Exploring Speaking Anxiety among English-majored Students

Abstract

"Speaking anxiety remains one of the most persistent challenges for EFL learners, particularly in academic settings where speaking performance carries both linguistic and social demands. This study investigates the nature and sources of speaking anxiety among third- and fourth-year English-majored students at Can Tho University. Specifically, it examines the classroom communication situations that elicit the highest levels of anxiety and identifies the linguistic, psychological, social, instructional, and cultural factors contributing to these experiences. A quantitative research design was employed, using a 45-item Likert-scale questionnaire administered to 100 students. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze students’ anxiety levels across four speaking situations: presentations, spontaneous answering, group discussions, and oral evaluations. Findings reveal that speaking anxiety is prevalent across all classroom contexts, but its intensity varies significantly. Spontaneous questioning from teachers and performance under evaluation emerged as the most anxiety-provoking situations, whereas pair work and informal interactions generated relatively lower anxiety levels. With regard to contributing factors, linguistic challenges - particularly idiomatic usage, contextual appropriateness, pronunciation, and advanced vocabulary - were rated as major sources of anxiety. Psychological influences and fear of negative evaluation also played a substantial role, underscoring the social dimension of speaking performance. Overall, the results highlight the situational and multifaceted nature of speaking anxiety among English-majored students. The study offers pedagogical implications for designing supportive speaking environments and suggests the need for instructional strategies that reduce pressure, enhance confidence, and address students’ specific linguistic difficulties."