Public Speaking Anxiety Research Articles

General Self-Confidence and Its Implication On Students’ Achievement In Oral Presentation

In speaking course, the teachers usually ask the students to present their projects in front of the class through an activity called Oral Presentation. However, many of students are afraid of public speaking due to the effect of self-confidence. This study is aimed to (1) describe general self-confidence among Indonesian EFL learners, (2) describe their academic achievement in oral presentation, and (3) find out the relationship between self-confidence and their academic achievement in oral presentation. Correlational design is used to investigate the existence or non existence of the relationship between the variables. The subjects of this study are 68 students at the second semester in English Department of one private university in Lamongan, Indonesia. Documentation and questionnaire are used as instruments to collect the data in this study. The findings reveal that (1) the students‘ general selfconfidence is quite strong, (2) the students‘ academic achievement in the oral presentation is good, and (3) the two variables show high correlation. Therefore, the teachers are suggested to enforce activities that could increase students‘ self-confidence which in turn could decrease their anxiety in public speaking.

Exploring Students’ Public Speaking Anxiety: Introvert vs Extrovert

This study aims to investigate whether students with introverted and extroverted personalities have significantly different levels of anxiety or not. This study involved 59 students of the English Education Study Program at one of the state universities in North Sumatra. Samples were taken randomly from five classes of sixth semester students who took the Public Speaking course. Semi-structured technique was used in data collection. The data was processed by using two methods; statistical calculations for quantitative data related to the results of filling out questionnaires regarding their level of anxiety when doing public speaking which consists of 17 questions, as well as substantive analysis for qualitative data related to the results of comparison of responses from respondents. The results shows that that 31.03% of introvert students having high anxiety, followed by 68.97% students possessing moderate level of public speaking anxiety. In contrary, 13.33% of extrovert students having high anxiety, followed by 86.67% of them having moderate level of anxiety. The biggest anxiety of respondents is in context “my heart pounds when I give a speech”, where introvert students averagely in 4.03 and extrovert students in 3.03. There are numerous suggestion that students and educators can use to overcome the issues.

AN EXPLORATION ON STUDENTS’ PUBLIC SPEAKING ANXIETY: STIFIn PERSPECTIVE

The purpose of this research is to examine the level of public speaking anxiety among students based on the differences in human intelligence machine division: STIFIn (Sensing, Thinking, Intuiting, Feeling, and Insting). This study involved 51 Management students who took the English for Specific course on their semester credits. This study employs a case study that is qualitative in nature. The data was gathered using a semi-structured approach. The data collected was then processed by using two methods: statistical calculations for quantitative data related to the results of filling out 17 Public Speaking Anxiety Scale (FLAS) questionnaires by students concerning their level of anxiety when performing a public speaking and constructive analysis for qualitative data related to the results of comparing respondents' responses. The results shows that students in the Insting personality have a higher average of public speaking anxiety: 51.60. Students who are Sensing have an average anxiety level of 49.25, whereas students who are Thinking have an anxiety level of 47.50. In comparison, Intuiting students have an average anxiety level of 48.66, while Feeling students have an average anxiety level of 50.17. Consider the implications, some suggestions are discussed to overcome the challenges.

Attention guidance augmentation of virtual reality exposure therapy for social anxiety disorder: a pilot randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACT Biased attention to social threats has been implicated in social anxiety disorder. Modifying visual attention during exposure therapy offers a direct test of this mechanism. We developed and tested a brief virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) protocol using 360°-video and eye tracking. Participants (N = 21) were randomized to either standard VRET or VRET + attention guidance training (AGT). Multilevel Bayesian models were used to test (1) whether there was an effect of condition over time and (2) whether post-treatment changes in gaze patterns mediated the effect of condition at follow-up. There was a large overall effect of the intervention on symptoms of social anxiety, as well as an effect of the AGT augmentation on changes in visual attention to audience members. There was weak evidence against an effect of condition on fear of public speaking and weak evidence supporting a mediation effect, however these estimates were strongly influenced by model priors. Taken together, our findings suggest that attention can be modified within and during VRET and that modification of visual gaze avoidance may be casually linked to reductions in social anxiety. Replication with a larger sample size is needed.

Improving Public Speaking: An English Speech Contest Case Study

This study explores how an English speech contest program integrates language learning over a 3-month non-regular course. Quantitative analyses were conducted, based on 5-minute video recordings of speeches with 6 participants for the final round of the speech contest program. Public Speaking (PS) courses were provided through the LMS and analyzed to identify speech improvement in various areas of public speaking anxiety (PSA) using a questionnaire, self-report, self-evaluation, and observation activity log. Based on the assessments noted above, the integration of language skills provides effective opportunities to speak. After taking a basic course and an in-depth coaching practicum, chunking-shadowing-windowing strategies had a positive effect on their PS skills strengthening their speaking progress. On the nonverbal side, students had a comparatively high level of PSA and did not feel engaged, or demonstrated a lack of confidence due to nonverbal communication skills they were unaccustomed to. However, participants felt less anxious, acquired the necessary techniques to boost confidence, and improved overall speech skills through participation in the program. Implications for better PS instruction and the importance of structured practice for speech preparation were suggested.

Communication Barriers Among Undergraduate Engineering Students: Assignment Project

This study had twofold objectives first, it explored communication barriers of engineering students that impacted their communication performance and the reasons behind their communication barriers. Engineering students enrolled in communication skills course were drawn as respondents. Research instrument was an open-ended questionnaire. Eighty-three (83) undergraduate engineering students participated in this academic survey. Content analysis approach was implemented for data analysis. Findings show that ‘lack of vocabulary, lack of confidence, language problem, hesitation, poor knowledge, poor preparation, stress, anxiety, poor listening skill, fear of criticism, confusion, poor interest, poor judgement, depression, technical jargon, poor perception and overloaded information’ were communication barriers of engineering students. Moreover, the reasons of these communication barriers were lack of vocabulary, low confidence, hesitation, shyness, poor self-esteem, inferiority complex, fear of criticism, anger, poor language, stage fear, memory loss, poor environment and peer pressure.

Effects of technology-enhanced language learning on reducing EFL learners’ public speaking anxiety

Public speaking is considered the most anxiety-provoking speaking activity for English as a foreign language (EFL) learner. While traditional lecture-based classrooms hinder EFL learners’ constant practice and frequent interaction due to large class sizes and limited time, recent developments in technology, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), Automatic Speech Analysis, and Virtual Reality (VR), may enhance language learning by offering accessible and personalized learning experiences. This study aimed to investigate the effects of technology-enhanced learning on reducing EFL learners’ PSA. Thirty-three university students were divided into three groups and received either lecture-based, mobile-assisted, or VR-facilitated instruction for four weeks. The students’ perceived PSA levels were reduced in all three groups after their respective instruction, but only the VR-facilitated group reached statistical significance, and there were no differences in the three groups’ final oral performances. However, the two technology-enhanced language learning (TELL) groups achieved more convergent performances on the Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety scale compared with the non-TELL group, which indicated that the impact of individual differences may have been compensated by technology assistance. The findings suggested that the instructional feedback generated by AI decreased the participants’ PSA, although the irreplaceable role of teachers as facilitators was also emphasized, while the potential of using VR in teaching public speaking was evident.

Public Speaking Anxiety of University Students in EFL Context

<p>Public speaking anxiety poses great challenges to developing these skills. It is estimated that approximately 15% to 30% of the general population suffer from public speaking anxiety, which is the most common type of social phobia. Excessive public speaking anxiety can lead to enormous stress and frustration, impaired speech performance, and further avoidance of social situations that require making public presentations, especially for students. This study aims to investigate the level and the factors that mostly occurred among university students in public speaking. The researchers used a questionnaire of Public Speaking Anxiety (PSA) by Noorrachima (2020) and made the senior students of the English Department as the respondents for this research. The result of the study showed that the PSA level of the seniors of ELEP UB is high and the general sense factor is the highest chosen factor that triggers their public speaking anxiety.</p>

Communication apprehension in the online presentational speaking course: Considerations for synchronous course meetings and asynchronous presentations

ABSTRACT As institutions of higher education continue to offer online instruction, educators and administrators of presentational speaking courses must adapt their classes for various modes of online delivery. One primary consideration for adapting a presentational speaking course to online delivery is how students will experience communication apprehension and/or public speaking anxiety in online communication contexts. The instructional communication field is rife with research about students’ experiences with speech anxiety and communication apprehension. However, little work has explored how students’ experiences may differ when the primary mode of course communication and course presentations is mediated through either synchronous or asynchronous modes of online communication. If these anxieties in face-to-face settings can deter students’ academic and professional goals (Richmond et al., Communication apprehension, avoidance, and effectiveness [6th ed., Pearson, 2013]), researchers should investigate students’ experiences in online courses. The current study begins to fill this gap. We analyze qualitative responses (N = 178) to an open-ended survey distributed to undergraduates in presentational speaking courses. Thematic analysis revealed the uniqueness of online communication apprehension and its similarities to face-to-face communication apprehension. Implications for administrators and instructors of presentational speaking courses are offered.

Engineering students� English public speaking: Why is it a nerve-wracking experience?

Mastering English public speaking is required for Engineering students to contribute to the Ministry of Education�s internationalization policy that is manifested in the university�s regulation.�However, English public speaking has become a nerve-wracking experience for L2 learners. This research aims to explore Engineering students� English public speaking anxiety and its causes. The explanatory sequential design is applied. The online-based survey was conducted on 197 first-semester students and semi-structured interviews with 8 most anxious participants. The triangulation data analysis of quantitative and qualitative phases was carried out. The results illustrate that students experience moderate to low public speaking anxiety levels. The reasons for public speaking anxiety are linguistics problems, inhibition, lack of speaking practice, the difficulty for sentence construction from L1 into the target language, fear of peer negative feedback and being assessed, and dealing with unfamiliar topics as well as speaking delivery driven thoughts. Furthermore, teachers' reflexive identity and the appointment system used to determine public speakers become additional pressures. These findings can be used as valuable consideration to design appropriate speaking pedagogy, especially in the context of English for non-English major programs. Recommendation for future research is discussed.

Glossophobia among Engineering Learners: A Case Study at a Technical University

Abstract: Glossophobia or fear of public speaking is commonly experienced by tertiary learners during classroom presentations. This study intends to examine the speech anxiety level experienced by engineering learners and the relationship between the learners’ English language proficiency and their speech anxiety. The study will also identify the causes of public speaking anxiety among these engineering learners. The samples were 65 Engineering Diploma students who responded to McCroskey’s Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety (PRPSA) questionnaire. The students’ English language grades at SPM level were used as the measurement of their English language proficiency. The findings showed the students’ speech anxiety is at moderate level (M= 105.9) and there was a weak negative relationship between total PRPSA scores and SPM English language grades (r = -.149, n = 65, p > 0.05). Mere thoughts of presenting a speech with undue worries of being asked questions were the causes of their speech anxiety. Therefore, it is proposed engineering learners be given ample public speaking trainings through planned programmes and engineering curriculum planners include elements of public speaking in engineering subjects. Public speaking skills will be an added value and increase engineering graduate employability in future.
 Keywords: Communication apprehension, Glossophobia, Public speaking, Speech anxiety, PRPSA

Remote Presentations: Making L2 Presentations Less Stressful

This explanatory-sequential mixed-method study was conducted to find out if the affordances of computer-mediated communication (CMC) environments help alleviate L2 public speaking anxiety when giving presentations remotely. Participants were 57 young adult EFL Arabic-speaking learners enrolled in an intermediate listening/speaking class in a preparatory 1 year program at a Saudi public university. Data were collected towards the end of the spring 2021 semester, and the study was conducted in a fully remote learning environment. Two speaking anxiety scales were administered: the Public Speaking Class Anxiety Scale (PSCAS), which measures in-person presentation anxiety, and the Remote Presentation Anxiety Scale (RPAS), an adapted version of PSCAS measuring remote presentation anxiety created and validated by this study. Online follow-up semistructured interviews were then conducted with 10 participants to explain and contextualize the results from the scales. Results of the PSCAS and RPAS analyses indicate that students had medium anxiety for in-person presentations, whereas they experienced low anxiety levels during remote presentations (RPs). Qualitative analyses of the interviews revealed that students preferred RPs over in-person presentations mainly due to its lower anxiety environment. Participants underscored several sociopsychological benefits of presenting remotely such as less stress, less confusion, high self-confidence, comfort, calmness, and relaxation. Implications for research and language teaching are discussed.

Am I really seeing what’s around me? An ERP study on social anxiety under speech induction, uncertainty and social feedback

Cognitive models of social anxiety propose that socially anxious individuals engage in excessive self-focusing attention when entering a social situation. In the present study, speech anxiety was induced to socially anxious and control participants. Event-related potentials were recorded while participants performed a perceptual judgement task using distinct or ambiguous stimuli, before and after social feedback. Disputed feedback led to more revisions and decreased levels of confidence, especially among socially anxious individuals. Prior feedback, greater occipital P1 amplitudes in both groups for ambiguous probes indicated heightened sensory facilitation to ambiguous information, and greater anterior N1 amplitudes for ambiguous stimuli in highly anxious participants suggested anticipation of negative feedback in this group. Post-feedback, P1, N1 and LPP amplitudes were reduced overall among socially anxious individuals indicating a reduction in sensory facilitation of visual information. These results suggest excessive self-focusing among socially anxious individuals, possibly linked to anticipation of an anxiety-provoking social situation.

The Effectiveness of Emotional Freedom Technique on Public Speaking Anxiety in University Student: An Integrated Review

Public Speaking Anxiety is the most frequently feared condition among university student in academic activities. Emotional freedom technique has gained increased popularity and appears as a promising way to reduce emotional distress in different setting and populations. However, limited review has examining EFT treatment on public speaking anxiety. This integrative review was to examine the effectiveness of EFT programs on public speaking anxiety in university students. The review was carried out using the framework for integrated reviews obtained from Google Scholar, PsycINFO, and PubMed. Articles were included when reporting primary studies on the efficacy of EFT programs on public-speaking anxiety for university students in Bahasa Indonesia and English. The total of 5 were evaluated critically and included in the review. Two of the studies were undertaken in the United Kingdom, and one each in Australia, Turkey, and Indonesia. Two of the studies were randomized controlled, two used mixed methods, and one queasy experiment design. A majority of the interventions were able to reduce public speaking anxiety. This review shows that implementation of EFT, even within limited resources, is both achievable and worthwhile. EFT programs should be ­introduced early in the curriculum for university student in their first year of a Bachelor program

A preliminary study on the potential of Virtual Reality Therapy in reducing public speaking anxiety

This study probes on the potentials of Virtual Reality Therapy (VRT) to overcome glossophobia in the context of online classes. To achieve the objective, this study employs experimental design in which students who are enrolled in an online public speaking course were grouped into two: Experimental and control group. The experimental group experienced three sessions of VRT throughout the semester whereas the control group did not. After the end of the course, the descriptive analysis findings suggest that the rate of change for the experimental group was -17% in comparison with the control group -4%. This indicates that the experimental group had decreased their public speaking anxiety four times more than the control group; hence suggesting that VRT has helped to reduce the anxiety in public speaking. All in all, this study foreshadows the great potential of VRT in the education and communication field.

The Perception of Lecturers on Public Speaking Anxiety among ESL Learners in a Public University (UITM)

Numerous polls have been undertaken to recognise public speaking as a number one concern among undergraduates in University Technology Mara when involved in English courses. This is regardless of the fact the university offers ample opportunities for students to develop their public speaking skills. If public speaking is a struggle in the sense of a native English speaker, then the fear of enhancing sustainable oral presentations in English to non-native English speakers is understandably greater. Nevertheless, speaking in English in front of an audience is increasingly seen as a valuable ability for ESL/EFL learners to develop and that is why public speaking courses in many Malaysian university programs are increasingly seen as a key component. According to research conducted by the Ministry of Education as a result of internationalisation policies, public universities in Malaysia have switched to the English language as their medium of instruction. Public speaking is offered as a university prerequisite course in many of these universities, making it compulsory for many students. Students are apprehensive, however about public speaking in English. The present study explores public-speaking apprehension in a public university among Malay learners of English. This study entailed a quantitative research paradigm on a sample of 30 lecturers who will interviewed using an interview pool. Data will be transcribed after the interview. This thesis aims to define techniques for the improvement of public speaking competences for adult ESL learners. Employees in the field at all various levels usually require good oral communication.

Exploring Fear of Public Speaking Through Social Cognitive Theory

Public speaking as a form of communication skill has pervaded today’s learning environment. It is in contrast to the previous method of delivery in which oral communication is obscure. The vicissitudes occur because students need to be competent in the field of academics. This skill is vital for students, but hitherto much difficult because of their anxiety. Additionally, students think that the act of giving a speech needs strong volition and confidence. Therefore, it is crucial for them to tackle the fear before they endure the real journey in professional working life. Hence, this study aims to analyse the causes of fear in public speaking among students and how Social Cognitive Theory influences this anxiety. This study employed a quantitative survey comprising four sections in order to get a more in-depth data analysis. A total of 171 undergraduate students from Universiti Teknologi MARA served as the respondents of this study. The findings reveal that the students are influenced by several internal and external factors that cause fear in public speaking. In response to the influence of Cognitive and Behavior factors, the majority of those surveyed indicated that the size of the audience and nervousness lead to students’ anxiety. These findings add to a growing body of literature on the anxiety of public speaking as well as aid as a reference for students and teachers, especially in English classrooms. Future studies on the current topic are therefore recommended in order to corroborate the findings.

A meta-analysis of the effect of virtual reality on reducing public speaking anxiety

A meta-analysis of the effect of virtual reality on reducing public speaking anxiety

Investigating Public Speaking Anxiety Factors among EFL University Students through Online Learning

As in many other countries, universities in Indonesia have been closed since March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, and lecturers have been forced to adapt to online learning. Students in this online course admitted to feeling anxious when studying public speaking. This descriptive quantitative study aims to analyze the potential factors (English oral proficiency, personality, lecturer's scoring criteria, classmates' responses, pronunciation, audience familiarity, unfamiliar speech topic, preparedness, English grammar, vocabulary) affecting the students' public speaking anxiety at four different stages. The respondents of this study were 60 undergraduate students. A questionnaire adapted from McCroskey (1970) was used, and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics of IBM SPSS statistics 26 software. The findings of this study revealed that the factors affecting the students' public speaking anxiety through online learning varied by stages. Through online learning, English oral proficiency and topic familiarity could be the most influential factors on students' public speaking anxiety. The findings of this study are useful for educators in helping EFL students overcome their public speaking anxiety and enabling them to perform better in public speaking.

Glossophobia: Fear of Public Speaking Among Senior High School Students of Aliaga National High School

This study entitled “Glossophobia: Fear of Public Speaking Among Grade 11 Senior High School Students in Aliaga National High School” aimed to describe and analyze the components that contribute to the glossophobia among Grade 11 Senior High School students. Furthermore, it sought to determine the significant difference in the components to glossophobia among the students in terms of their profile. It also aimed to create interventions that can be applied to address challenges and issues on gloosophobia that the students encountered during public speaking class.