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Journal of Social, Management and Tourism Letter
JSMTL 2024, 11 pages - Article ID: JSMTL-2412122112928
Anxiety and Fear of Failure as Barriers to Learning French among Students in a College of Education
a Language Department (French), Umar Suleiman College of Education, Gashua 631001, Yobe State, Nigeria.
ABSTRACT
This study investigates the influence of anxiety and fear of failure on students’ learning outcomes in French language classes at a College of Education in Northeast Nigeria. Using a quantitative research design, regression analysis revealed that these psychological factors accounted for 42% of the variance in learning outcomes (R² = 0.42, F(2,79) = 28.60, p < .001), with fear of failure (β = −0.40, p < .001) exerting a slightly stronger negative effect than anxiety (β = −0.32, p = 0.004). The findings align with Foreign Language Anxiety Theory, which posits that situation-specific constructs such as communication apprehension and fear of negative evaluation inhibit language learning, and Expectancy-Value Theory, which explains the role of fear of failure as a motivational barrier. The study highlights the detrimental impact of these psychological barriers, suggesting that learners’ perceptions of competence and anticipated negative judgments create self-fulfilling prophecies that hinder performance. Practical implications include integrating emotional intelligence training into curricula and fostering supportive environments to mitigate anxiety and fear of failure. These findings contribute to the literature on foreign language learning by highlighting the importance of addressing psychological barriers to enhance students’ engagement and academic success.