-level students studying at the English Preparatory Program of four public universities in the Turkish EFL context. The data were collected at the beginning of the 2022 fall semester through the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale, Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scale, and Foreign Language Listening Anxiety Scale. The descriptive findings indicated a moderate level of FLCA, FLRA, and FLLA among the participants. In addition, significant and positive correlations were found between these three types of anxieties, with the strongest correlation between FLRA and FLLA. In the last stage of the analysis, it was found that FLCA partially and significantly mediated the relationship between FLRA and FLLA. Finally, directions for further research on investigating skill-based anxieties are presented.