An Exploration of Iranian EFL Students’ Emotional Intelligence and Foreign Language Anxiety

This study explored 510 Iranian students’ emotional intelligence (EI) and their English as a foreign languagelearning anxiety in a well-known institute in Tehran . Results obtained from the Trait Emotional IntelligenceQuestionnaire–Short Form (TEIQue–SF) and the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) showed thefollowing results: (a) A middle to high level of EI existed in more than half of the students and at least one thirdexperienced language anxiety in English class; (b) Moderate to relatively strong associations were found amongstudents’ EI, foreign language anxiety (FLA), English achievement, and self-rated English proficiency; (c) Inpredicting students’ English achievementFLA had a significant and partial mediating effect on EI; and (d) FLA alsosignificantly and partially mediated the relationship between EI and self-rated English proficiency. The importanceof emotional factors affecting the learning of English is discussed.

Keywords:

emotional intelligence , foreign language anxiety , foreign language learning , English proficiency