Manifestation of Speaking Anxiety in Speaking Performance

Abstract

Speaking anxiety is a psychological condition commonly experienced by students that significantly impedes fluency and overall performance. The study aims to investigate the manifestations of speaking anxiety among EFL learners, with a particular emphasis on verbal and nonverbal manifestations of speaking anxiety in EFL learning. This study employs a qualitative research design; data were gathered through structured observation and in-depth interviews with selected participants. The findings reveal that speaking anxiety manifests nonverbally, verbally, and in emotional reactions, as well as difficulty in constructing grammatical sentences spontaneously. The underlying causes encompass fear of negative evaluation from peers and instructors, diminished self-confidence, and limited vocabulary and grammatical competence. Of particular significance, certain participants demonstrated the capacity to reframe anxiety as a facilitative force, channeling it into increased motivation to enhance their linguistic performance. These findings underscore the necessity for educators to cultivate a supportive and low-evaluative classroom environment, repositioning anxiety not merely as an obstacle to be eliminated, but as a potentially constructive motivator in the EFL learning process.