Assessing the Level and Sources of English Language Speaking Anxiety: (Grade 12 students‟ at Tikur Anbessa Secondary School in focus)
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Date
2024-05
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Language anxiety has become an important area of language teaching and learning. It has been a common issue in the English foreign language context and has had a profound consequence in language teaching. Furthermore, anxiety has been experienced by a number of foreign language learners in their English language classrooms. The objective of this research was to assess the level and sources of anxiety among Grade 12 students at Tikur Anbessa Secondary School in the academic year 2016E.C. The data were collected using an adapted form of the FLSAS (Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety Scale) on 100 students and 7 teachers as participants. The data were analyzed descriptively to address the research objectives. The findings indicated that both students and teachers at Tikur Anbessa Secondary School perceive the existence of speaking anxiety, with personal behavior considered to be the greatest source of students‟ anxiety, followed by teaching procedures. Among the personal reasons, negative self-assessment, belief about mistakes, belief about learning and using can be considered the highest anxiety-provoking attributes while unable to speak in front of the class and not getting enough speaking practice were found to be the two greatest anxiety-provoking factors under the teaching procedure category. From these research findings, it can be concluded that there is speaking anxiety among participants, and personal and teaching procedures are potentially anxiety-provoking sources as perceived by the students and teachers. It is suggested that teachers need to create an anxiety-free language learning environment in order to deal with students‟ attitudes, beliefs, and motivation in the classroom.
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Language anxiety