REDUCING STUDENTS’ COMMUNICATION APPREHENSION THROUGH GROUP WORK AS THE INTERACTIVE LEARNING ACTIVITY AT UNIVERSITAS PGRI SUMATERA BARAT

The IACI (Ice Breaking, Atmospheric, Creative and Innovative) approach has become the main focus in improving the quality of learning in secondary schools through Community Service (PkM) activities. This activity aims to explore the implementation of IACI at Mesehi Berastagi High School and analyze its impact on student participation, student responses, learning activities, development of personal potential, and learning motivation. The research method used is a case study using observation, interviews and document analysis as data collection techniques. The results of the activities show that the implementation of the IACI approach at Mesehi Berastagi High School has had a positive impact. The increase in student participation in learning activities reached 85%, while positive student responses to the IACI approach reached 90%. More interactive and creative learning activities contribute 75% to student skill development. The development of students' personal potential looks significant with a percentage of 80%, while the increase in students' motivation in learning reaches 88%. The discussion of the results shows that active student participation, positive responses, interactive learning activities, development of personal potential, and increased student motivation are indicators of the effectiveness of implementing IACI at SMA Mesehi Berastagi. A comfortable learning atmosphere, creative and innovative activities are key factors in achieving positive results. The implication of this research is the importance of continuing to encourage the implementation of the IACI approach in schools as an effort to improve the quality of learning and develop students' potential holistically.

The main objective of this study was to examine the relationship between students’ English language learning anxiety and their English language achievement. For this purpose, 197 grade ten students were involved. The students were selected using stratified sampling technique. The instruments used to collect data were questionnaire and achievement. Then, the collected data were analyzed using quantitative methods of data analysis. The study revealed that there was statistically significant negative relationship between students’ English foreign language learning anxiety and their English achievement test result with a correlation coefficient of (r=-.194, p=>0.05). In addition, the participants of the study were found to anxious because of fear of negative evaluation, communication apprehension and test related anxieties. .The study also indicated that female students mean score was less than the mean score of male students when their anxiety levels were measured. But the independent sample t-test indicated that there is no statistically significant difference between male students and female students in their learning anxiety in EFL classrooms. However, a significant mean difference between male and female students was observed on test anxiety with (P<0.05). Therefore, this result is consistent with the findings of Tang (2005). Finally, the researchers recommended that EFL teachers should provide advice for the learners to avoid anxiety in their English language class. Keywords: Anxiety, English foreign language, achievement result, gender, anxiety level DOI: 10.7176/JLLL/86-01 Publication date: February 28 th 2022

In recent decades, investigation on students’ communication apprehension has emerged after being abandoned. It is believed classroom interaction in oral competency consists of students’ activities which mainly facilitate them to develop their communication skill. However, not all students have the same ability in communication. This study aims to investigate the students’ level of communication apprehension and their strategies used to overcome. The Personal Report of Communication Apprehension-24 instrument was used to measure students’ level of communication apprehension, and was analyzed with quantitative descriptive. Interview was conducted to find out their strategies to overcome it. The data collection method was carried out by distributing to 20 respondents, the English education department students of Universitas PGRI Yogyakarta. The obtained data in the form of questionnaire transcription was analyzed as its formula, while interview data was be analyzed through data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing/verification. The results showed that 5 students were categorized as low level, 3 students were in average level, and 12 students experienced in the high level. Efforts done by students to overcome the communication apprehension are cognitive, affective and social strategies. Based on the findings, it can be declared that majority of students experienced high level of communication apprehension and they preferred affective strategy to reduce communication apprehension. Findings of the research demanded the lecturers conduct meaningful activities such as group discussion to promote autonomous students’ communication practice.

Oral presentation apprehension plagues people when they communicate orally, especially when they make oral presentations in public. This study examined the relationship between English proficiency, public speaking experience, and communication apprehension in polytechnic students during oral presentations. The study involved 62 students from a polytechnic in Sarawak, Malaysia, who filled in the PRCA-24 questionnaire that focused on the elements of public speaking. The results showed that 6.4% of the students had a low level of communication apprehension, while 71% had a moderate level of communication apprehension. For 22.6% of the students, the level of apprehension was very high. The students felt anxious and uncomfortable when asked to give an oral presentation. The t-test showed that the male students significantly differed from the female students regarding their communication apprehension. The mean scores showed that the male students experienced greater communication apprehension (M= 2.19 ± 0.52) than the female students (M= 2.00 ± 0.44). There was a significant negative relationship between oral presentation experience and the level of communication apprehension. These results may suggest that extensive training in public speaking can improve public speaking skills and enhance employability opportunities.

Communication apprehension is an uneasiness experienced by all individuals, especially when speaking. Meanwhile, coping strategies are approaches people use in dealing with anxiety. This study determined the level of communication apprehension and coping strategies of the BSED-English major students of the College of Education (CED), Jose Rizal Memorial State University-Tampilisan Campus. The researchers used the descriptive survey method utilizing the survey-questionnaire checklists. The first instrument was adopted from McCroskey's (1981) cited in Diane (2015) Personal Report of Communication Apprehension 24 (PRCA-24). The other one is the validated researchers-made survey statements comprising 30-item statements categorized as strategies for overcoming communication apprehension in group discussions, meetings, interpersonal conversation, and public speaking, with a Cronbach's alpha value of >0.70. The researchers also adopted McCroskey and Richmond's coding and scoring system, weighted mean, and frequency count. Results show that most of the English major students in JRMSU-TC have a moderate level of communication apprehension. Further, there is a difference in the level of communication apprehension when grouped according to group discussion, meetings, interpersonal communication, and public speaking, as well as in the overall weighted mean. Therefore, there is a difference in the level of communication apprehension of the BSED English major students when grouped according to year level. In terms of coping strategies, students used the following strategies: accepting cultural differences, paying attention when talking to others and considering their cultural views, thoroughly preparing before the speech, and thinking of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation as a reward. In this connection, there are proposed interactive activities that may help overcome the students' communication apprehension.

The main objective of this study was to examine the relationship between students’ English language learning anxiety and their English language achievement. For this purpose, 197 grade ten students were involved. The students were selected using proportional sampling technique. The instruments used to collect data were questionnaire and achievement. Then, the collected data were analyzed using quantitative methods of data analysis. The study revealed that there was statistically significant negative relationship between students’ English foreign language learning anxiety and their English achievement test result with a correlation coefficient of (r=-.194, p=>0.05). In addition, the participants of the study were found to anxious because of fear of negative evaluation, communication apprehension and test related anxieties. .The study also indicated that female students mean score was less than the mean score of male students when their anxiety levels were measured. But the independent sample t-test indicated that there is no statistically significant difference between male students and female students in their learning anxiety in EFL classrooms. However, a significant mean difference between male and female students was observed on test anxiety with (P<0.05). Therefore, this result is consistent with the findings of Tang (2005). Finally, the researchers recommended that EFL teachers should provide advice for the learners to avoid anxiety in their English language class.

The communication apprehension is the anxiety or fear experienced by an individual before or during communicating and is one of the major barriers in communication among youth in their academics and professional growth. Therefore, the present study was conducted to study communication apprehension among postgraduate students of Punjab in English language. Data was collected through questionnaire from 200 postgraduate students drawn from four oldest and well-established universities of Punjab state. It was found that majority of students had moderate level of oral communication apprehension (OCA) in English. Further, it was found that majority of respondents had moderate level followed by low level and high level of apprehension during group discussions, interpersonal conversations and public speaking whereas in meetings most of the students had moderate level followed by high level and low level of apprehension. It was also found that on the average, students were most apprehensive in meetings followed by public speaking, interpersonal conversations and group discussions. As the communication apprehension restricts the overall growth of the studentshence, it is recommended that more communication opportunities should be provided to students and focus should be laid upon the overall development of student's personality in order to decrease their apprehension.

A variety of reading strategies are required to comprehend reading materials. Without effective reading strategies, students mostly face reading comprehension difficulties. This study aims to investigate reading comprehension strategies among English foreign language (EFL) learners in higher learning institutions. The study employed qualitative method and 10 Arab students of Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA) and Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) were interviewed. Inductive thematic approach was used to analyze data. The findings indicates that the most commonly used reading strategies among the EFL learners are logical knowledge (under linguistic schema), formal construction (under formal schema), cultural knowledge (under cultural schema), and prior knowledge and conceptual knowledge (under content schema). This study concludes that reading strategies help the EFL learners in understanding English reading materials. To improve reading strategies for EFL learners, there is a need for collective effort of English language teachers, curriculum designers, educationists, education policy makers, and the EFL learners themselves.

A variety of reading strategies are required to comprehend reading materials. Without effective reading strategies, students mostly face reading comprehension difficulties. This study aims to investigate reading comprehension strategies among English foreign language (EFL) learners in higher learning institutions. The study employed qualitative method and 10 Arab students of Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA) and Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) were interviewed. Inductive thematic approach was used to analyze data. The findings indicates that the most commonly used reading strategies among the EFL learners are logical knowledge (under linguistic schema), formal construction (under formal schema), cultural knowledge (under cultural schema), and prior knowledge and conceptual knowledge (under content schema). This study concludes that reading strategies help the EFL learners in understanding English reading materials. To improve reading strategies for EFL learners, there is a need for collective effort of English language teachers, curriculum designers, educationists, education policy makers, and the EFL learners themselves.

Willingness to interact with people from different cultures is the most fundamental factor for successful and effective intercultural communication, and also crucial in the simulation of desire for interaction in such context. However, high-level communication apprehension reduces the level of intercultural willingness to communicate, which eventually affects intercultural communication and vice versa. Meanwhile, some scholars argued that a moderate level of communication apprehension will increase intercultural willingness to communicate. Hence, this study started with the investigation of the level of both communication apprehension and intercultural willingness to communicate and ended with the investigation on the relationship between communication apprehension and intercultural willingness to communicate among multicultural undergraduates from five public universities in Malaysia. A total of 450 respondents were recruited to participate in this study. Neuliep and McCroskey’s Intercultural Communication Apprehension scale and Kassing’s Intercultural Willingness to Communicate scale were adopted and modified to assess respondents’ communication apprehension and intercultural willingness to communicate, respectively. Data were coded, entered, and analysed using the IBM SPSS Statistics version 22. Our findings show that all respondents were having a moderate level of communication apprehension which eventually triggered a high level of intercultural willingness to communicate among these respondents. Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between the moderate level of communication apprehension and intercultural willingness to communicate, just like the results documented in the review of the literature. The implications of the findings are discussed at the end of this paper.

ABSTRACT: Communication skills and emotional spiritual quotient are important for employees to achieve organizational goals and mission. In order to achieve the organization’s objectives, the level of communication apprehension must be low and emotional spiritual quotient must be high. This research intends to find out the level of communication apprehension and emotional spiritual quotient of students, whether significant relationship exist between all the dimensions of communication apprehension and emotional spiritual quotient, and whether there exist any differences between the communication apprehension and emotional spiritual quotient based on demographic factors. A total of 340 respondents were selected using the stratified random sampling method. The results indicate that there exists a significant and positive relationship between communication apprehension and emotional spiritual quotient. There are no significant differences between communication apprehension and emotional spiritual quotient based on demographic factors. KEY WORDS: communication apprehension, emotional spiritual quotient, and Malaysian students. About the Author: Associate Professor Dr. Che Su Mustaffa is a Lecturer at the College of Arts and Sciences UUM (University of Utara Malaysia) in Sintok, Kedah, Malaysia. She can be reached at: chesu402@uum.edu.my How to cite this article? Mustaffa, Che Su. (2009). “The Relationship between Communication Apprehension and Emotional Spiritual Quotient among Malaysian Students” in EDUCARE: International Journal for Educational Studies , Vol.2(1) August, pp.35-46. Bandung, Indonesia: Minda Masagi Press owned by ASPENSI in Bandung, West Java; and FKIP UMP in Purwokerto, Central Java, ISSN 1979-7877. Chronicle of the article: Accepted (June 5, 2009); Revised (July 7, 2009); and Published (August 17, 2009).

Individuals make decisions based on their self-perceived communication competence (SPCC). A person with a high and positive level of SPCC believes in their ability to engage in communication activities, adapt, and manage situations; that is, individuals perceive their communication competence as being dependent on self-awareness rather than on actual communicative ability. Meanwhile, communication apprehension is understood as the fear or anxiety an individual experiences in real or anticipated communication encounters with another person or persons. The present study aims to investigate the following: The level of self-perceived communication competence among gifted students. The level of communication apprehension among gifted students. The relationship between self-perceived communication competence and communication apprehension. The extent to which self-perceived communication competence in its different contexts (talking to strangers, talking to friends, talking to acquaintances, and public speaking) contributes to the overall variance in communication apprehension. To achieve the study’s objectives, the researcher developed a scale for measuring self-perceived communication competence and adopted the Communication Apprehension Scale developed by Al-Naqshbandi (2005). The study sample consisted of 300 male and female students from Gifted Secondary Schools, selected through stratified random sampling from the directorates of education in Baghdad (Al-Rusafa I, Al-Rusafa II, and Al-Karkh II). The researcher established the psychometric properties of the scales, including validity and reliability. The Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient for the Self-Perceived Communication Competence Scale was 0.89; in the four contexts, the reliability coefficients were 0.76 for talking to strangers, 0.79 for talking to friends, 0.73 for talking to acquaintances, and 0.76 for public speaking. The Cronbach’s alpha for the Communication Apprehension Scale was 0.86. After analyzing the data using SPSS, the researcher arrived at the following findings: The study sample exhibited self-perceived communication competence. Gifted students experienced communication apprehension. A relationship was found between self-perceived communication competence and communication apprehension among gifted students. Self-perceived communication competence in the context of talking to acquaintances contributed negatively to the total variance in communication apprehension, while competence in public speaking contributed positively to the total variance in communication apprehension. No significant contribution was found in the contexts of talking to strangers or talking to friends. The researcher concluded with a set of recommendations and suggestions.

Information-technology (IT) professionals play an important organizational role within service-oriented business environments through both their technical and their strong communication skills. However, developing communication competence as a part of IT higher education does not receive enough attention, especially since communication apprehension is a key obstacle in terms of achieving communication effectiveness. Thus, the research questions in this study are as follows: What kinds of activities applied in a classroom setting can increase students’ communication competence? What are the effects of active learning strategies on students’ communication apprehension? Situating the case: Understanding communication apprehension and its relationship with communication competence is necessary for designing effective communication courses for management information systems students. How the case was studied: This study implemented active learning strategies in three classes to develop students’ communication competence while decreasing their communication apprehension level. Surveys were administered to students to evaluate their level of communication apprehension. About the case: Adopting psychoeducation intervention strategies from occupational therapy, this study implemented different active learning strategies to further develop students’ communication competence as well as decrease their communication apprehension. The results show that the levels of communication apprehension among these classes decreased significantly following adoption of these strategies. Conclusions: Active learning strategies adopted in these classes were effective in terms of decreasing communication anxiety by increasing students’ willingness to communicate, which is the prerequisite for developing effective communication .

Our study examined the influence of third language learners’ prior knowledge and socio-demographic variables on their communication apprehension. Two hundred and twenty-six third language learners (French n=136 and Chinese n= 90) participated in the study. Data obtained were subjected to point-biserial, multiple regression and t-test statistics. We found that participants’ prior knowledge of their target languages has significant main effects on their communication apprehension. Significant mean differences occurred in the level of communication apprehension as a result of participants’ gender, language of specialization and level of parental education. Regression analysis showed that the joint contribution of prior knowledge, parental level of education, language of specialization and gender on third language learners’ communication apprehension was significant; contributing 13.4% to explain the variances in response. Language of specialization and prior knowledge made significant individual contributions to students’ communication apprehension with language of specialization being the most individual contributor to the variances in students’ responses. Our study has implications for curriculum planners given that if third language curricula are designed to link what is learnt in the university to what is learnt at the primary and secondary schools, learners will find the target language familiar, which may help them overcome the feelings of communication apprehension. Received: 4 May 2021 / Accepted: 12 July 2021 / Published: 5 September 2021

Literature on cross-cultural communication has demonstrated that communication breakdowns are more likely to occur among speakers from different cultural backgrounds (Keenan 1976; Devine 1983). This kind of assumptions constituted the departing point of further studies, such as that of Bouton (1988), where he tested the communicative habits of non-native speakers of English and contrasted them with those of English native speakers. The results of these studies have proved that the derivation of implicatures by English non-native speakers differs if compared with that of English native speakers and that ironical implicatures are among the most difficult ones to grasp for English non-native speakers. What is more, culture has been regarded as a possible variable influencing the derivation of implicit meanings (Bouton 1988; Liddicoat 2009). In view of this literature and applying the approach on High Context and Low Context cultures (in accordance with Hall 1976; Würtz 2005; Min 2016; Hornikx and le Pair 2017), this exploratory study aims at analysing if culture plays a role in the derivation of ironical implicatures by English foreign language learners. For current purposes, the present study aims to analyse, first, whether a group of English foreign language learners derives pragmatically felicitous ironical implicatures or not; and, secondly, if culture as a bidirectional factor has an impact on participants’ interpretations. In order to do so, an exploratory sample of twelve English foreign language learners (all of them belonging to a High Context culture) filled a questionnaire, which was used to gather data. The questionnaire contained fifteen questions: ten multiple-choice questions and five open questions, each of them giving rise to an ironical implicature. The results suggest that participants show a high tendency to derive pragmatically felicitous ironical implicatures and that culture as a bidirectional variable has an impact on their interpretations. This leads to the conclusion that culture as a bidirectional variable seems to play a role in the derivation of ironical implicatures by the English foreign language learners in our sample.