Symposium: An Anxiety Afternoon
Save the date: 12.12.2025, 14-18 Uhr, online / in person in Eichstätt
An Anxiety Afternoon: Die Angst vor dem Sprechen fremder Sprachen (Poster)
Join us as we delve into what is arguably one of the, or even THE most central issue in foreign language learning: the fear of speaking a foreign language. Our symposium “An Anxiety Afternoon” highlights the complex facets of speaking and communication anxiety in the context of foreign languages—from a neurobiological, psychological, didactic, and practical perspective. Our speakers are internationally renowned experts in their field.
Program
14.15 Welcome
14.25 - 15.00 Heiner Böttger: Englische Sprechangst messen - jenseits der Horwitz-Skala
15.00 - 15.40 Natalia Tilton: Sprechangst internationaler Studierender
Break
16.00 - 16.45 Joseph LeDoux: What Happened to the “Mental” in “Mental” Disorders?
16.45 - 17.15 Harald Henriksson: Sprachangst aus der Sicht einer Lehrkraft
Break
17.30 - 18.00 Karla Jensen: Empowered Public Speaking: Cultivating Confidence With Mindfulness
18.00 Uhr Farewell
Click HERE to register
The number of participants on site is limited to 50 people and online to 300 people! First come, first served…
Abstracts
Prof. Dr. Dr. Heiner Böttger: Englische Sprechangst messen - jenseits der Horwitz-Skala
Sich der English Language Speaking Anxiety (ELSA) anzunähern, sie zu messen und so bekämpfen zu können, hat sich Heiner Böttger zur Aufgabe gemacht. Bisher eingesetzte Messinstrumente sind nur ganz bedingt geeignet dafür und oft nicht passgenau. Eine mehrdimensionale ELSA-Skala hat das Potenzial, sie zukünftig zu ersetzen und so individuelle Lösungen oder gar Präventionen vorzubereiten. Heiner Böttger stellt sie „in action“ vor, in einer großangelegten Studie, und zeigt auf, wie sie adaptiert auf nahezu allen Bildungsebenen eingesetzt werden kann.
Dr. Natalia Tilton: Sprechangst internationaler Studierender
Dr. Natalia Tilton spricht über die Psychodynamik des Sprechens in einer fremden Sprache auf der Basis ihrer vielbeachteten Dissertation. Mit einer gemischten Methodik – Fragebogen, Interviews, Gruppendiskussion und Sprechproben in Prüfungssituationen sowie in entspannten Gesprächen – beleuchtete sie Auslöser, Wirkungen und Bewältigungsstrategien von Sprechangst bei internationalen Studierenden am Beispiel Deutsch als Fremdsprache. Ihr Modell bündelt dabei drei zentrale Komponenten: Angst vor Fehlern, fehlende Selbstwirksamkeit und situative Sprechangst. Der Vortrag zeigt, warum Angst das Sprechen blockieren kann – und unter welchen Bedingungen sie auch Fokus und Lernenergie freisetzt.
Prof. Dr. Joseph LeDoux: What Happened to the “Mental” in “Mental” Disorders?
Joseph LeDoux challenges the notion that mental disorders are primarily physiological; he champions the subjective, language-based aspects as core to conditions like anxiety. Anxiety arises not just from brain circuits but from how we think about and narrate our experiences - our internal dialogue, worries, and meanings we assign. Treatments, therefore, should integrate neural insights with discourse and cognitive framing, aligning with LeDoux’s vision of restoring the "mental" to mental health.
Harald Henriksson: Sprachangst aus der Sicht einer Lehrkraft
Sprachangst im Fremdsprachenunterricht bei Lernenden erkennen und strategische Vorgehensweisen für einen zielführenden Umgang einbringen? Keine leichte Aufgabe für Lehrkräfte. Harald Henriksson widmet sich gerade deswegen seit einigen Jahren diesem Schwerpunkt und wird in seinem Beitrag zentrale Erkenntnisse zusammenführen - wissenschaftlich fundiert und praxisnah gedacht: von verhaltensbezogenen, physiologischen und kognitiven Symptomen über zu verschiedenen Umgangsweisen - “the fighter”, “the quitter”, “the save player” - und darauf basierenden didaktischen Ansätzen.
Prof. Dr. Karla Jensen: Empowered Public Speaking: Cultivating Confidence With Mindfulness
Drawing on 35 years of teaching, Karla Jensen reveals how tackling communication apprehension - not just technique - builds confident, authentic speakers. This talk introduces research-backed mindfulness practices - breathwork, body scanning, and present-moment awareness - to regulate stress and create relaxed alertness. You’ll learn to reframe negative self-talk, sharpen focus and recall, and recover smoothly from stumbles. Leave with practical, age-inclusive tools to steady your nerves and share your story with composure and joy.
Featured Speakers:
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.
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.
