Speaking Anxiety in EFL: Causes, Factors, and Solutions / A Reasearch in a Multi-Cultural EFL environment

Speaking Anxiety in EFL: Causes, Factors, and Solutions / A Reasearch in a Multi-Cultural EFL environment

Karatürk, Ahmet
Benk, Kemal
Akbarov, Azamat

This study investigates the factors causing anxiety for EFL learners in learning and using speaking skills in English. Bosnian and Turkish students at English preparatory classes and first year classes studying at International Burch University (IBU) in Bosnia and Herzegovina have been taken as the object of this investigation. This study reveals the factors making Bosnian students more competent in speaking English than Turkish students. On the other, the factors affecting students’ proficiency level in speaking are determined. Communicative Learning Approach is proposed as a remedy for overcoming students’ anxiety in oral productive skills. The parameters studied to figure out the factors affecting the language anxiety in groups of Bosnian and Turkish students at IBU can be classified as follow: cultural and social background differences, influence of media, differences in education systems between the native countries, phonological similarities between students’ native language and English. Some key issues causing anxiety in language learning process such as self-esteem and competence are addressed.

Conference or Workshop Item
PeerReviewed

2012-05

762