الآداب و اللغات
Volume 21, Numéro 1, Pages 17-31
2026-09-18

The Impact Of Foreign Language Anxiety On University Efl Learners' Metacognitive Regulation : A Literature Review Study



Authors : Mahsas Ramzy Islem . Kheloui Fayçal Mahieddine . Kater Meriem .

Abstract

Despite Foreign Language Anxiety (FLA) and metacognitive regulation being recognised as pivotal constructs within English as Foreign Language research, their relationship remains insufficiently explained, as they have historically been examined in isolation. Despite this recognition, current literature often fails to account for how anxiety specifically interacts with the learner’s higher-order executive system during real-time task performance. This paper, therefore, aims to investigate the effects of FLA on the metacognitive regulation of university EFL learners by comparatively analysing empirical research conducted across different countries examining the role of anxiety across various linguistic skills through the lens of Attentional Control Theory and the three-stage model of learning. This paper scrutinises the existing literature and research related to the topic and provides a critical analysis of the main findings. The findings indicate that the effect of FLA is not consistent but rather varies according to the context. On the one hand, within productive skills, such as speaking, anxiety has been shown to cause a "cognitive blockage" that interferes with the access to mental resources. On the other hand, in receptive skills such as listening and reading, anxiety may act as a trigger for using compensatory strategies. Crucially, the analysis acknowledges a shift in quality over quantity, as high-anxiety learners are frequently shown to resort to lower-level support strategies, which may reflect a failure in functions like inhibition and shifting functions of attentional control. Based on these findings, several pedagogical implications are given.

Keywords

Foreign language anxiety ; metacognitive regulation ; attentional control theory ; cognitive interference ; EFL university learners ; self-regulated Learning

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