Investigating Anxiety in Speaking Skills among Kurdish EFL Basic School Students: A Case Study of 7th, 8th and 9th Grades

Abstract

The present study highlights anxiety in the speaking skills of Kurdish EFL learners of the 7th, 8th, and 9th grades of basic schools in Suliamani city. The study hypothesizes that after studying English for 6 years, the majority of the students are unable to speak English appropriately; this could be attributed to a number of factors such as self-preparation, teacher’s teaching style, lack of conducting different activities in the classroom, etc. To investigate this, a questionnaire is designed and given to 100 basic school students. Moreover, a mixed method study is used, which is adapted and modified from the speaking anxiety framework of Young (1990). The study questionnaire consists of four parts: three closed-ended and one open-ended question. To analyze the data, SPSS 25 is used. Furthermore, the study concludes that basic school students need self-preparation before joining classes and the teachers should change/modify their teaching style and focus on speaking skills rather than writing. The majority of basic school students express their uncomfortable feelings and anxiety when they speak, even when it is for a very specific period of time. The teachers should attempt to decrease learners’ anxiety by engaging them in different inside-class activities.