The differential impacts of domain-specific anxiety on L2 writing performance across different levels of topic familiarity

Abstract

Learner individual differences can influence performance across various task types and complexity levels. This study explores how domain-specific anxiety affects second language (L2) learners' performance on familiar and less familiar writing tasks. A total of 106 lower-intermediate L2 learners in China completed either a more familiar writing task or a less familiar writing task. The study assessed L2 writing anxiety using the Second Language Writing Anxiety Inventory (SLWAI), which measures somatic anxiety (adverse feelings such as tension), cognitive anxiety (negative anticipations and fixation on performance), and avoidance behavior (reluctance to engage in writing activities). Writing performance was evaluated through complexity (mean length of T-units, dependent clauses per T-unit, coordinate phrases per clause, complex nominals per clause), accuracy (error-free clause ratios), and fluency (total number of words). For the more familiar task, avoidance behavior negatively correlated with accuracy measures. In contrast, for the less familiar task, somatic anxiety negatively correlated with one measure of complexity and cognitive anxiety negatively correlated with two measures of complexity. The study’s findings and implications are discussed.