Exploring the relationship between writing anxiety and writing achievement among English majors at a Vietnamese public university

Abstract

In EFL contexts, English writing is the skill that creates the most anxiety in the learners because of their poor language knowledge and fear of being evaluated negatively. Using a quantitative correlational research approach, this study examines the link between EFL students’ writing anxiety and writing achievement. A total of 223 English majors from a Vietnamese public university took part in the study. The data were acquired using the Second Language Writing Anxiety Inventory and writing tests. The results showed that the students had anxiety of a moderate level with somatic anxiety being the most prevalent aspect. Moreover, male students experienced higher anxiety levels than female students across all subcomponents and the difference was statistically significant. There was a significant decrease in anxiety with the increasing level of proficiency, thus higher language skills were found to be a factor that reduces both the physiological and the mental symptoms of anxiety. There was also a strong negative relation between writing anxiety and writing achievement, indicating that anxiety is a major factor that hinders writing achievement. These findings add to the expanding body of research on Asian EFL psychology, advocating for anxiety-sensitive pedagogy that blends cognitive rigor with affective support.