THE ROLE OF SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING IN REDUCING FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANXIETY AMONG EFL LEARNERS: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract

Foreign language anxiety (FLA) is a persistent affective barrier that can reduce participation, impair cognitive processing, and weaken achievement in English as a foreign language (EFL) classrooms. This integrative review examines how social-emotional learning (SEL) can provide a pedagogical framework for reducing FLA, with particular attention to speaking anxiety, fear of negative evaluation, classroom climate, teacher support, and peer interaction. The review synthesizes foundational and recent scholarship on FLA together with the CASEL framework and meta-analytic evidence on SEL. Findings indicate that SEL competencies are closely aligned with mechanisms relevant to language anxiety: self-awareness supports recognition of anxiety triggers; self-management offers strategies for regulating stress; social awareness and relationship skills strengthen peer safety and teacher-student rapport; and responsible decision-making supports constructive risk-taking in communication. Evidence from language-learning research further shows that positive classroom climate, teacher and peer support, and emotionally safe communicative tasks are associated with lower anxiety and stronger willingness to communicate. The paper proposes an SEL-informed classroom model that integrates emotional check-ins, preparation time, cooperative speaking, supportive feedback, graduated oral tasks, and reflective self-regulation. Implications for EFL teachers and future empirical research are discussed.