According to Dr. Stephen Krashen, anxiety among second-language learners creates an "affective filter." This prevents them from acquiring comprehensible linguistic input, an essential component of the second-language acquisition process. Consequently, the level of anxiety and frustration compounds as learners fail to make satisfactory progress. In worst-case scenarios, anxiety and frustration can lead to people completely abandoning their aspirations to learn a second language.
Everyone who attempts to acquire a second language experiences some degree of fear and anxiety. Successful language learners develop coping strategies. Being prepared for anxiety can help you persevere through frustrating moments.
Factors that help learners cope with anxiety include self-confidence and motivation to acquire a second language. People who are highly motivated to learn a language have a stronger incentive to keep trying, even if they fear appearing foolish or childlike when they attempt to use the target language, while self-confidence can help nullify such fears.
Understanding the Affective Filter Hypothesis and putting language-learning anxiety into context will help you carry on with your efforts. According to Dr. Krashen, such perseverance is essential to ultimately acquiring a second language, despite the situational discomfort that it may occasionally produce.
The language-learning environment also has a significant impact on anxiety during the second-language acquisition process. How many people are in the course? What ages are the learners? Are classmates and the instructor supportive? Is the course taking place in the language's country of origin or in a local classroom? These are all factors that may influence the level of anxiety among learners. If you feel anxiety in a particular environment, you may experience less anxiety in a different language-learning situation.