Language Anxiety Among Learners of Arabic as a Foreign Language

Professor Khaled Abu Amsha is giving a MAQAM lecture at IAIS LT2 on Wednesday 4 November, and it's one of those talks that hits close to home if you've ever spent time trying to get your head around a new language. The topic is language anxiety among learners of Arabic as a foreign language — that specific, nagging tension that kicks in the moment you're asked to speak in front of others.

If you've ever felt your mind go blank when it's your turn to speak in a class, or found yourself overthinking a simple sentence until you just give up on it, you'll know exactly what he's talking about. It's a common enough experience, but Abu Amsha is looking at it from the perspective of Arabic learners, and the lecture sits within the MAQAM series run by the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies. It's a chance to hear a specialist break down why that anxiety happens and how it shapes the way people learn.

It's not just for people currently studying Arabic, either. Anyone who's struggled with the gap between knowing a language on paper and actually being able to use it in a room full of people will find something to recognise here. Whether you're a student, a teacher, or just someone who's always been a bit intimidated by the speaking part of learning, it's a subject that's easy to relate to.

The lecture runs from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm at IAIS LT2, inside the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter. It's a mid-week afternoon slot, so you'll need to carve out a couple of hours in your Wednesday to catch the whole thing.