Higher education has seen an increase in enrollment in online (OL) language courses. This study (n = 176) examined why students chose to enroll in OL Spanish courses and if foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA) in OL classes affects overall oral proficiency. Sex differences and FLCA in online Spanish classes were also examined. Quantitative methods included an online survey and a third-party proficiency exam, Versant for Spanish Test. Findings suggest that students do not register for OL Spanish courses to avoid speaking; however, a majority of OL Spanish students appear to suffer from FLCA. These students reported being anxious about a variety of scenarios in their OL language courses including the tests, large class size, lack of understanding or remembering the course material, and making speaking mistakes. Analyses of oral proficiency coupled with the responses to the survey showed that OL FLCA negatively correlated with oral proficiency. Notably, there was no significant difference between male and female students in self-reported FLCA.

高等教育在线 (OL) 语言课程的入学人数有所增加。本研究（n= 176) 检查了学生选择参加 OL 西班牙语课程的原因以及 OL 课程中的外语课堂焦虑 (FLCA) 是否会影响整体口语能力。还检查了在线西班牙语课程中的性别差异和 FLCA。定量方法包括在线调查和第三方能力考试 Versant for Spanish Test。调查结果表明，学生不会为了避免说话而注册 OL 西班牙语课程；然而，大多数 OL 西班牙学生似乎都患有 FLCA。这些学生报告说，他们对 OL 语言课程中的各种情况感到焦虑，包括考试、班级规模大、缺乏理解或记忆课程材料以及口语错误。对口语能力的分析以及对调查的反应表明，OL FLCA 与口语能力呈负相关。值得注意的是，在自我报告的 FLCA 中，男女学生之间没有显着差异。