As shown, the act of FL reading is affected by a complex mix of linguistic and
nonlinguistic factors inextricably linked together; a high level of anxiety usually distracts
language learners’ attention from meaning and language forms and may further
undermine learners’ FL reading development in the long run (Gass & Selinker, 2001).
Given the tremendous impact of anxiety on L2/FL reading, examining how anxiety
influences learners’ reading abilities can contribute to the existing research on L2/FL
reading.