The Role of Mindfulness-Meditation in Reducing Writing Anxiety in Spanish as a Second Language College Students

Abstract

The research aimed to explore if a mindfulness-meditation strategy in a Spanish as a second language (L2) course would help ease anxiety when students are assigned writing tasks. It also sought to analyze students’ perceptions after using this strategy. Mindfulness-mediation was expected to ease the anxiety and apprehension that L2 students might undergo when writing in a second language.

Research confirms that writing in a L2 is a difficult skill to acquire. Students develop anxiety and apprehension in the process and as a result these emotions lead learners to think that they are not competent enough at writing. Krashen’s second language acquisition theory (1982) served as the theoretical framework for this study.

Writing is an important activity in a second language because writing is something that we all do in our own languages and is a valued skill at work and in school; however, writing is a skill that many face with uncertainty, anxiety, and apprehension, probably more so in learning a second language. Educators and researchers have suggested that mindfulness-meditation is a tool that can provide calmness and promote the learning of the target language.

This research was an exploratory, qualitative case study exploring writing in a L2 class for English-speaking college students. It specifically explored and examined whether a mindfulness-meditation strategy can help second language learners overcome anxiety and apprehension as they develop writing abilities in the target language. The study included two questionnaires that helped the researcher identify the sample, a mindfulness meditation activity, two writing prompts, self-evaluations, and interviews to collect data.

By exploring how L2 students would feel about using this strategy in a writing class, the researcher was able to identify if the activity helped them feel more at ease to write in the L2. The results of the study (a) provided insight on one possible strategy L2 teachers can use to help students enjoy the writing process, (b) contributed relevant information to the existing literature on mindfulness and the learning process in education, and (c) further helped teachers understand how anxiety hinders L2 students in their learning process.