Gender differences in strategies for coping with foreign language learning anxiety

We investigated gender and differences in level of anxiety in regard to use of coping strategies for foreign language learning anxiety (FLLA). Participants were 122 Taiwanese university students enrolled in English as a foreign language courses. Results of multivariate analysis of variance showed that the female students scored significantly higher than did the male students in two coping strategies: peer seeking and positive thinking. In contrast, the male students were more inclined to use relaxation as a way of coping. There was no difference between the groups with different levels of anxiety in their choice of coping strategies and no interaction effect between gender and anxiety level in the coping strategies used. Results thus showed that gender played a significant role in university students’ choice of strategies to cope with FLLA.