Bildiri: Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety among EFL Students

Özet

Speaking anxiety is one of the most substantial affective barriers to oral production in foreign language classrooms. Based on this reason, the study was carried out to investigate the nature and sources of foreign language speaking anxiety among undergraduate students in an English Language Teaching (ELT) program at a state university. This study adopted an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, consisting of gathering and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data subsequently. First, the quantitative data were collected from 65 participants through a Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS), and qualitative data were obtained from 20 participants through semi-structured interviews. Preliminary findings indicate that female students exhibit higher levels of anxiety compared to male students. Additionally, students who have received English preparatory training report higher anxiety levels than those who have not. The presence of an audience—particularly classmates and teachers—also has a notable impact on learners’ foreign language speaking anxiety. Furthermore, the type of high school having been attended, and the field of study emerge as significant variables in explaining this anxiety. Overall, the results suggest that foreign language speaking anxiety is a multifaceted construct influenced by factors such as gender, preparatory education, and audience presence.

Damla TAVUKÇU, Hazal ÖZTÜRK, Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Şeyda Savran ÇELİK