Exploring mindfulness and language learning: EFL students' journey coping with speaking anxiety

Foreign language learning often triggers significant anxiety, particularly in speaking tasks, which can hinder students' performance and engagement. According to recent research, mindfulness stands as a promising approach to alleviate such anxiety and foster a more supportive language learning environment.

This study explores the impact of a mindfulness-based intervention program for foreign language classes (MBI-FLC) on foreign language speaking anxiety (FLSA) and the reflections of the participants about the implemented program.

Following the earthquake-related transition to online instruction, 15 students in a one-year intensive English program participated in the eight-week MBI-FLC program including sessions between 45 and 60 min.

A mixed-methods approach was utilized, combining quantitative measures through pre-, post-, and 6-month delayed post-intervention questionnaire/scale and qualitative insights from semi-structured interviews, learner journals, and reflection reports during/after the relevant sessions.

Quantitative analysis revealed descriptive decreases in FLSA immediately after the intervention, though gains diminished at follow-up, highlighting the need for continued practice. Some mindfulness facets correlated negatively with FLSA, while the "relativity of thoughts" facet unexpectedly showed a positive relationship. Moreover, the qualitative data collected throughout the study revealed three convergent themes: increased awareness, greater acceptance, and improved attentional control, aligning with the short-term reductions in anxiety.

The findings highlight the potential of mindfulness to improve emotional well-being and speaking confidence in EFL contexts, offering practical implications for integrating mindfulness into language pedagogy.