AN EXPLORATION OF SPEAKING ANXIETY OF ENGLISH MAJOR FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS AT A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY IN HANOI
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18173/2354-1075.2024-0058Keywords:
speaking anxiety, foreign language speaking anxiety, English-major first-year studentsAbstract
The study investigates the speaking anxiety experienced by first-year English majors. 152 first-year English majors at a public university in Hanoi participated in the questionnaire. The results show that participants had a medium level of English-speaking anxiety. Factors contributing to this anxiety include students’ negative self-assessment of ability, self-comparison to others, fear of negative evaluation, fear of being in public, and shyness. Additionally, the nature of teachers' questions, lack of preparedness, and beliefs about native speakers or instructors also contribute to speaking anxiety. The study highlights that students experienced higher anxiety during presentations compared to group discussions or paired interviews. Besides, the majority of first-year students believed that instructors’ behavior and characteristics would play a significant role in reducing their speaking anxiety in class. The study offers valuable insights into students’ speaking anxiety for English lecturers to support students in managing speaking anxiety effectively.
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