The influence of COVID-19 and online delivery on reading and writing skill-based anxieties in Japan

Abstract

The influence of reading and writing skill-based anxieties on second language acquisition (SLA) has centered around classroom lesson delivery. Furthermore, those few studies that included online lesson delivery were performed prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. In Japan, the emergency change to online lesson delivery due to COVID-19 is reaching the end of a second year, with some university undergraduates having experienced only online delivery. This quantitative study using hierarchical multiple regression analysis measures two cohorts in first-year, and second-year mandatory English writing courses at a university in Japan with an anonymous questionnaire. Results show a lack of significant influence of COVID-19 on the students’ anxiety scores when compared to computer difficulty. Additionally, a comparison of first-year and second-year cohorts suggests that time in online delivery does not significantly influence skill-based reading or writing anxiety. While limitations exist regarding sample size, gender, and the use of a single-item scale, implications for online delivery and addressing computer know-how by instructors and students are proposed.