Joseph E. LeDoux (New York University, USA) – The US neuroscientist has been researching the neural basis of fear and fear responses for decades. He is Henry & Lucy Moses Professor of Science at NYU and Director of the Emotional Brain Institute. In his work, he explores how our brain recognizes and processes threats and how this gives rise to states of consciousness and emotion. For our symposium, this means we gain insight into how language-related speech anxiety might be anchored in the brain and how neurobiological findings open up new avenues for intervention.

Karla Jensen (Nebraska Wesleyan University, USA) – Professor of Communication Studies with a focus on mindfulness and intercultural teaching. She is a certified mindfulness instructor and focuses on mindfulness-based approaches in a university context, among other things. Her expertise promises to provide us with concrete ideas on how learning environments can be designed to reduce anxiety about speaking and foreign languages – for example, through mindfulness-based practice or reflective communication.

Harald Henriksson (Stockholm University, Sweden) – a foreign language teacher and foreign language educator who focuses his studies on the manifestations of foreign language anxiety (e.g., “linguistic anxiety”) and the associated motivational processes. His contribution to the symposium provides valuable insights into how teaching and learning processes should be designed so that anxiety becomes a resource rather than a hindrance.

Natalia Tilton (Hamburg, Germany) – PhD with a research focus on language inclusion, migration, and psycholinguistics. She brings a European perspective to practical approaches for overcoming speech anxiety in heterogeneous learning environments – including reflection on error culture, speaking opportunities, and feedback mechanisms.

Prof. Dr. Dr. Heiner Böttger (English Didactics at KU) – is the scientific director of the symposium An Anxiety Afternoon. He is one of the leading experts in the field of early and school foreign language learning as well as the neurodidactic fundamentals of language acquisition. His research combines neuroscientific, psychological, and didactic perspectives – with a special focus on English Language Speaking Anxiety (ELSA) and its effects on learning processes, motivation, and performance. He is currently addressing the question of how teaching and learning environments can be designed to reduce anxiety, promote enjoyment of speaking, and strengthen learners in the long term. As the initiator of international research and education projects, he represents a bridge between research, school, and practice.