The Correlation Between Students’ Writing Anxiety and B2 Level Achievement in Writing Proficiency

Abstract

Achieving B2-level writing proficiency based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) remains a challenge for many EFL university students. Beyond linguistic limitations, writing anxiety encompassing somatic, cognitive, and avoidance dimensions constitutes a critical affective barrier influencing students' writing performance. This study examined the correlation between students' writing anxiety and their B2-level writing proficiency in an EFL context at a State Islamic Institute in Indonesia. A quantitative correlational design was employed, involving 42 fourth-semester students of the English Education Program. Writing anxiety was measured using the Second Language Writing Anxiety Inventory (SLWAI), while writing proficiency was assessed through an IELTS Writing Task 2 test aligned with CEFR B2 descriptors. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson Product-Moment Correlation. The findings revealed that 85.7% of students experienced moderate anxiety, while 14.3% experienced high anxiety, with no students in the low-anxiety category. Regarding proficiency, 54.8% were at the B1 level and 45.2% reached B2. A statistically significant moderate negative correlation was found (r = −0.452, p = 0.003