Level of Speaking Anxiety of First Year Education Students and Their Preferred Pedagogical Strategies

This study aimed to determine the level and the factors that cause English speaking anxiety, and the preferred pedagogical strategies among first-year education students. Employing a descriptive quantitative research approach, a researcher-devised questionnaire was administered to 80 participants. Analysis involved frequency distribution, percentages, weighted mean, and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Results unveiled a prevalent experience of speaking anxiety among the majority of first-year education students. Linguistic factors emerged as the most influential contributor to this anxiety, followed by psychological and environmental factors. The findings highlighted that students' apprehension stemmed from their lack of proficiency in English, leading to hesitancy in speaking before the class. Notably, anxiety was attributed to inadequate English skills, grammatical errors, disorganized sentences, poor pronunciation, and limited vocabulary. Furthermore, the study revealed a preference among students for pedagogical strategies aimed at enhancing their speaking abilities. Specifically, learners expressed a desire for teachers to create an environment fostering free expression without inhibition, believing this approach would ultimately bolster their English speaking skills. These findings underscore the significance of addressing linguistic proficiency and implementing supportive pedagogical methods to alleviate English speaking anxiety among students.