An Innovative Pedagogical Approach to Managing Japanese Language Anxiety Through Cognitive-Behavioral Strategies
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1607.14Keywords:
Foreign Language Anxiety (FLA), Japanese language education, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), innovative pedagogy, learner-centered instructionAbstract
This study investigates the prevalence and nature of Foreign Language Anxiety (FLA) among Japanese language learners to inform the development of an innovative pedagogical framework grounded in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) principles. Employing a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design, the research integrates quantitative survey data from 247 participants with qualitative in-depth interviews to provide a comprehensive understanding of anxiety dynamics. Findings indicate a significantly high prevalence of Japanese language anxiety, with nearly 80% of learners experiencing moderate to high levels—substantially higher than those typically reported in European language learning contexts. Communication Apprehension emerged as the most dominant component (M = 34.82), particularly in classroom speaking situations and fear of mispronunciation. Fear of Negative Evaluation, strongly influenced by Japanese cultural and linguistic complexities such as keigo (honorific language) and perceived judgment from native speakers, also posed a significant challenge (M = 32.46). Although Test Anxiety recorded the lowest mean score (M = 31.46), 62.3% of respondents reported experiencing the “mind blank” phenomenon during examinations, significantly impairing academic performance. These findings provide essential insights for the design of CBT-based support materials and highlight the need to integrate anxiety management strategies into Japanese language pedagogy, promoting a more psychologically responsive and learner-centered instructional model.
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