JHASS
A Study on Language Anxiety in Cross-cultural Adaptation—A Case Study of Chinese Exchange Students at the University of Alcalá
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Abstract
This study used a mixed method (N=50 Chinese exchange students +5 Spanish teachers) to explore the mechanism of language anxiety and cross-cultural adaptation of Chinese students in the Spanish classroom. With the increase in the number of foreign students going to the West, language anxiety has become the core obstacle to adaptation. Grammatical differences (such as verb conjugation) and cultural conflicts (such as the contradiction between "face culture" and direct feedback mode) between Chinese and Spanish aggravate communicative avoidance. Quantitative data showed that the high anxiety scenarios were class participation (72%), group discussion (65%), and instant error correction (58%), and the level of anxiety was significantly negatively correlated with DELE scores (r=-0.43, p<0.01). Qualitative analysis showed that the dynamics of anxiety were consistent with the U-shaped curve theory. In the initial stage (1-2 months), anxiety in the crisis stage was triggered by cultural unfamiliarity, in the middle stage (3-4 months), peer intervention reduced anxiety by 32%, and in the later stage (5-6 months), anxiety fluctuated due to exam pressure. Based on the "dual path model of culture-language anxiety", anxiety is driven by both cultural paths (such as face threats) and language paths (such as grammatical errors). It is recommended that Spanish universities adopt a feedback strategy of "content first, error correction second" and establish intercultural language partners; Chinese students were required to incorporate metacognitive training (such as anxiety journal) and cross-cultural simulation (such as classroom debate role play) before the trip. This study provides a theoretical and practical framework for LOTEs learners, and emphasizes the synergistic integration of psychological support and language training to optimize the effectiveness of cross-cultural education.
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How to cite this paper
A Study on Language Anxiety in Cross-cultural Adaptation—A Case Study of Chinese Exchange Students at the University of Alcalá
How to cite this paper: Zhenying Fu. (2025) A Study on Language Anxiety in Cross-cultural Adaptation—A Case Study of Chinese Exchange Students at the University of Alcalá. Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Science, 9(4), 683-688.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2025.04.003
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