English Foreign Language Students’ Experiences in Dealing with Speaking Anxiety

Abstract

This study's objectives are to (1) investigate how students organized public speaking anxiety and (2) investigate how those students cope with the anxieties that arise for them when learning public speaking in class. In order to gather information, I conducted interviews based on Horwitz et al. (1986) categorization of variables that cause foreign language anxiety. Data collection involves with two students who were enrolled in the English Education study program at an Islamic University of Indonesia through WhatsApp Voice Call. Both of these students reported feeling anxious whenever they were obliged to give speech in front of an audience. A technique known as theme analysis was used to investigate the meaning of the data. The findings showed that the students suffered from anxiety, which manifested in several different ways, including feeling anxious, having palpitations, experiencing panic, and having memory disassociation. Students with different kinds of speaking anxiety can learn to deal with their feelings of unease and worry by doing self-regulated behaviors, carefully preparing, being confident in themselves, and getting feedback from their teachers. Students who use these strategies throughout their presentations may find that their fear and anxiety of public speaking are significantly reduced.