Tracing Changes in Foreign Language Anxiety and Speaking Skills of Iranian Epileptic EFL Learners: Does a Social, Metacognitive, and Problem-Solving Skills Training Package Make a Difference?

The problems faced by English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners with neurological disorders including epilepsyare often more serious, noticeable, and remarkable than those encountered by normal learners. Mostly, such patients, performpoorly in terms of productive and verbal skills and experience a high level of anxiety in language learning contexts. This studywas conducted using a sequential design to investigate the effects of a social, metacognitive, and problem-solving skills trainingpackage on foreign language anxiety and speaking skills of epileptic EFL learners.

The study participants included a total of 60 epileptic EFL learners (35 males and 25 females), selected through purposivesampling. The participants were randomly divided into four groups of EFL learners (15 members each), with two groups engaged inan online format and two in a traditional classroom setting. Data were collected through the Foreign Language Classroom AnxietyScale (FLCAS), IELTS Speaking Test, Quick Placement Test (QPT), and a Social, Metacognitive, and Problem-Solving Skills TrainingPackage. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Shapiro-Wilk test.

The findings of the current study showed the training package had a significant effect on foreign language anxiety andspeaking skills of Iranian epileptic EFL learners, with notable impacts observed in the online learning environment.

The study highlighted the importance of integrating social, metacognitive, and problem-solving skills training intolanguage programs for epileptic EFL learners to enhance their speaking skills and reduce foreign language anxiety. These findingshave important implications for epileptic EFL learners, neurological centers, and language centers.