Exploring the Causes of English Language Speaking Anxiety among Postgraduate Students of University of Balochistan, Pakistan

Nazeer Ahmed,Zahid Hussain Pathan,Faria Saeed Khan

doi:10.5539/ijel.v7n2p99

Nazeer Ahmed, Zahid Hussain Pathan + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.5539/ijel.v7n2p99

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Abstract

English language enjoys its glory as an official language of Pakistan and it is used widely as a medium of instructions across educational institutes. Since anxiety retards the learning process, therefore it has been widely researched in the world and seems under researched in Pakistani context. Thus, the prime aim of this research is to explore the factors that cause English language speaking anxiety among Postgraduate Students of University of Balochistan (UoB), Pakistan. This study also aimed at determining the statistical significant difference if any across gender. The quantitative research design was employed in which a questionnaire comprising of eighteen items was adapted from the study by Horwitz et al. (1986). Both descriptive and inferential statistics were performed in the SPSS (version, 21). The findings revealed that UOB students were experiencing anxiety due to myriad factors in EFL classroom. The findings of the t-test revealed no statistical significant difference across gender. This paper has implications on both teaching and learning of English as a foreign language in Pakistani context.

Highlights

Learning English has become the dire need of the students in different countries of the world especially where the medium of instructions in education setting is English
The first question aimed at determining the causes of English speaking anxiety among Postgraduate students of University of Balochistan, Pakistan
The findings of the first research question revealed that the majority of the postgraduate students of University of Balochistan attribute most of their foreign language speaking anxiety to inter-language meaning system

Summary

Introduction

“The ever-growing need for a good communication skill in English language has created a huge worldwide demand for achieving a good demand of English among its non-native speakers around the globe” The past research studies have determined that such environment makes it difficult for the students to take keen interest in the language learning process. Na (2007) states that FL anxiety makes students become discouraged and they lose confidence in their potential to learn the foreign language (FL). They avoid participating in classroom language activities and it leads to giving up learning foreign language. According to Spolsky (1989), “the learner’s metacognitive awareness of his/her inability to speak fluently and understand the full message given in the FL may lead him/her to despair, hesitation, rejection of any communication activity.” In the same vein, Abu-Rabia (2004) (as cited in Horowitz et al, 1986) states, “oral communication skills are more likely to be affected by language anxiety where the learner is afraid of spontaneous communication in the FL.”

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