Hyper-Attentive Anxiety in High-Stakes L2 Writing: Foreign Language Anxiety and Grammar Awareness among Chinese IELTS Learners

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between foreign language anxiety (FLA) and grammar awareness among Chinese EFL learners in IELTS writing. Analysis of 201 students revealed a significant positive correlation between FLA and grammar awareness (p < .01). Regression confirmed that FLA significantly predicts grammar awareness (p < .001). This phenomenon is described as hyper-attentive anxiety, where anxiety heightens sensitivity to grammatical accuracy. Independent samples t-tests showed no significant differences in grammar anxiety by gender (p = .992) or age (p = .989). However, significant differences were found between students from university tier (p <0.001) and between grade level (p = .002), with higher anxiety in higher-tier universities and upper grades. These results suggest that anxiety may increase learners’ focus on grammar rather than simply hindering performance. The study underscores the need to incorporate emotional regulation alongside grammar instruction in IELTS writing pedagogy, to help learners balance accuracy and fluency in high-stakes settings.