Public Speaking Classroom Anxiety and Oral Language Performance of Senior High School Students

Abstract

Public speaking anxiety is a typical problem for language learners, particularly those pursuing academic careers in their second language. This study generally aimed to determine the public speaking classroom anxiety and oral language performance of language learners. The descriptive-correlational method was used in the study. The study was comprised of 58 students who were selected through purposive sampling. Based on the results gathered by the researcher, it was found that the students generally experienced a moderate level of public speaking classroom anxiety. Physiological factors such as pounding hearts and trembling during speaking tasks were prevalent, which is attributed to a lack of preparation. Furthermore, low levels of self-confidence and the pressure of being on the spot were some of the indicators of public speaking classroom anxiety. Meanwhile, in the speaking activity done by the respondents, they achieved a "satisfactory" rating in their oral language performance, indicating that the respondents were able to deliver an excellent attention-grabber and provide a solid introduction to the topic. However, there was a lack of clarity in the main points due to the minimal evidence that backs up the assertions made by the respondents. Furthermore, it was revealed that public classroom speaking anxiety and oral language performance had a significant relationship. It indicated that as public speaking anxiety increases, the oral language decreases. The indicators of this assumption can be drawn from factors such as panic when speaking without preparation, nervousness, fear of being laughed at, anxiety when asked to speak, discomfort in using expressive body language, and anxiety despite preparation. It is recommended that diverse speaking activities such as would you rather, think pa think-pair-share, and roleplays, which can be considered low-pressure activities, be integrated into class to develop confidence and gradually increase the difficulty through the incorporation of activities such as impromptu speaking, talk shows, and conversational dialogues to help students hone their communication skills by speaking spontaneously.