Public speaking anxiety or English language anxiety?
List of Authors
  • Ng Wen Lee , Wan Noor Farah Wan Shamsuddin

Keyword
  • Language anxiety, public speaking, PSCAS, teaching and learning

Abstract
  • Aligned with the industry demands to equip tertiary students with essential communication skills, courses like Public Speaking have been introduced in universities to develop and strengthen students’ practical communication skills. This course can be tailored for various domains such as academic, personal and public communication. In current literature, most studies are done to measure language anxiety in specific language skills such as reading and writing but there is a lack of literature that highlights specifically on public speaking anxiety. Therefore, this paper analyses 40 students’ responses to an anxiety questionnaire, the Public Speaking Class Anxiety Scale (PSCAS) developed by Yaikhong and Usaha (2012). This study identifies specific causes of public speaking anxiety among the participants. The findings reveal that the students are more anxious about having to speak in English than having to speak in public. The students also confirmed that they have a fear of speaking English and this ties up with not being able to enjoy speaking in the language. The study also highlights that that audience size seems to play a crucial role when students are presenting. In view of the findings, more coping strategies should be implemented to overcome students’ anxiety towards the speaking the English language. A main issue is apparently the lack of confidence about the use of the language. Instructors for Public Speaking courses will have to equip students with the necessary language skills to overcome fear in public speaking.

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