School Students Speaking Anxieties and Their Speaking Performances

A Correlational Study

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between speaking anxiety and speaking performance among eighth-grade students in Cirebon Regency, Indonesia. Employing a quantitative correlational design, the research involved 62 students from two junior high schools. Data were collected using the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) adapted from Horwitz et al. (1986), comprising 33 items across three dimensions: communication apprehension (11 items), fear of negative evaluation (11 items), and test anxiety (11 items). Speaking performance scores were obtained from two assessments: an initial pure speaking test and a final overall English assessment. Between assessments, the teacher implemented interactive teaching methods including games and songs to create a more engaging learning environment. The findings revealed that the majority of students (54.84%) experienced "Anxious" levels of speaking anxiety, with a mean anxiety score of 108.05 (SD = 13.99). The dimension analysis revealed that Communication Apprehension had the highest mean score (M = 36.39), followed by Test Anxiety (M = 36.21) and Fear of Negative Evaluation (M = 35.45). Importantly, students' scores improved significantly from 82.00 to 93.00 after the implementation of interactive teaching methods. The correlation analysis showed no significant relationship between speaking anxiety and speaking performance (r = -0.16, t = -1.22, df = 60, p = 0.21, p > 0.05). This suggests that while students experience high levels of speaking anxiety, effective teaching methods such as games and songs can help students perform well regardless of their anxiety levels. These findings have important implications for EFL teachers in creating engaging, supportive learning environments.