Analysis Of the Causes of Chinese High School Students’ English-Speaking Anxiety

Abstract

Since the foreign language (FL) learners frequently express emotions of worry, stress, or nervousness while speaking, foreign language speaking anxiety (FLSA) has been a long-standing issue in language acquisition. This study mainly focused on high school students, and to explore what causes the English-speaking anxiety and to find possible solutions The author designed a questionnaire and conducted non-participant observation and one-to-one interviews to explore the speaking anxiety among high school students. Through qualitative analysis which based on solid data, the present study found that lacking English speaking occasion, nonproficiency in English, and familiarity of the speaking topic are the main dominant factors causing English speaking anxiety among high school students. It is surprising that the percentage of having English speaking anxiety is overwhelming, even for people who are satisfied with their speaking level. The confidence in English speaking is fragile and can be affected easily by psychological and environmental elements.