Gender differences in the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale

Abstract

This study examined gender differences in language anxiety and a possible influence of gender and anxiety on L2 performance. Anxiety was measured by the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) and L2 performance was determined by the final grade of 948 university students learning English in Korea. The results indicated that (a) females reported higher anxiety levels compared to males, (b) females and high anxiety students received higher grades than males and low anxiety students, respectively, (c) six items in the anxiety scale showed differential item functioning across gender with females endorsing higher levels of anxiety than males, and (d) the result of gender differences in the scale was not significantly influenced by the six items, providing evidence to the construct validity of the scale. The findings were discussed along with theoretical and practical implications for better understanding of language anxiety both in L2 acquisition and in teaching. (c) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.