Speaking Anxiety in EFL Classrooms

Abstract

This research seeks to investigate how speaking is frequently seen as one of the core skills for English foreign language learners, and to explore the impact of speaking anxiety in English foreign language classrooms. In light of this, four questions are discussed: (1) What factors contribute to speaking anxiety among EFL learners? (2) How does speaking anxiety affect students' oral performance in EFL classrooms? (3) What role does teacher behavior play in increasing or reducing speaking anxiety? (4) What strategies can help reduce speaking anxiety in EFL learners? To examine the relationship between the two variables, a case will be conducted at Mila University, where first-year English as a foreign language students were selected as a population. To gather the necessary data, a questionnaire is distributed to 68 first-year English students. The questionnaire was designed to explore multiple dimensions of speaking anxiety, including psychological, pedagogical, and social factors. The key results of the research demonstrate that the use of anxiety-reducing strategies and supportive teacher behavior significantly decrease speaking anxiety, while higher anxiety negatively affects EFL students' oral performance. Eventually, the study presents a set of pedagogical recommendations along with avenues for future research, aiming to draw more systematic attention to reducing foreign language anxiety and enhancing learners’ speaking performance, through helping learners control their emotions and become more confident when speaking