Foreign Language Anxiety among EFL Learners in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

This descriptive quantitative study aimed to assess foreign language anxiety's impact on EFL learners in Saudi Arabia by examining anxiety-provoking factors, the relationship between anxiety and language proficiency, and identifying effective enhancement strategies. Conducted from November 2024 to April 2025 with 38 male Special Forces for Security and Protection students selected through purposive sampling, data was collected via questionnaires adapted from Taghreed M. Al-Saraj's research. Results revealed moderate nervousness levels, particularly regarding written self-expression, with varying fear levels (SD=1.102) and greater comfort when speaking with classmates and teachers. Highest anxiety occurred during writing tasks, lesson comprehension difficulties, and when facing unprepared teacher questions. Strong internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=.920) validated the instrument's reliability. The study confirmed the negative relationship between language anxiety and proficiency in Saudi military educational settings, suggesting implementations of supportive learning environments, learner-centered approaches, and targeted anxiety-reduction strategies to enhance language acquisition outcomes. Regarding validity, while the study demonstrated strong internal reliability, its external validity may be limited by the small, homogeneous sample of exclusively male military students, potentially restricting generalizability to broader EFL populations in Saudi Arabia or other educational  contexts.