The Influence of EFL Anxiety on Learners’ Speaking Performance

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the impact of foreign language classroom anxiety on one of the major language skills which is speaking. In the light of this, it is hypothesized that the more EFL learners are anxious in the classroom, the more it negatively affects their oral performance. To investigate the relationship between the two variables, a case study is to be conducted at Zentar Slimane Secondary School, where second year foreign languages pupils were selected as a sample. The study depended on two data collection instruments which are The Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) designed by Horwitz, Horwitz, and Cope (1986), and an oral test administered to learners. The correlational method was followed to evaluate the association between the two factors. Eventually, results of this research revealed a negative, significant correlation between foreign language classroom anxiety and oral performance in English.