Integrating IT to foster engagement and reduce anxiety in foreign language learning

Abstract

The incorporation of technology into the foreign language syllabus significantly helps alleviate students’ language anxiety. Through this integration, students’ foreign language learning skills, self-learning, and students’ collaborative learning activities are improved. Technology integration provides new approaches to learning, thereby reducing students’ Foreign Language Anxiety (FLA). The current study seeks to offer a thorough insight into how foreign literature uses Information Technologies (IT) to design a curriculum to overcome FLA. The research employs a mixed-method approach to collect data from 455 university students through a questionnaire and interviews. The study participants were chosen using purposive sampling methods. The quantitative data were processed using SPSS software, while the qualitative data were examined with NVivo software. This study uniquely examines the role of daily digital storytelling tools in fostering innovation and reducing FLA in diverse cultural contexts. It also provides approaches to enhance student interest and engagement by combining technology integration with foreign language learning strategies. The study findings indicate that integrating multimedia resources into foreign literature courses reduces FLA among students in diverse cultural contexts. The results reveal that the daily use of digital storytelling tools in foreign literature courses fosters innovative thinking (which is measured through questionnaires, interviews, and pre-test/post-test observations), while also decreasing FLA. The research findings contribute to the ongoing educational practices by providing practical guidelines to educators to introduce technology-driven solutions for mitigating FLA. Additionally, it provides insights into effective curriculum design, the development of learning outcomes, and the creation of a supportive environment for language learners.