This research studies the effects of test anxiety on language performance during the test, taking an intrapersonal perspective, i.e. looking at the inner processes of the test-taker. The findings, however, suggest that the test anxiety effects on language performance are negligible, when compared to the foreign language classroom anxiety effects, thus stressing the importance of the interpersonal dialogue in the language learning processes.

Theoretical considerations

Traditionally foreign language anxiety was considered as social and situational anxiety (Gardner and MacIntyre, 1991; Horwitz, 1986) caused by the language users’ inability to express themselves adequately. Horwitz (1986) claims that the essence of foreign language anxiety is the threat to the individual's self-concept caused by the inherent limitations of communicating in an imperfectly mastered second language. Schlenker and Leary (1985) also think that the intimate relationship between self-concept and self-expression makes foreign language anxiety distinct from other academic anxieties. Applied linguists have developed several branches within the field of research of foreign language anxiety. They distinguish between:

1. foreign language classroom anxiety and foreign language test anxiety (Horwitz, 1986 and Gardner and MacIntyre, 1991);

2. foreign language test state and trait anxiety (MacIntyre and Gardner, 1991);

3. harmful versus helpful anxiety (Madsen, 1982);

4. language skill approach (Cheng et al., 1999).

The four types are discussed below.

Foreign language classroom versus foreign language test anxiety

Gardner and MacIntyre (1991) developed a study to investigate the constructs of different types of anxiety.