Foreign Language Anxiety Influencing Speaking Skills. A picture of Moroccan EFL Universities Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to find out the impact of foreign language anxiety on speaking abilities of Moroccan university students. It pinpointed the sources of foreign language anxiety and suggested strategies that can be implemented to reduce this widely spread phenomenon. To do this, a mixed methods was adopted through two instruments. The Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale questionnaire for quantitative data was given to 80 participants of EFL university students, and teachers’ interviews for qualitative data that were conducted with 8 experienced EFL teachers. The results obtained showed that FLA has a negative impact on speaking abilities of Moroccan university students. Furthermore, teachers admitted that students who suffer from anxiety tend to have low speaking skills. Therefore, it was recommended that students should build a strong personality, confidence and enhance their language skills, and teachers should to be supportive and creative to help students overcome foreign language anxiety.