Speaking-related foreign language anxiety in adolescent EFL learners: Contributing factors and pedagogical implications

Abstract

Foreign language anxiety (FLA) is a situation-specific form of anxiety that impairs communicative competence and hinders language learning, especially among adolescent learners. This study examined the prevalence and speaking-related causes of FLA among adolescent learners of English as a foreign language (EFL). Using a mixed-methods design, data were collected from 95 students aged 16–18 via the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS), a 5-point Likert-scale questionnaire, alongside open-ended and semi-structured interviews. The average FLA score was 96.14 (SD = 29.06), indicating moderate anxiety. Distribution analysis showed 20% of participants experienced low, 63.2% moderate, and 16.8% high anxiety—meaning 80% of learners fell within the moderate-to-high range, highlighting the widespread nature of FLA. Female students (M = 101.25) reported significantly higher anxiety levels than males (M = 83.26), confirmed by both parametric and non-parametric tests. A central aim was to identify speaking-related causes of FLA through thematic analysis, which revealed seven key contributing factors: fear of negative peer evaluation, teacher-related influences, learners’ psychological predispositions, limited language proficiency, fear of oral communication, test-related anxiety, and perceived disparities in classroom competence. These findings deepen understanding of FLA’s multifaceted nature and underscore both the need for targeted pedagogical measures and the importance of further interdisciplinary research into adaptive teaching approaches.