English Language Speaking Anxiety Among Second-year Efl Students Of Mostaganem University

Abstract

Foreign language anxiety (FLA) has been widely researched over the last few decades. However, most research on FLA has focused on young learners while scant attention has been paid to adult learners. Thus, this study investigates FLCSA among second-year EFL students of Mostaganem University by identifying its sources and major symptoms as displayed by the participants in the EFL speaking classroom. To this end, this study adopts a mixed-method approach whereby the participants’ FLCSA is investigated quantitively and qualitatively through a students’ background questionnaire, a MFLCAS questionnaire (Horwitz et al.1986) and a classroom observation respectively. The results indicate the existence of FLCSA among the participants. Furthermore, the sources of their anxiety include communication apprehension, fear of negative evaluation and test anxiety. Finally, the study also presents numerous anxiety symptoms demonstrating the student participants’ negative affect.