Investigating English Education Department Students’ Speaking Anxiety during Outbreak COVID-19: A Case Study

Munawaroh Nadziratul Khusna, Dewi Sri Wahyuni, Dewi Cahyaningrum

Abstract

As the outbreak of COVID-19 increases in Indonesia, the governor has taken emergency action in implementing the education policy during the outbreak and decided to switch the teaching and learning into remote learning. It is important to consider how affective factors such as anxiety can hinder learning outcomes as many students are engaged in online learning due to COVID-19. Thus, a case study is conducted to identify the level, the causes, and the coping strategies of students' speaking anxiety during online learning. A questionnaire, interview, and classroom observation are used to gain the study's data. The findings revealed that most students in informal speaking class showed moderate-highly speaking anxiety levels. Moreover, personal and interpersonal anxiety such as low English proficiency, fear of making mistakes, poor language learning experience, and low self-esteem (tend to compare themselves with their peers) and classroom procedure are the most causes that trigger students' speaking anxiety. However, the result did not find the significant causes of online learning that trigger students' speaking anxiety. The pedagogical implication includes several recommendations for both teachers and students. Preparation, relaxation, and positive thinking are suggested for students to help them be more relaxed during the speaking activity. Moreover, tailoring activities are also recommended for teachers to help students be less anxious about classroom procedures.

Keywords

Speaking Anxiety; Online Learning; Level; Causes; Coping Strategies

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.20961/ee.v10i1.58753

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