EXPLORING VIETNAMESE NON-ENGLISH-MAJORED FRESHMEN'S ENGLISH-SPEAKING ANXIETY AT A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY IN VIETNAM
Main Article Content
Abstract
The study investigates Vietnamese non-English-majored freshmen's speaking anxiety. 297 non-English-majored freshmen enrolled at a public university in Vietnam answered the Questionnaire of Speaking Anxiety. The results show that participants had a moderate level of English-speaking anxiety, with female students having a higher level of speaking anxiety than male students. To provide insights into sources of speaking anxiety, anxiety-provoking situations and strategies that students use to cope with speaking anxiety, follow-up qualitative data was collected. 24 students from the pool of participants were conveniently recruited and randomly assigned to five focus groups, who answered the semi-structured interview questions. The findings show that students experience a higher level of speaking anxiety when they are called to answer questions by their teacher in class and during a speaking test, and to make an oral presentation than when they perform a role-play in front of the class and work in groups. Besides, students attributed their speaking anxiety to their English-speaking abilities, the nature of teachers' questions, fear of losing face and being judged, and fear of receiving low scores. To cope with speaking anxiety, students reported using social and cognitive strategies. The study provides helpful information for English lecturers to understand the nature of students' speaking anxiety and help students tackle speaking anxiety.
Article Details
Keywords
speaking anxiety, non-English major, Vietnam
References
Ahmed, N., Pathan, Z. H., & Khan, F. S. (2017). Exploring the causes of English language speaking anxiety among postgraduate students of university of Balochistan, Pakistan. International Journal of English Linguistics, 7(2), 99-105. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijel.v7n2p99
Aida, Y. (1994). Examination of Horwitz, Horwitz, and Cope’s construct of foreign language anxiety: The case of students of Japanese. The Modern Language Journal, 78(2), 155–168. https://doi.org/10.2307/329005
Al Nakhalah, A. M. M. (2016). Problems and difficulties of speaking that encounter English language students at Al Quds Open University. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention, 5(12), 96–101.
Alotumi, M. (2021). EFL college junior and senior students' self-regulated motivation for improving English speaking: A survey study. Heliyon, 7(4), Article e06664. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06664
Alsowat, H. (2016). Foreign language anxiety in higher education: A practical framework for reducing FLA. European Scientific Journal, 12(7), 193-220. https://doi.org/10.19044/esj.2016
Ardi, M. (2007). Investigating students’ foreign language anxiety. Malaysian Journal of ELT Research, 3(1), 37-55.
Aydın, S., Harputlu, L., Güzel, S., ÿelik, ſeyda S., Uſtuk, ÿzgehan, & Genç, D. (2016). A Turkish version of foreign language anxiety scale: Reliability and validity. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 232, 250–256. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2016.10.011
Bahtti, N., Memon, S., & Pathan, H. (2016). Investigating the perceptions of Pakistani English language learners on language learning anxiety in EFL classroom. Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 7(5), 23-34. https://doi.org/10.7575/aiac.alls.v.7n.5p.23
Bashori, M., van Hout, R., Strik, H., & Cucchiarini, C. (2021). Effects of ASR-based websites on EFL learners’ vocabulary, speaking anxiety, and language enjoyment. System, 99, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2021.102496
Batiha, J. M., Noor, N. M., & Mustaffa, R. (2016). Speaking anxiety among English as a foreign language learner in Jordan: Quantitative research. International Journal of Education and Research, 4(10), 63-82.
Bekleyen, N. (2009). Helping teachers become better English students: Causes, effects, and coping strategies for foreign language listening anxiety. System, 37(20), 664–675. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2009.09.010
Cabansag, J. N. (2020). Speaking anxiety, English proficiency, affective and social language learning strategies of ESL engineering students in a state university in Northern Luzon, Philippines. International Journal of English Linguistics, 10(1), 372-383. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijel.v10n1p372
Çağatay, S. (2015). Examining EFL language learners’ foreign language speaking anxiety: The case at a Turkish state university. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 199, 648-656. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.07.594
Chou, M. H. (2018). Speaking anxiety and strategy use for learning English as a foreign language in full and partial English-medium instruction context. TESOL Quarterly, 52(3), 611-633. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.455
Christy, A., & Mukhaiyar, J. (2020). The effect of speaking anxiety on students performance in speech class. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, 539, 241-245. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.210325.043
Creswell, J. W. (2002). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative. Prentice Hall.
Debreli, E., & Demirkan, S. (2016). Sources and levels of foreign language speaking anxiety of English as a foreign language university language learners with regard to language proficiency and gender. International Journal of English Language Education, 4(1), 49-62. https://doi.org/10.5296/ijele.v4i1.8715
Djahimo, S., Bili Bora, D., & Huan, E. (2018). Student anxiety and their speaking performance: Teaching EFL to Indonesian student. International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2(3), 187-195. https://doi.org/10.29332/ijssh.v2n3.235
Fleury, A. (2005). Liberal education and communication against the disciplines.
Communication Education, 54(1), 72-79. https://doi.org/10.1080/03634520500077032
Gardner, R. C., & MacIntyre, P. D. (1993). A student's contributions to second-language learning. Part II: Affective variables. Language Teaching, 26(1), 1-11.
Genç, G. , Kuluşaklı, E., & Aydın, S. (2016, November 14-16). Foreign language speaking anxiety and anxiety coping strategies employed by Turkish EFL learners [Conference presentation]. ICERI2016 9th Annual International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation, Seville, Spain. http://doi.org/10.21125/iceri.2016.1105
Gökhan, O., & Nurdan, G. (2014). Speaking anxiety among Turkish EFL learners: The case at a state university. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 10(1), 1-17.
Gumartifa, A., & Syahri, I. (2021). English speaking anxiety in language learning classroom. English Language in Focus (ELIF), 3(2), 99–108. https://doi.org/10.24853/elif.3.2.99-108
Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M. B., & Cope, J. (1986). Foreign language classroom anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 70(2), 125-132. https://doi.org/10.2307/327317
Jugo, R. R. (2020). Language anxiety in focus: The case of Filipino undergraduate teacher education learners. Education Research International, 2020, Article ID 7049837. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/7049837
Le, Q. D., & Tran, L. H. (2020). Speaking anxiety and language proficiency among EFL at a university in Vietnam. International Journal of Social Science and Human Research, 3(9), 124-133. https://doi.org/10.47191/ijsshr/v3-i9-01
Lian, L. H., & Budin, M. B. (2014). Investigating the relationship between English language anxiety and the achievement of school based oral English test among Malaysian form four students. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 2(1), 67-79.
Liu, M., & Jackson, J. (2008). An exploration of Chinese EFL learners’ unwillingness to communicate and foreign language anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 92(1), 71-86. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.2008.00687.x
Lizuka, K. (2010). Learner coping strategies for foreign language anxiety. In A. M. Stoke (Ed.), JALT2009 Conference Proceedings (pp. 103-112). JALT.
Manley, K. (2015). Comparative study of foreign language anxiety in Korean and Chinese students. Culminating Projects in English, 35, 1-80.
McCroskey, J. C., & Anderson, J. (1976). The relationship between academic achievement and communication apprehension among college students [Paper presentation]. Annual Convention of the International Communication Association, Portland. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2958.1976.tb00506.x
Melouah, A. (2013). Foreign language anxiety in EFL speaking classrooms: A case study of first-year LMD students of English at Saad Dahlab University of Blida, Algeria. Arab World English Journal, 4(1), 64-76.
Milan, M. C. (2019). English speaking anxiety: Sources, coping mechanisms, and teacher management. PUPIL: International Journal of Teaching, Education and Learning, 5(2), 01-28. https://doi.org/10.20319/pijtel.2019.52.0128
Miskam, N. N., & Saidalvi, A. (2019). Investigating English language speaking anxiety among Malaysian undergraduate learners. Asian Social Science, 15(1), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.5539/ass.v15n1p1
Mohamed, A. R., & Wahid, N. D. (2009). Anxiety and speaking English as a second language among male and female business students in University Industry Selangor. Segi Review, 2(2), 65-84.
Mohtasham, L., & Farnia, M. (2017). English speaking anxiety: A study of the effect of gender on Iranian EFL university students’ perceptions. International Journal of Research in English Education, 2(4), 66-79. https://doi.org/10.29252/ijree.2.4.66
Ngo, C. L., & Nguyen, T. T. H. (2018, May 21-22). The interplay among L2 willingness to communicate, speaking test anxiety and speaking proficiency [Conference presentation]. The 9th International Conference on TESOL, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Öztürk, G., & Gürbüz, N. (2013). The impact of gender on foreign language speaking anxiety and motivation. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 70, 654-665. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.01.106
Pabro-Maquidato, I. M. (2021). The experience of English speaking anxiety and coping strategies: A transcendental phenomenological study. International Journal of TESOL & Education, 1(2), 45-64.
Park, G. P. (2014). Factor analysis of the foreign language classroom anxiety scale in Korean learners of English as a foreign language. Psychological Reports, 115(1), 261–275. https://doi.org/10.2466/28.11.PR0.115c10z2
Park, G. P., & French, B. F. (2013). Gender differences in the foreign language classroom anxiety scale. System, 41(2), 462-471. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2013.04.001
Rajitha, K. (2020). A study of factors affecting and causing speaking anxiety. Procedia Computer Science, 172, 1053–1058. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2020.05.154
Sabbah, S. S. (2018). Anxiety in learning English as a second language at a tertiary stage: Causes and solutions. European Journal of English Language and Literature Studies, 6(1), 14-33.
Scovel, T. (1978). The effect of affect on foreign language learning: A review of anxiety research. Language Learning, 28(1), 129-142. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-1770.1978.Tb00309.x
Shabani, M. B. (2012). Levels and sources of language anxiety and fear of negative
evaluation among Iranian EFL learners. Theory and Practice in Language
Studies, 2(11), 2378-2383. https://doi.org/10.4304/tpls.2.11.2378-2383
Sutarsyah, C. (2017). An analysis of student’s speaking anxiety and its effect on speaking performance. Indonesian Journal of English Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics, 1(2), 143-152.
Tian, C. (2019). Anxiety in classroom English presentations: A case study in Korean tertiary educational context. Higher Education Studies, 9(1), 132-143. https://doi.org/10.5539/hes.v9n1p132
Toyama, M., & Yamazaki, Y. (2018). Exploring the components of the foreign language classroom anxiety scale in the context of Japanese undergraduates. Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education, 3(1), 1-27. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40862-018-0045-3
Tran, T. T. X. (2019). Anxiety in foreign language classrooms at Hanoi National University of Education. Vietnam Journal of Education, 6, 60-64.
Wang, P., & Roopchund, R. (2015). Chinese students’ English-speaking anxiety in asking questions in the MSc TESOL classroom. International Journal of English Language Teaching, 2(2), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.5430/ijelt.v2n2p1
Wilang, J. D., & Singhasiri, W. (2017). Out-of-class anxiety in a non-English speaking context and its effects on intelligibility and comprehensibility. Educational Research, 27(3), 620-638.
Aida, Y. (1994). Examination of Horwitz, Horwitz, and Cope’s construct of foreign language anxiety: The case of students of Japanese. The Modern Language Journal, 78(2), 155–168. https://doi.org/10.2307/329005
Al Nakhalah, A. M. M. (2016). Problems and difficulties of speaking that encounter English language students at Al Quds Open University. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention, 5(12), 96–101.
Alotumi, M. (2021). EFL college junior and senior students' self-regulated motivation for improving English speaking: A survey study. Heliyon, 7(4), Article e06664. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06664
Alsowat, H. (2016). Foreign language anxiety in higher education: A practical framework for reducing FLA. European Scientific Journal, 12(7), 193-220. https://doi.org/10.19044/esj.2016
Ardi, M. (2007). Investigating students’ foreign language anxiety. Malaysian Journal of ELT Research, 3(1), 37-55.
Aydın, S., Harputlu, L., Güzel, S., ÿelik, ſeyda S., Uſtuk, ÿzgehan, & Genç, D. (2016). A Turkish version of foreign language anxiety scale: Reliability and validity. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 232, 250–256. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2016.10.011
Bahtti, N., Memon, S., & Pathan, H. (2016). Investigating the perceptions of Pakistani English language learners on language learning anxiety in EFL classroom. Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 7(5), 23-34. https://doi.org/10.7575/aiac.alls.v.7n.5p.23
Bashori, M., van Hout, R., Strik, H., & Cucchiarini, C. (2021). Effects of ASR-based websites on EFL learners’ vocabulary, speaking anxiety, and language enjoyment. System, 99, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2021.102496
Batiha, J. M., Noor, N. M., & Mustaffa, R. (2016). Speaking anxiety among English as a foreign language learner in Jordan: Quantitative research. International Journal of Education and Research, 4(10), 63-82.
Bekleyen, N. (2009). Helping teachers become better English students: Causes, effects, and coping strategies for foreign language listening anxiety. System, 37(20), 664–675. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2009.09.010
Cabansag, J. N. (2020). Speaking anxiety, English proficiency, affective and social language learning strategies of ESL engineering students in a state university in Northern Luzon, Philippines. International Journal of English Linguistics, 10(1), 372-383. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijel.v10n1p372
Çağatay, S. (2015). Examining EFL language learners’ foreign language speaking anxiety: The case at a Turkish state university. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 199, 648-656. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.07.594
Chou, M. H. (2018). Speaking anxiety and strategy use for learning English as a foreign language in full and partial English-medium instruction context. TESOL Quarterly, 52(3), 611-633. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.455
Christy, A., & Mukhaiyar, J. (2020). The effect of speaking anxiety on students performance in speech class. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, 539, 241-245. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.210325.043
Creswell, J. W. (2002). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative. Prentice Hall.
Debreli, E., & Demirkan, S. (2016). Sources and levels of foreign language speaking anxiety of English as a foreign language university language learners with regard to language proficiency and gender. International Journal of English Language Education, 4(1), 49-62. https://doi.org/10.5296/ijele.v4i1.8715
Djahimo, S., Bili Bora, D., & Huan, E. (2018). Student anxiety and their speaking performance: Teaching EFL to Indonesian student. International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2(3), 187-195. https://doi.org/10.29332/ijssh.v2n3.235
Fleury, A. (2005). Liberal education and communication against the disciplines.
Communication Education, 54(1), 72-79. https://doi.org/10.1080/03634520500077032
Gardner, R. C., & MacIntyre, P. D. (1993). A student's contributions to second-language learning. Part II: Affective variables. Language Teaching, 26(1), 1-11.
Genç, G. , Kuluşaklı, E., & Aydın, S. (2016, November 14-16). Foreign language speaking anxiety and anxiety coping strategies employed by Turkish EFL learners [Conference presentation]. ICERI2016 9th Annual International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation, Seville, Spain. http://doi.org/10.21125/iceri.2016.1105
Gökhan, O., & Nurdan, G. (2014). Speaking anxiety among Turkish EFL learners: The case at a state university. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 10(1), 1-17.
Gumartifa, A., & Syahri, I. (2021). English speaking anxiety in language learning classroom. English Language in Focus (ELIF), 3(2), 99–108. https://doi.org/10.24853/elif.3.2.99-108
Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M. B., & Cope, J. (1986). Foreign language classroom anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 70(2), 125-132. https://doi.org/10.2307/327317
Jugo, R. R. (2020). Language anxiety in focus: The case of Filipino undergraduate teacher education learners. Education Research International, 2020, Article ID 7049837. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/7049837
Le, Q. D., & Tran, L. H. (2020). Speaking anxiety and language proficiency among EFL at a university in Vietnam. International Journal of Social Science and Human Research, 3(9), 124-133. https://doi.org/10.47191/ijsshr/v3-i9-01
Lian, L. H., & Budin, M. B. (2014). Investigating the relationship between English language anxiety and the achievement of school based oral English test among Malaysian form four students. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 2(1), 67-79.
Liu, M., & Jackson, J. (2008). An exploration of Chinese EFL learners’ unwillingness to communicate and foreign language anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 92(1), 71-86. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.2008.00687.x
Lizuka, K. (2010). Learner coping strategies for foreign language anxiety. In A. M. Stoke (Ed.), JALT2009 Conference Proceedings (pp. 103-112). JALT.
Manley, K. (2015). Comparative study of foreign language anxiety in Korean and Chinese students. Culminating Projects in English, 35, 1-80.
McCroskey, J. C., & Anderson, J. (1976). The relationship between academic achievement and communication apprehension among college students [Paper presentation]. Annual Convention of the International Communication Association, Portland. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2958.1976.tb00506.x
Melouah, A. (2013). Foreign language anxiety in EFL speaking classrooms: A case study of first-year LMD students of English at Saad Dahlab University of Blida, Algeria. Arab World English Journal, 4(1), 64-76.
Milan, M. C. (2019). English speaking anxiety: Sources, coping mechanisms, and teacher management. PUPIL: International Journal of Teaching, Education and Learning, 5(2), 01-28. https://doi.org/10.20319/pijtel.2019.52.0128
Miskam, N. N., & Saidalvi, A. (2019). Investigating English language speaking anxiety among Malaysian undergraduate learners. Asian Social Science, 15(1), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.5539/ass.v15n1p1
Mohamed, A. R., & Wahid, N. D. (2009). Anxiety and speaking English as a second language among male and female business students in University Industry Selangor. Segi Review, 2(2), 65-84.
Mohtasham, L., & Farnia, M. (2017). English speaking anxiety: A study of the effect of gender on Iranian EFL university students’ perceptions. International Journal of Research in English Education, 2(4), 66-79. https://doi.org/10.29252/ijree.2.4.66
Ngo, C. L., & Nguyen, T. T. H. (2018, May 21-22). The interplay among L2 willingness to communicate, speaking test anxiety and speaking proficiency [Conference presentation]. The 9th International Conference on TESOL, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Öztürk, G., & Gürbüz, N. (2013). The impact of gender on foreign language speaking anxiety and motivation. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 70, 654-665. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.01.106
Pabro-Maquidato, I. M. (2021). The experience of English speaking anxiety and coping strategies: A transcendental phenomenological study. International Journal of TESOL & Education, 1(2), 45-64.
Park, G. P. (2014). Factor analysis of the foreign language classroom anxiety scale in Korean learners of English as a foreign language. Psychological Reports, 115(1), 261–275. https://doi.org/10.2466/28.11.PR0.115c10z2
Park, G. P., & French, B. F. (2013). Gender differences in the foreign language classroom anxiety scale. System, 41(2), 462-471. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2013.04.001
Rajitha, K. (2020). A study of factors affecting and causing speaking anxiety. Procedia Computer Science, 172, 1053–1058. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2020.05.154
Sabbah, S. S. (2018). Anxiety in learning English as a second language at a tertiary stage: Causes and solutions. European Journal of English Language and Literature Studies, 6(1), 14-33.
Scovel, T. (1978). The effect of affect on foreign language learning: A review of anxiety research. Language Learning, 28(1), 129-142. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-1770.1978.Tb00309.x
Shabani, M. B. (2012). Levels and sources of language anxiety and fear of negative
evaluation among Iranian EFL learners. Theory and Practice in Language
Studies, 2(11), 2378-2383. https://doi.org/10.4304/tpls.2.11.2378-2383
Sutarsyah, C. (2017). An analysis of student’s speaking anxiety and its effect on speaking performance. Indonesian Journal of English Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics, 1(2), 143-152.
Tian, C. (2019). Anxiety in classroom English presentations: A case study in Korean tertiary educational context. Higher Education Studies, 9(1), 132-143. https://doi.org/10.5539/hes.v9n1p132
Toyama, M., & Yamazaki, Y. (2018). Exploring the components of the foreign language classroom anxiety scale in the context of Japanese undergraduates. Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education, 3(1), 1-27. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40862-018-0045-3
Tran, T. T. X. (2019). Anxiety in foreign language classrooms at Hanoi National University of Education. Vietnam Journal of Education, 6, 60-64.
Wang, P., & Roopchund, R. (2015). Chinese students’ English-speaking anxiety in asking questions in the MSc TESOL classroom. International Journal of English Language Teaching, 2(2), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.5430/ijelt.v2n2p1
Wilang, J. D., & Singhasiri, W. (2017). Out-of-class anxiety in a non-English speaking context and its effects on intelligibility and comprehensibility. Educational Research, 27(3), 620-638.