Exploring Students' Anxiety in Their Speaking Performance in English Language Learning
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24256/ideas.v14i2.11495Keywords:
EFL students, public speaking anxiety, confidence building, speaking self-efficacy, classroom presentations, qualitative studyAbstract
Speaking anxiety remains one of the major affective barriers in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning. Although numerous studies have investigated this phenomenon, limited research has specifically explored the experiences of advanced English Education students who are preparing to become future English teachers. This study explores the types, causes, and effects of speaking anxiety experienced by seventh-semester English Education students at Universitas Singaperbangsa Karawang. Employing a qualitative descriptive design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with eight participants and systematic classroom observations. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke (2006). The findings show that students tend to feel moderately to highly anxious, particularly in impromptu speaking tasks or those led by the lecturer. The main causes include fear of making grammatical or pronunciation errors, and limited vocabulary. High anxiety levels were found to negatively affect students’ fluency and self-confidence. However, supportive classroom environments, encouragement, and constructive feedback from lecturers were effective in reducing anxiety and improving speaking performance. The study concludes that fostering emotional support and implementing anxiety-reducing teaching practices are essential for developing students’ oral competence and preparing them to become confident future English teachers.
References
Aras, A. W., Hamid, R., & Mannong, A. B. M. (2022). The psycholinguistic analysis of student problems in speaking English. Indonesian Journal of Psycholinguistics, 1(1), 9–15. https://doi.org/10.56983/ijp.v1i1.137
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Chen, H. J. H., & Hwang, G. J. (2020). Effects of a concept mapping-based flipped learning approach on EFL students’ English speaking performance, critical thinking awareness and speaking anxiety. British Journal of Educational Technology, 51(3), 817–834. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12887
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). Sage Publications.
Damayanti, M. E., & Listyani, L. (2020). An analysis of students’ speaking anxiety in academic speaking class. ELTR Journal, 4(2), 152–170. https://doi.org/10.37147/eltr.2020.040206
Erdiana, N., Daud, B., Sari, D. F., & Dwitami, S. K. (2020). A study of anxiety experienced by EFL students in speaking performance. Studies in English Language and Education, 7(2), 334–346. https://doi.org/10.24815/siele.v7i2.16768
Hanifa, R. (2018). Factors generating anxiety when learning EFL speaking skills. Studies in English Language and Education, 5(2), 230–239. https://doi.org/10.24815/siele.v5i2.10932
Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M. B., & Cope, J. A. (1986). Foreign language classroom anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 70(2), 125–132. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1986.tb05256.x
Kelsen, B. A. (2019). Exploring public speaking anxiety and personal disposition in EFL presentations. Learning and Individual Differences, 73, 92–101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2019.05.003
Merriam, S. B., & Tisdell, E. J. (2016). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
Citation Check
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Nabila Rizqia Putri Satiri
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under an Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See the Effect of Open Access)
