While language anxiety is known to be a strong predictor of the second language (L2) achievement for decades, there has been a relative lack of empirical attention to establishing which one – anxiety or achievement – influences the other. The present study, based on a cross-lagged panel analysis, examined the causal relationships between language anxiety and L2 achievement, each of which was measured at three times points across 17 weeks. The results supported the directional relationship from L2 achievement at Time 2 to language anxiety at Time 3 while the opposite directional relationship from language anxiety at Time 2 to L2 achievement at Time 3 was not supported. Thus, our results suggest that language achievement precedes anxiety and not the other way round. The moderation analysis further sheds light on the importance of the earlier L2 achievement in the development of anxiety later on, by understanding learners’ motivational profiles. That is, learners with high autonomous motivation and high achievement at Time 1 exhibited a further decrease in anxiety at Time 3. On the other hand, learners with high autonomous motivation but low achievement showed a higher level of anxiety at Time 3. Overall, the present study makes a noteworthy contribution to one of the most debatable issues in the field and concludes with some practical implications for L2 educators.

虽然几十年来，语言焦虑被认为是第二语言 (L2) 成就的强有力预测因素，但相对缺乏实证关注确定哪一个 - 焦虑或成就 - 影响另一个。本研究基于交叉滞后小组分析，研究了语言焦虑和 L2 成绩之间的因果关系，每一项研究都在 17 周内的三个时间点进行了测量。结果支持从时间 2 的 L2 成绩到时间 3 的语言焦虑的方向关系，而不支持从时间 2 的语言焦虑到时间 3 的 L2 成绩的相反方向关系。因此，我们的结果表明语言成就先于焦虑，而不是相反。通过了解学习者的动机特征，适度分析进一步阐明了早期的 L2 成就在后来的焦虑发展中的重要性。也就是说，在时间 1 具有高自主动机和高成就的学习者在时间 3 表现出进一步的焦虑降低。另一方面，具有高自主动机但低成就的学习者在时间 3 表现出更高的焦虑水平。总体而言，本研究对该领域最有争议的问题之一做出了值得注意的贡献，并得出了对 L2 教育者的一些实际影响。