Decoding the relationship between emotional intelligence and foreign language anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Emotional intelligence (EI) has been a focus of interest in foreign language education over the last few decades. Foreign language anxiety (FLA) is a central issue in foreign language learning, as it is the most common negative emotion that language learners experience and may hinder the language learning process. The present study scrutinizes the relationship between EI and FLA by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing literature. A systematic search of related databases generated 40 eligible studies published between 2003 and 2024 ( n = 11,590 samples), of which 14 ( n = 4,789 samples) were subject to a meta-analysis to assess the overall effect size of EI on FLA. The majority of studies in the review found a significant negative correlation between EI and FLA, with research conducted across 12 countries using recognized scales, focusing on medium to large learner populations, and showing growing interest over a 21-year period, particularly in the last four years. The review results, supported by the quantitative synthesis with a moderate effect size ( R² > 0.10), indicate a significant negative correlation between EI and FLA, suggesting that higher levels of EI are associated with lower levels of FLA. The findings highlight the importance of developing learners’ EI skills in language education to help manage anxiety, a key barrier to foreign language learning, and suggest notable pedagogical insights and research objectives that provide a comprehensive understanding of past and current trends and opportunities within the EI paradigm in foreign language teaching.