Anxiety In English Language

It must be challenging for some students speak in front of others, mostly if they have to speak in a foreign language such as English. While we are speaking, we deal with different feelings that affect positively or negatively our performance. One of these feelings is anxiety, and it is one of the main factors for the incapacity to speak in English.

Anxiety that is related to foreign language is well-known as foreign language anxiety (FLA). FLA is the feeling of apprehension, fear, nervousness associated with second language contexts. If we pay little attention to it, students will keep their reluctance to participate in oral activities, and then they will not improve their speaking skill. Moreover, if we do not get students to speak with

Anxiety in language contexts is conceptualized as a feeling of apprehension associated with second language contexts (MacIntyre & Gardner, 1994).

There are two kinds of anxiety: facilitative and debilitative. In facilitative anxiety learners overcome their anxious feelings. On the other hand, debilitative anxiety makes the student avoid the anxious situation. It is the later which concerns me as it has negative effects on students’ oral performance.

There have been identified three components of foreign language anxiety (Horwitz, Horwitz and Cope, 1986): communication apprehension, test anxiety, and fear of negative evaluation. Communication apprehension refers to learners that do not feel comfortable when they speak in front of others, and also have problems in speaking and listening skill. Regarding test anxiety, it refers to “an apprehension over academic evaluation” (MacIntyre & Gardner, 1989, p. 42). This helps teachers to identify the source of anxiety and by doing so they can use strategies to reduce

Some elements within cooperative learning are group work, in which each member is encouraged to participate in the activities. Also, positive interdependence, the group has a common goal and each member is significant for the group. Cooperative learning activities “can foster active participation, a sense of community, emotional support, and provide more opportunities for students to use the target language“(p. 57).

I personally believe that a good teacher-student relationship is also important and helpful to reduce anxiety in the classroom. Having fun, making jokes while studying could make students feel comfortable and at ease in the class. What is more, errors should be considered as a natural part of the learning process.

Students should not be interrupted when they are speaking. Teachers should provide indirect feedback rather than direct feedback therefore, students would not feel being judged all the