English Speaking Anxiety in English Speaking Clasess at UIN Mataram
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Nur Hairunnisa' AnnuriEnglish Speaking Anxiety in English Speaking Clasess at UIN Mataram
Uploaded by
Nur Hairunnisa' AnnuriEnglish Speaking Anxiety in English Speaking Clasess at UIN Mataram
English students are given the expectation to be able to speak English better than
non-English department students, not only because they study it more intensively but
also because it is one of their competency goals. But who would have thought that they
actually experience anxiety in speaking English, which is called English Speaking
Anxiety. This is what happened to the students in English speaking class at UIN
Mataram. in this essay we will discuss further about what factors cause English
speaking anxiety, then what are the symptoms, and what kind of strategies to deal with
it.
English speaking anxiety experienced by English students can be caused by
several factors, which are classified into two categories; internal and external factors.
Internal factors such as lack of self-confidence, fear of others' judgment, lack of
preparation of materials or vocabulary, lack of speaking practice, and even knowledge
of grammar can lead to this anxiety. While other factors are external factors such as
situations and responses from the audience, judgments given by others, and culture in
everyday life are also very influential. In this case, both internal and external factors
influence each other.
Internal factors due to a lack of self-confidence, make it difficult for students to
express their ideas to the fullest. They feel that their speaking abilities are not better
than other students. This feeling also arises when students are lack of vocabulary. They
are not confident to speak using their limited vocabulary. Because of this, students dare
not to practice speaking English. Another factor is the fear of other people's assessment
towards their speaking ability; the pronounciation, the topics delivered, or they are
afraid that their performance does not meet the expectations of others that have been
instilled in them. From these expectations, grammar worries arise, where students are
afraid of making grammar mistakes when they speak. Because they think it would be a
shame knowing the fact that they have learned more than other majors.
Another factor, categorized as external, relates to the situation and audience
response, which affects speaking performance. Often when students speak and then
make mistakes such as pronunciation errors, the response they get is less appropriate,
such as being laughed at or made fun of. When this happens, many of them end up
preferring to remain silent rather than speak. In addition to the audience's response, the
judgment given also affects students' anxiety in speaking. Both good and bad
assessments have risks that can lead to this anxiety. For example, when they get a bad
assessment, there is a sense of insecurity and fear that they will get the same assessment
later. But when they get a good assessment, anxiety arises about the expectations given
in the previous assessment, that they must always get a good assessment. While, the last
factor comes from culture in everyday life, where students from their environment are
not used to speaking or given the opportunity to speak. So, when they are required to be
able to speak English, they have difficulty and feel anxious.
In addition to the factors, there are several symptoms experienced by students
with English speaking anxiety. Symptoms can include physical disturbances, such as
cold sweats, pale face, racing heart, drastic changes in body temperature, trembling
hands or lips, stomach discomfort, and digestive system disorders. So, when students
feel uncomfortable with their body, for example cold body temperature in a hot room or
vice versa, even want to go to the toilet so badly when they are about to speak English,
then it can be said that they experience English Speaking Anxiety. As for symptoms in
the form of emotional disturbances and actions, they include feelings of fear, confusion,
wanting to give up, and unnecessary body gestures, such as moving legs or hands
excessively, or awkward laughing while talking.
However, just like when facing difficulties in everyday life, there are various
solutions or strategies to overcome English speaking anxiety. For individuals who
experience this anxiety, there are several things that can be done, the first is self-
development, then using religious approaches, and increasing audience or public
awareness. In the practice of self-development, students can increase their knowledge
related to English speaking. They can learn from various sources as long as it is relevant
to their needs, including the internet. During this learning process, it is important to find
mentors who can help and support them, be it close friends, lecturers, or they can join
online or offline mentoring programs. This mentoring program should not only be about
English speaking, but also related to productivity and mental readiness to increase self-
confidence. Then the most important part of self-development is to develop positive
thinking within oneself.
The second strategy is to use a religious approach. As a student of an Islamic
higher education institution, this certainly should not be overlooked. This strategy
actually has been widely applied, such as reading certain prayers before starting to
speak, reading sholawat, practicing dhikr, multiplying other worship and believing God
will always accompany and facilitate all difficulties. When using these two strategies
properly and correctly, anxiety in speaking English for students in the English speaking
class at UIN Mataram can be resolved.
