Anxiety in EFL Speaking Skill with Reference to the First Year LMD Students.

Abstract

Speaking anxiety is a psychological phenomenon which takes place in every educational setting. In Algerian EFL classes, speaking English is affected by anxiety. Thus, the purpose of this research work was is to investigate the issue of communication apprehension from different perspectives taking into account its main variables. Indeed, going through this process was helpful to suggest some strategies that help the students to cope with speech anxiety or it will be beneficial to enhance their speaking skill. To reach this end, a case study research was conducted at IBN KHALDOUN UNIVERSITY of TIARET relying on a number of sources and research instruments for data collection. A students‟ questionnaire for first year LMD students and an interview with the teachers. The data collected by means of these research instruments were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The results revealed that all first year EFL students experienced a certain level of speech anxiety. In this regard, students experienced speech anxiety due to being in some situations and as a result of many personal and interpersonal causes. Accordingly, this research work emphasized that understanding the different variables that contribute to speech anxiety is crucial for both students and teachers to enhance the speaking skill within the Algerian EFL classroom.