القائمة الرئيسية

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Overview

Speaking anxiety is a common issue faced by many individuals, especially those learning a new language or interpreting. This module aims to provide an understanding of the different types of speaking anxiety, their causes, and strategies to overcome them                    

Anxiety is a normal emotion which faces each individual in his life in different occasions. The feeling of being anxious has a huge effect on the language learning which is considered as “a complex made up of constituent that have different features. Thus, anxiety contains different types and forms, the two major types are trait and state anxiety.




State and Trait Anxiety

Anxiety is a state of inner unrest or uneasiness often described as "nervousness." Worry jitteriness, sweating, an increased heart rate, rapid breathing and other feelings and symptoms commonly accompany anxiety A long-held and still popular distinction between "state" and "trait" anxiety allows anxiety to be thought of in two ways: as a temporary emotional state that nearly everyone experiences and as a consistent personality attribute. Starting with state anxiety which is considered situational and a temporal sensation of apprehension that arises due to encountering a certain threatening situation i.e., it is an emotional reaction to a specific provocative situation. it is “a transmitting emotional state or condition of the human organism that varies in intensity and fluctuates. In other words, state anxiety arises momentarily due to confronting a threat. However, its severity and effects on the person alter depending on the situation. The other type of anxiety is called trait anxiety. Contrarily to state anxiety, trait anxiety is innate, very intensive, and occurs in unlimited number of situations. Moreover, it is considered a permanent feature of personality. the feeling of trait anxiety appears casually for people who had experienced it before, even if the situation does not involve anxiety at all. So, trait anxiety is a personality characteristic, and a permanent feeling of apprehension which arise in variety of situations.


Facilitative and Debilitative Anxiety

Facilitative anxiety is the positive anxiety that helps the students to do well. It works as a motivating factor that enhances the learners’ performance and allows the input to stick deeper in mind. Therefore, experiencing the correct amount of anxiety can be beneficial, and encourage students to achieve their goals. However, debilitative anxiety is the great amount of anxiety that influences negatively the students’ performance and achievements; it has harmful effects that lead to negative outcomes. Hence, an unnecessary worry and tension will make the individual unable to use his capacities appropriately in order to remember what has been learnt before, or to develop his information and previous input.

Manifestations of Foreign Language Anxiety

Many people think that manifestations/symptoms of language anxiety while learning a foreign language are obvious and easy to know. However, it has received much attention from researchers and foreign language teachers who have attempted to find out in what way students suffer from such a problem using diaries, interviews and scales in their studies. Hence, different views and categories of language anxiety were identified. Three main kinds of behavior associated with anxiety in social situations: Arousal mediated responses disaffiliate behavior, and image protection behavior .

The first behavior appears when the person becomes too active in which he fidgets and squirms while seated, often feeling restless. The second behavior is when the person avoids doing the necessary tasks and avoids preparing at home and even is unable to engage in classroom activities and dialogues.

Furthermore, three components of language anxiety: Cognitive, affective, and behavioral. The first aspect (cognitive) increases distracting self-related cognition, expectations of failure, and a decrease in cognitive processing ability, while the second aspect (affective) is associated with feelings of worry and frightening. The third aspect (behavioral) is about being neutral and silent and avoiding engaging in any situation.

Instruments for Measuring Language Anxiety

Language anxiety can be measured using a variety of tools. behavioural, observational, physiological, or self-report methods of the subjects.
A behavioural exam initially looks at a subject's responses, such as perspiration and blushing. The second aspect of the physiological examination is how the subject's heart rate, blood pressure, and amount of sweat on his palms are measured and compared to his emotional state. Finally, Zheng (2008) states that in educational research where participants are requested to evaluate their internal sensations and reactions, "participants’ self-reports are usually used to examine anxiety. Additionally, there are other measures to gauge language anxiety, such as the speaking anxiety scale developed by Clevenger and Halvorsen .

Characteristics of Anxiety

Anxiety is primarily characterised by worry, which is an anticipated cognitive process that involves recurrent thoughts about potentially dangerous events and their prospective repercussions. This implies that when people focus on the negative aspects of life, they simply assume that awful things will happen to them, which causes them to be always anxious. Given the significant impact anxiety has on learning English as a second language, it's critical to understand the many viewpoints. Pupils who experience language anxiety differ from other pupils in that they exhibit a variety of traits that impact their cognitive and psychological behaviour.

As a result, anxiety affects the cognitive, behavioural, and physiological aspects of learning a foreign language, which hinders the development and improvement of the speakers' ability. Furthermore, it may deter students from participating in class activities and engaging with the material. Therefore, if anxiety is not lessened, it will develop into more than just a bad feeling and may even develop into a phobia or other serious problems.

Sources of Foreign Language Anxiety

When studying or utilising a second or foreign language, non-native speakers may suffer feelings of worry and nervousness known as foreign language anxiety. The speaking performance of EFL students may suffer from anxiety. As a result of the special nature of the language learning process, anxiety is described as a "distinct complex phenomenon of self-perception, beliefs, feelings, and behaviours related to classroom language learning." This sentiment could make it more difficult to be willing to get better in any second or foreign language, whether it has to do with receptive or productive skills. Numerous researchers have found a number of causes of anxiety in foreign language lessons, including speaking activities, competitiveness, fear of a negative evaluation, test anxiety, lack of enthusiasm, and negative self-perception.


Communication Apprehension

 

Communication anxiety (CA) is thought to be a significant component of learning a foreign language and has an impact on students' oral performance accomplishments. Pupils who experience anxiety while speaking or engaging with their peers are likely to face more challenges when speaking in a foreign language in situations where they are not as proficient in the language. "A type of shyness characterised by fear or anxiety about communicating with people is communicative apprehension, the special communication apprehension derived from the personal knowledge that one will almost certainly have difficulty understanding others and making oneself understood.

As a result, speaking and understanding English is typically difficult for many English language learners who are not native speakers. The psychological barriers causing low self-esteem that impede their ability to talk when performing orally are the root cause of communication anxiety.
"An individuals' level of fear or anxiety associated with either real or anticipated communication with another person or persons" (McCroskey, 1977, p.78, posited in Byrene, 1997, p.1) is McCroskey's (1977) assumption of CA. Speaking anxiety in learners can also be situation-specific, or what is known as context-based apprehension (CA); this type manifests in certain situations, like in a meeting, when speaking in front of a group (oral communication anxiety), or when listening to spoken messages (receive anxiety) (Byrene, 1997).

According to McCroskey's hypothesis, most nervous students encounter speaking context-based anxiety when participating in certain classroom communicative activities. In contexts outside than the classroom, they can demonstrate even better proficiency and confident oral communication in English, even if they are not entirely fearless. However, the fear of speaking in more intimidating situations keeps individuals from participating completely in Speaking classes, hinders their ability to think and act independently, and keeps them from participating at all.

 

As a result, students in EFL classrooms who struggle with communication anxiety typically experience discomfort. In addition to that "they also may feel that their attempts at oral work are constantly being monitored" .Speaking anxiety is linked to a student's poor self-concepts, which are a result of their bad experiences, and their inability to recognise and communicate knowledge to others, according to MacIntyre and Gardner (1991). Therefore, it is clear that communication anxiety plays a major part in FL anxiety, which has a negative impact on both the process of learning a foreign language and the oral communication skills of the learner.


Test Anxiety

According to its definition, test anxiety is a specific kind of performance anxiety brought on by a fear of failing. That happens either prior to or during an exam. It is a physiological state when students experience heightened anxiety, nervousness, and discomfort either before or during an exam. Significant barriers to the effectiveness of the learning process are caused by this fear.
Numerous studies indicate that increased worry and test-irrelevant thoughts during an exam are associated to additional causes of test anxiety. Test anxiety might also entail a dread of poor performance in the past and a bad assessment. Additionally, elements of the testing environment, like the type of tasks, level of difficulty, location, time constraints, teacher demeanour, and physical surroundings, might affect how much worse the test taker feels.

achievement and motivation to learn in the classroom because this anxiety can result in impaired performance in the classroom. Hill and Wigfield (1984) report studies about test anxiety and achievement state “anxiety and achievement share significant variance, so high test-anxious individuals have an increased likelihood to perform poorly if a task is to be evaluated”. Putwain and Best (2011), who examined test performance among elementary children have argued that when the examiner puts pressure on the learners, their achievements in high threat situations demonstrated that students performed worse and experienced more test anxiety and apprehensive thoughts than when in a low threat environment.


Fear of Negative Evaluation

 

The worry about others' opinions, the avoidance of situations that need evaluation, and the strong expectation that others would evaluate oneself poorly are all considered forms of fear of negative evaluation. Because it can occur in any social or assessment context, including oral or imagined social contexts, "the prospect or presence of interpersonal evaluation," the term "fear of negative evaluation" is more general than "test anxiety."
When students participate in oral expression sessions in a language school, their fear of receiving a poor grade grows. Students may be afraid of being judged by their peers or the teacher in a passive manner, which causes them to speak poorly and make a lot of mistakes out of extreme anxiety. Errors are inevitable in the learning process and for many students, they are the source of anxiety.

Consequently, students who have a strong fear of receiving a poor grade are more likely to avoid classroom situations and to avoid situations where they may have to deal with it. Furthermore, students who struggle with communication anxiety seldom strike up a discussion and engage in limited interaction. They also tend to be passive in class, avoid assignments that could help them become better speakers, and sometimes even skip class altogether.


Lack of Motivation

 

Motivation is a significant factor that provokes anxiety if it is lacking. Motivation is the driving force behind learner behavior. Motivated learners are those who have made an aware decision to specify a great effort to obtain something that they value (Weiner, 1992); it energizes students and provides direction. It is one of the most important keys to success in learning. When there is motivation students achieve greater and better outcomes and accomplishments.

However, the lack of motivation still constitutes a serious problem for both teachers and students in language classrooms. The absence of motivation might make the student anxious, apprehended, and depressed to speak or learn a new language (Cort, 2012). If students do not believe that their efforts are likely to improve their performance, they will not be motivated to work hard. Motivation can be influenced, for example, if a course has a reputation for being difficult. Students may also have had discouraging experiences in similar courses that convince them they cannot do the work. Additionally, if students attribute their success to their innate talents rather than effort, they may not be motivated to work. This can happen whether they believe they possess the necessary abilities or lack them. Therefore, language learning requires time and effort and when learners lose their interest and desire to learn they will obtain the worst results.


Negative Self-perception

 

The learning process is significantly influenced by an individual's perception and misperception of their abilities. Anxious learners often underestimate their abilities, particularly in speaking skills. This anxiety can lead to poor cognitive performance and oral performance. Teachers should focus on enhancing self-confidence in language learners by focusing on positive experiences rather than negative ones. This approach can help students overcome challen  ges and achieve their goals, ultimately leading to better language proficiency.

 

Speaking Activities

Language anxiety is a significant issue in learning a foreign language, with classroom practices playing a crucial role. Research by Horwitz, Horwitz, and Cope (1986) found that learners with high anxiety are worried about communicating in a foreign language, with activities like prepared dialogues, oral presentations, skits, and spontaneous role-play situations increasing anxiety.

Price (1991) suggests that students often feel apprehensive about speaking due to fear of ridicule, pronunciation mistakes, or fluency issues. Teachers should consider the impact of speaking activities on learners' anxiety when planning activities.


Competitiveness

Bailey (1983) highlights that excessive competitiveness in language learners can increase anxiety, leading to comparisons, idealized self-image, harmful reactions, a desire to outperform, teacher acceptance, and a focus on tests and grades.

Oxford (1999) suggests that competitiveness may influence language anxiety, but it depends on learners' learning style, competition type, and environment demands. Language instructors should create a low anxiety classroom atmosphere by using diverse methods to address personal and interpersonal fears. Understanding students' language learning anxieties helps them cope effectively.

Anxiety as a Hindrance to learning

Learning a second language involves acquiring new techniques from a foreign culture, which can be challenging for some learners due to emotional factors such as anxiety. Language anxiety is a stable personality trait that causes nervous reactions when speaking, listening, reading, or writing in a second language, leading to reduced participation in class and reluctance to express personal information in the target language.

Spielberger (2005) explains that anxiety negatively impacts second language learning by deviating attention and cognitive resources, leading to less proficiency in speech skills. He predicts that trait and state anxiety can affect the learning process, with trait anxiety affecting learners in any situation, and state anxiety affecting learners in specific events or activities.

Language acquisition is influenced by students' perception of their communicative competence in second language acquisition. Anxiety can lead to underestimation of less anxious students, highlighting the need for efforts to reduce anxiety in classrooms.

The Effects of Anxiety on Learning Performance

Anxiety impacts learning performance in foreign language learning, affecting input, processing, and output stages. Ellis (2003) studied the relationship between language anxiety and learners' achievement. Understanding FL anxiety's influence is crucial for understanding its impact on oral weaknesses and linguistic difficulties.


Input

The Language Acquisition Device (LAD) is activated during the first learning stage, but anxious learners may struggle due to their affective filter, which includes self-confidence, anxiety, and inhibition. These barriers hinder input from reaching LAD, hindering concentration and internal representation of input.

Therefore, at this stage when anxiety arouses, the internal reaction will guide the learners' attention to their state of worry and discomfort. Input anxiety refers to the anxiety experienced by the learners when they encounter new information in the target language. This causes misunderstanding of the message of the instructor and damage to successful communication.


Processing

Processing is the second stage in which students are influenced by FL anxiety, where the new information performed by mental processes takes place. During this stage, anxiety intervenes with the students' cognitive tasks, especially when the task is related to the student's ability; the effect of anxiety will be greater. So, the students cannot concentrate or use the stored information. For example, a learner in a free discussion or talking about a given topic cannot speak fluently because the anxiety makes him forget the appropriate vocabularies that he needs to use.

Segalowitz (2003) suggests that a learner's ability to focus on multiple mental activities at once is limited in the Information Processing Model (IPM). Comfortable students, who are relaxed, can spontaneously choose words, pronounce them, and grammatically mark them.

Horwitz and Cope (1986) suggest that learners' foreign language anxiety can be reduced by focusing on linguistic aspects, using cognitive sources for information processing, and building knowledge that can be automatically used for speaking and understanding.


Output

FL fear has an impact on learning's output stage, especially when it comes to speaking in FL. It happens during the performance stage of the learning process, when anxiety or fear may prevent the learners from applying prior knowledge.

Divergent opinions exist on the correlation between anxiety and learning a foreign language; generally speaking, language anxiety manifests as detrimental effects. Through the development of the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS), Horwitz, Horwitz, and Cope (1986) demonstrate an important negative association between anxiety and FL achievement. Furthermore, MacIntyre and Gardner (1991) claimed that anxiety impairs FL learning performance, stating that students who experience significant levels of worry are likely to do worse orally than their more at ease peers. According to their research, learners' anxiety may have an impact on both their performance and attitudes on language acquisition.

Therefore, anxious learners in this stage will not succeed in their oral performance. Also they will choose to be most of the time passive and avoid engagement with their learning, even though they can do well if they control their fears. Likewise, such learners will lose the opportunity to be better students with powerful abilities.

Causes of Speech Anxiety

There are numerous factors that results students’ speech anxiety. There are many studies conducted to explore these factors. Researchers like Xiuqin and Liu (2007) have investigate the causes that lead to students’ speaking anxiety by making a study on Chinese  English learners.

The majority of academics would concur with Arnold and Brown's (1999:8) conclusion that anxiety is most likely the affective aspect that hinders learning the most (although while we cannot deny its attraction, worry is most likely not the most important factor in learning success or failure). Consequently, anxiety has dominated L2 research for many years. (As stated on page 198 of Dörneiy, 2005). When discussing anxiety in the classroom, academics have identified a number of variables that contribute to anxiety in language learning environments, including: Exams, competitiveness, and students' perceptions of their teachers' relationships can all lead to anxiety in the classroom


Lack of vocabulary

English language learners experience anxiety when speaking English due to their limited vocabulary. Due to their limited vocabulary and difficulty understanding new words, they are timid and fear communicating.


Lack of preparation

Liu's research indicates that most Chinese learners of English experience anxiety as a result of inadequate preparation. However, when they are well-prepared, they feel less anxious and more at ease speaking English because they are more confident in their presentations.


Lack of practice

Lack of practice in the foreign language that students are studying may be the cause of their speech anxiety. According to Liu, "they didn't have many opportunities to speak the language in their daily lives, nor did they have much practice of oral English in class due to the short class period and large class size." Many students experience anxiety as a result when speaking in English in class. One of these pupils remarks, for instance, "I might be scared because I haven't practiced and I'm not used to it. Because they have gone through that many times previously, some people don't feel anxious .


Fear of making mistakes

An other factor contributing to students' speaking anxiety is their dread of making mistakes. "I like to speak English, but when I am in front of others, I will be nervous and can't say anything because I am afraid others will laugh at me if I make a mistake," says one of the study participants, according to Liu (130). Learners of foreign languages sometimes experience anxiety due to their dread of making mistakes and receiving negative feedback. But students shouldn't be scared to make mistakes because doing so would prevent them from communicating.


Inability to express ideas

Learners of foreign languages occasionally encounter challenges while attempting to convey their thoughts in the language they are studying. According to a student in Liu's study, "There are moments when I find it difficult to talk to people." Because I am unsure of how to convey my thoughts with the language I have learnt. Speaking in front of others makes me anxious because I worry that I won't say anything and will just stand there looking awkward (131). When they are unable to convey their ideas in English from their original language, learners may become anxious. A different student says, "I become scared when I speak English in front of others because I don't know what to say or, if I do, I can't convert it into


Fear of being focus of attention

Another theory for why kids have speech anxiety is their fear of being the centre of attention. The results of Liu's study show that many students experience anxiety when they are singled out for English-speaking in class. One of these students says, "I feel like there are too many people watching me when I speak English in front of other people, so I get nervous all the time." Oh God! (135).


 Low English proficiency

Learners who are not fluent in English may have speech anxiety. According to Liu's (2007) research, Chinese English learners experienced anxiety as a result of their inadequate English ability. "I'm a little afraid of speaking English, because my speaking English is poor," says one of them (129).

Characteristics of Students Suffering from Speech Anxiety

There are many characteristics that make students who suffer from speech anxiety different from other learners. Some of these characteristics manifests in physical symptoms; for instance, Morris states different signs experienced by anxious speakers such as : dry mouth, sweaty palms, shaking hands, pale skin, numbing body, shallow breathing, dizziness, quivering voice, etc

There are other characteristics which manifests in mental symptoms among the anxious speakers. According to Kanar (2011), learners who experience anxiety in speaking are characterized by mental symptoms such as : disorganized thoughts, forgetting what they had plan to say, feeling of inadequacy, and negative self-talk.

These psychological and physiological symptoms are not the only indications. For instance, Basic (2010) asserts that children who are concerned can be less attentive to their lecturers and are frequently extremely composed, quiet, and submissive. In addition, many pupils quit school very early and are silent the entire time they attend.

The effects of speech anxiety on students’ learning and Speaking Performance

Learning a foreign language, especially speaking the language, has been found to be severely hampered by anxiety" (Xiuqin, 37). Furthermore, according to Horwitz, Horwitz, and Cope (qtd. in Xiuqin, 37), "anxiety is a major obstacle to be overcome in learning to speak another language." Thus, we might conclude that speaking anxiety hinders the process of picking up and using a second language. Speaking anxiety can impact various elements of learning, including the following:


1.     Language learning process

Speaking anxiety has a detrimental impact on students' ability to focus and assimilate information in the classroom, which, in turn, affects how well students produce language 


2.     Grades

 

Speaking nervous students have lower motivation than other learners. Additionally, that students' grades are based on how actively they participate in class activities. Quiet students who don't participate in class activities typically get poorer grades. As a result, learning is hampered by their inability to participate in class activities .


3.     Speaking ability

In their study of Chinese college students, Fang-Peng and Dong (2010) discovered that students with high anxiety levels had poor spoken English proficiency. In addition, there are additional elements that contribute to elevated anxiety, including the focus on pronunciation and intonation as well as the influence of their native tongue (SubaşI,2010.35).


4.     Self-confidence

Anxiety hinders learners' ability to communicate and lowers their self-confidence. Furthermore, speaking nervousness creates a low self-confidence which makes students remain quiet in all situation.

 

Foreign language anxiety and the four skills

Recent studies have attempt to explore the relationship between foreign language anxiety and reading, writing, and listening in addition to speaking. However, the more assertion has been given to the correlation between foreign language anxiety and the speaking skill.

Foreign language anxiety and the reading skill

Research indicates that high levels of anxiety when reading in a foreign language have an impact on comprehension because, in contrast to low levels of anxiety, learners lose focus and recall less information when reading (Sellers, 2000).

Foreign language anxiety and the listening skill

According to Campbell (1999), listening is not thought to be an anxiety-inducing activity. But according to recent studies, listening activities might also make people anxious (Ay,2010.84). According to Horwitz, Horwitz, and Cope (1986, 126), nervous students have trouble telling the difference between the target language's sounds and structure.

Foreign language anxiety and writing skill

Some research has been done to investigate the relationship between writing proficiency and anxiety related to learning a foreign language. there is a significant and inverse relationship between students' writing achievement and their anxiety when writing in a second language.

Foreign language speaking anxiety in comparison to other skills

A review of the literature reveals a negative correlation between speaking ability and anxiousness. We also see that anxiety can have an impact on the other abilities. Nonetheless, the majority of experts concur that speaking ability is more affected by anxiety. Speaking is seen as the most demanding talent among the other skills by both teachers and students, according to Young (1991) (SubaşI, 2010.32). Leki (1991) ranked speaking as the activity that causes the most anxiety, and writing as the activity that causes the least anxiety (Ay, 2010.84).

 

 

Objectives

By the end of this module, learners should be able to:

. Identify the different types of speaking anxiety-

. Understand the causes and effects of speaking anxiety-

. Apply strategies to manage and overcome speaking anxiety-

 

 :Sub Skills

. Self-awareness: Understanding one's own anxiety triggers and responses-

. Relaxation techniques: Learning and applying techniques to reduce anxiety-

. Public speaking skills: Developing confidence in public speaking-

. Interpreting skills: Improving language proficiency and interpreting accuracy-

:Types of Speaking Anxiety

. -Anticipatory Anxiety: This is the anxiety that occurs before the speaking event. It can manifest as worry, fear, or nervousness about the upcoming event

. -Somatic Anxiety: This is the physical manifestation of anxiety, such as sweating, trembling, or a racing heart

. -Cognitive Anxiety: This is the mental aspect of anxiety, such as negative selftalk or fear of failure

4. -Arousal Anxiety: This is the level of anxiety that affects performance. High arousal can lead to mistakes, while low arousal can lead to lack of engagement

:Methods

. -Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): This method helps individuals identify and change negative thought patterns that lead to anxiety

. -Systematic Desensitization: This method involves gradually exposing individuals to anxiety-inducing situations to reduce their fear response

. -Relaxation Techniques: These include deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and visualization

:Teaching Aids

. -Role-plays: These can help individuals practice speaking in a safe and controlled environment

. -Video Recordings: These can help individuals analyze their speaking skills and identify areas for improvement

. -Feedback: Constructive feedback from teachers and peers can help individuals improve their speaking skills and manage their anxiety

Strategies:

. -Preparation: Thorough preparation can help reduce anxiety. This includes researching the topic, practicing the speech, and familiarizing oneself with the environment

. -Positive Self-talk: Encouraging oneself with positive affirmations can help boost confidence and reduce anxiety

. -Mindfulness: Focusing on the present moment can help reduce anxiety and improve performance

Applying Connectivism Principles:

Connectivism emphasizes the importance of learning networks and the role of technology in learning. In this context, learners can connect with others who are also dealing with speaking anxiety. They can share experiences, strategies, and resources, and learn from each other.

 

 :Teacher and Students Roles

Teachers play a crucial role in creating a supportive learning environment and providing guidance and feedback. Students, on the other hand, are responsible for their own learning. They need to actively participate in class, practice speaking, and apply the strategies learned to manage their anxiety.

: Evaluation and Feedback

Evaluation can be done through self-assessment, peer assessment, and teacher assessment. Feedback should be constructive, specific, and timely. It should focus on both the content of the speech and the management of speaking anxiety.

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