Brainwave Signals of Language Learning Anxiety
A systematic review of EEG studies and Its Contributions to ELT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36733/sphota.v18i1.13679Keywords:
brainwave signals, EEG studies, language learning anxiety, cognitive neuroscienceAbstract
Language learning anxiety poses a significant challenge for English Language Teaching (ELT) in Indonesian education; however, traditional methods frequently neglect its neurophysiological foundations. Therefore, it is imperative to investigate learning anxiety through EEG-based brainwave monitoring. This review study examines how EEG assessments identify specific brainwave types, brain regions, and treatments for learning anxiety. A systematic literature review (SLR) approach adhered to PRISMA guidelines. The flow diagram results indicate that out of 250 articles identified from Scopus-indexed journals, 140 passed the initial screening stage, 90 were selected for further review, and only 30 met the inclusion criteria. These articles were categorized into three main themes: brainwave types, brain regions, and EEG treatment for anxiety. The findings indicated that EEG studies consistently and accurately detect learning anxiety through increased beta wave activity and decreased alpha and theta wave activity, particularly in the prefrontal cortex, which is linked to cognitive stress and emotional regulation dysfunction. Additionally, significant brain activation was observed in the frontal, prefrontal, parietal, and temporal regions, as well as in the limbic system. EEG-based interventions, such as neurofeedback and vagus nerve stimulation, were also found to be effective in reducing anxiety through non-pharmacological means. However, current research is still limited to experimental studies conducted in laboratory settings, which do not fully capture the dynamic nature of learning anxiety in real classroom contexts for better input of teaching strategies. The study implies that English language teaching should incorporate neuroscience-informed, anxiety-reducing strategies, providing practical insights for teachers to adapt instructional techniques and improve learning outcomes.
References
Aishorman, O., Masadeh, M., Alzyoud, A., Heyat, M. B. Bin, Akhtar, F., & Rishipal. (2020). The Effects of Emotional Stress on Learning and Memory Cognitive Functions: An EEG Review Study in Education. 2020 Sixth International Conference on E-Learning (Econf), 177–182. https://doi.org/10.1109/econf51404.2020.9385468
Apicella, A., Arpaia, P., Frosolone, M., Improta, G., Moccaldi, N., & Pollastro, A. (2022). EEG-based measurement system for monitoring student engagement in learning 4.0. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 5857. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-09578-y
Aristizabal, J. P., Pereira Jr, A., Gomes, B. D., Goulart, P. R. K., de Souza, W. C., & Rocha, F. A. (2024). Neurofeedback beta down training in women with high state-trait anxiety and elevated beta patterns in temporal lobes: A pilot study. NeuroRegulation, 11(3), 284. https://doi.org/10.15540/nr.11.3.284
Bagheri, M., & Power, S. D. (2020). EEG-based detection of mental workload level and stress: the effect of variation in each state on classification of the other. Journal of Neural Engineering, 17(5), 56015. https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-2552/abbc27
Bennett, C. (2018). The impact of a neurofeedback training intervention on college Ssudents’ levels of anxiety, stress, depression, and cortisol. http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0007052
Bremner, J. D., Gurel, N. Z., Wittbrodt, M. T., Shandhi, M. H., Rapaport, M. H., Nye, J. A., Pearce, B. D., Vaccarino, V., Shah, A. J., Park, J., Bikson, M., & Inan, O. T. (2020). Application of noninvasive vagal nerve stimulation to stress-related psychiatric disorders. In Journal of Personalized Medicine (Vol. 10, Number 3). https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm10030119
Chellappa, S. L., & Aeschbach, D. (2022). Sleep and anxiety: From mechanisms to interventions. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 61, 101583. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2021.101583
Chow, B. W.-Y., Mo, J., & Dong, Y. (2021). Roles of reading anxiety and working memory in reading comprehension in English as a second language. Learning and Individual Differences, 92, 102092. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2021.102092
da Silva, F. L. (2022). EEG: Origin and measurement BT - EEG - fMRI: Physiological basis, technique, and applications (C. Mulert & L. Lemieux, Eds.; pp. 23–48). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-07121-8_2
Dehghani, A., Soltanian-Zadeh, H., & Hossein-Zadeh, G.-A. (2023). Neural modulation enhancement using connectivity-based EEG neurofeedback with simultaneous fMRI for emotion regulation. NeuroImage, 279, 120320. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120320
Edwards, A. A., Daucourt, M. C., Hart, S. A., & Schatschneider, C. (2023). Measuring reading anxiety in college students. Reading and Writing, 36(5), 1145–1180. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-022-10324-z
Ehrlich, T. J. (2020). Worry and the Functional Connectivity of the Central Executive and Salience Networks. Palo Alto University.
García‐Monge, A., Rodríguez‐Navarro, H., Bores‐García, D., & González‐Calvo, G. (2024). Electroencephalography in naturalistic and semi‐naturalistic educational contexts: A systematic review. Review of Education, 12(3), e70020. https://doi.org/10.1002/rev3.70020
Gruzelier, J. (2009). A theory of alpha/theta neurofeedback, creative performance enhancement, long distance functional connectivity and psychological integration. Cognitive Processing, 10(1), 101–109. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10339-008-0248-5
Horwitz, E. K., Tallon, M., & Luo, H. (2010). Foreign language anxiety. Anxiety in Schools: The Causes, Consequences, and Solutions for Academic Anxieties, 2, 96–115.
Kitchenham, B., Pearl Brereton, O., Budgen, D., Turner, M., Bailey, J., & Linkman, S. (2009). Systematic literature reviews in software engineering – A systematic literature review. Information and Software Technology, 51(1), 7–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infsof.2008.09.009
Li, M., Long, C., & Yang, L. (2015). Hippocampal-Prefrontal Circuit and Disrupted Functional Connectivity in Psychiatric and Neurodegenerative Disorders. BioMed Research International, 2015(1), 810548. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/810548
Luck, S. J. (2014). An introduction to the event-related potential technique. MIT press.
Mihajlović, V., Grundlehner, B., Vullers, R., & Penders, J. (2015). Wearable, wireless EEG solutions in daily life pplications: What are we missing? IEEE Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics, 19(1), 6–21. https://doi.org/10.1109/JBHI.2014.2328317
Mogg, K., & Bradley, B. P. (2016). Anxiety and attention to threat: Cognitive mechanisms and treatment with attention bias modification. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 87, 76–108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2016.08.001
Parums, D. V. (2021). Editorial: Review Articles, Systematic Reviews, Meta-Analysis, and the Updated Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 Guidelines. In Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research (Vol. 27, p. e934475). https://doi.org/10.12659/MSM.934475
Piccolo, L. R., Giacomoni, C. H., Julio-Costa, A., Oliveira, S., Zbornik, J., Haase, V. G., & Salles, J. F. (2017). Reading Anxiety in L1: Reviewing the Concept. Early Childhood Education Journal, 45(4), 537–543. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-016-0822-x
Rajkumar, V. R. (2024). Investigating the relationships of the N400 and P600 event-related potentials to meaning integration and retrieval processes. University of Pittsburgh. https://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/47286/1/Vivek_Rajkumar_ETDFinal_2024.pdf
Ryherd, K., Jasinska, K., Van Dyke, J. A., Hung, Y.-H., Baron, E., Mencl, W. E., Zevin, J., & Landi, N. (2018). Cortical regions supporting reading comprehension skill for single words and discourse. Brain and Language, 186, 32–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandl.2018.08.001
Schürmann, M., & Başar, E. (2001). Functional aspects of alpha oscillations in the EEG. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 39(2), 151–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0167-8760(00)00138-0
Shine, J. M., Lewis, L. D., Garrett, D. D., & Hwang, K. (2023). The impact of the human thalamus on brain-wide information processing. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 24(7), 416–430. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41583-023-00701-0
Spalding, D. M. (2021). Impacts of trait anxiety on attention and feature binding in visual working memory. https://doi.org/10.48730/33n0-px64
Tasyakuranti, A. N., Sumarti, H., Kusuma, H. H., Istikomah, I., & Prastyo, I. S. (2022). Analysis of The Effect of Istighfar Dhikr to Adolescent Anxiety at Beta Wave Activity Using Electroencephalogram (EEG) Examination. Jurnal Neutrino: Jurnal Fisika Dan Aplikasinya, 15(1), 31–37. https://doi.org/10.18860/neu.v15i1.17270
Wang, C.-H., Moreau, D., & Kao, S.-C. (2019). From the lab to the field: potential applications of dry EEG systems to understand the brain-behavior relationship in sports. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 13, 893. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2019.00893
Zaharchuk, H. A., Shevlin, A., & van Hell, J. G. (2021). Are our brains more prescriptive than our mouths? Experience with dialectal variation in syntax differentially impacts ERPs and behavior. Brain and Language, 218, 104949. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandl.2021.104949
Zhang, R., & Zou, D. (2023). A review of research on technology-enhanced peer feedback for second language writing based on the activity theory framework. Education and Information Technologies, 28(6), 6727–6753. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11469-8
