ASSESSING SPEAKING ANXIETY AMONG EFL STUDENTS

Abstract

Background: Learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL) is a significant source of anxiety for students in non-English speaking countries.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of speaking anxiety among female EFL students at Jazan University.

Study design: Cross sectional study

Place and duration of study: Department of English Language, Jazan University, Saudi Arabia, from 1^st of October to 31^st of December 2024.

Materials and Methods: This study included 120 female students with age range of 18 to 30 years. The students with any mental disorder, comorbid conditions and unwilling for consent were excluded. After obtaining informed written consent, all participants were assessed by Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS). Data analysis was performed using SPSS v. 25, with p-values <0.05 considered statistically significant.

Results: The mean age was 24.13 ± 3.92 years. The average duration of educational tenure at the university was 12.45 ± 5.33 months. The unmarried females were predominant as 83 (69.2%) were unmarried. The mean FLCAS score was 103.18 ± 21.98. The anxiety categorization showed that 49 (40.8%), 59 (49.2%) and 12 (10.0%) students experienced low, moderate and severe forms of anxiety respectively. The data stratification showed that students with <1 year study duration experienced increased levels of anxiety (p value 0.002).

Conclusion: Among the female university students, 59.2% had moderate and severe form of anxiety. It is advisable to conduct large, multicentre survey that account for potential confounding factors to validate these findings.