Language Anxiety, Willingness to Communicate, and Achievements: The Case of Palestinian Students in Israeli Universities

Higher education in Israel is offered almost entirely in Hebrew as the medium of instruction. Consequently, Palestinian students in Israeli universities confront complex challenges that involve language and cultural gaps. This study focused on this group, using mixed methods, examining language anxiety, willingness to communicate (WTC) in Hebrew, and the relationship between these variables and achievements. The quantitative part included 155 participants who filled out a detailed questionnaire. The qualitative part included semistructured interviews with eight students and four lecturers. Results indicated high anxiety levels, medium levels of WTC in Hebrew, and a significant negative correlation between language anxiety, WTC, and academic achievements. Students reported high stress levels, avoidance, and embarrassment to talk, which clearly affected their academic performance. We argue that universities must acknowledge the emotional complexity of learning in such circumstances and develop practices to moderate students’ anxiety levels in order to reduce inequality within Israeli society.