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Scientific Publications

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Abstract

This descriptive study examines and presents the effects of anxiety on first-year EFL students’ willingness to communicate at the Department of English, the University of Mohamed Cherif Messadia, Souk Ahras. The research study attempted to bring clear insights into the main causes behind it, and how EFL teachers could assist anxious students in overcoming this issue. The research opted for a mixed methods approach to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. Firstly, a web-based questionnaire was administered to 107 students chosen conveniently from 140 first-year students. Secondly in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with three teachers selected conveniently. The results revealed that teachers are aware of the presence of speaking anxiety among their students, which hinders their learning and communication abilities to a great extent. On one hand, the interviewees confirmed that some students face challenges in speaking, despite being proficient in writing skills. On the other hand, quantitative data indicated that students fear negative feedback from both teachers and mates, besides concerns about bullying, loss of face, and being laughed at. Thus, the students expressed the need for encouragement and a relaxed classroom environment. Hence, teachers were recommended to foster an atmosphere of tolerance for student mistakes, create a comfortable and supportive environment, encourage students to speak, build positive relationships among all classroom members, and utilize diverse materials to enhance motivation. It was found that motivation significantly influences students\' willingness to learn, participate, and particularly, speak up. This dissertation contributes to the existing literature by shedding light on the effects of anxiety and providing solutions to enhance EFL students’ communication skills.

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