Public Speaking Anxiety in the Thai EFL Context

Abstract

Anxiety can be both good and bad and thus facilitating or debilitating, as a confidence booster or as a de-motivator. Anxiety is worthy of investigation because it is a factor that influences perceived competence. The present study investigated public speaking anxiety problems faced by Thai EFL students from their own and the researchers’ perspectives. In order to achieve these objectives, three main data gathering and triangulating tools were used: (1) classroom observation, (2) semi-structured interview, and (3) questionnaire. The results revealed that anxiety was found to cause problems related to self-confidence, self-esteem, risk-taking ability, and ultimately hampers proficiency in the foreign language. As a result, their personal, social, and academic contexts have been negatively affected due to this speaking anxiety. These findings advance the pedagogical understandings of anxiety-related public speaking in a foreign language issues, and may be useful in the context of enhancing the EFL learners’ communication skills.