Foreign Language Anxiety and Online Engagement During the COVID-19 Pandemic: a Comparison Between EMI and FMI University Students

Even though foreign language anxiety (FLA) has been studied in second language online learning more generally (Fondo & Jacobetty, 2019; Hurd, 2007; McNeil, 2014; Pichette, 2009), there is a lack of research on how FLA may affect university students’ academic engagement in online learning while studying through L2 English/French as a medium of instruction. The present study explored the effects of FLA on university students’ academic engagement with online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. We surveyed 91 students studying through L2 English as a medium of instruction (L2 EMI) and 76 students studying through L2 French as a medium of instruction (L2 FMI) at universities in Costa Rica, using two adapted scales for measuring FLA and student engagement with online learning. Students were also asked what universities can do to support those who may suffer from FLA. We conducted two exploratory factor analyses on the scales used and multiple linear regressions to explore whether FLA affected students’ academic engagement with their online learning. Results of multiple linear regression analyses suggest that for students studying through L2 EMI, FLA positively influenced their academic engagement with online learning and that coming from a rural area positively affected online engagement. For students studying through L2 FMI, FLA also had a significant positive influence on their online engagement; however, coming from a rural area did not seem to significantly affect their online engagement. Additionally, students mentioned the need for more support, mainly via better organized learning contexts and psychological support. Overall, the results showed that university students experienced FLA in online learning and that it influenced their online academic engagement.