Investigating EFL Students’ Speaking Anxiety in Speaking Performance

• Published in: Jadila: Journal of Development and Innovation in Language and Literature Education Vol. 4; no. 3; pp. 134 - 148
• Main Authors: Nuraeni, Devi, Wati, Atikah, Larasaty, Gina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 22.10.2024
• ISSN: 2745-9578; 2723-6900
• DOI: 10.52760/jadila.v4i3.778

The study examines the levels of anxiety in speaking English among students and explores strategies they employ to alleviate this anxiety. Drawing from Balemir's categorization of Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety into high, moderate, and low levels, and supported by Kondo and Ying's theory, six strategies for reducing speaking anxiety are identified: preparation, relaxation, positive thinking, audience depreciation, concentration, and resignation. Conducted as a qualitative case study, the research involved 30 students from class XI IPS 3 at SMAN 1 Lohbener. While all students completed questionnaires to assess their anxiety levels, 12 students were selected for in-depth interviews, representing each level of anxiety. Instruments included the Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety Scale (FLSAS) and a semi-structured interview based on Kondo's framework. Results indicate that 16.6% of students experienced low anxiety, 40% moderate anxiety, and 43.3% high anxiety in speaking English. Strategies employed by students to reduce anxiety included preparation through studying and seeking assistance, relaxation techniques like calming down and consuming water, positive thinking, audience depreciation by diverting attention, concentration methods such as speaking slowly, and resignation, where students withdraw or remain silent. These findings shed light on the prevalence of speaking anxiety among students and the efficacy of various coping strategies, providing insights for educators to support students in improving their english speaking proficiency. Keywords: Speaking performance, Anxiety