RESEACH ON EFL ASSIGNMENT

QUALITATIVE INSIGHTS INTO LANGUAGE ANXIETY

AMONG ENGLISH SPEAKING STUDENTS AT TADULAKO
UNIVERSITY

NUR ISLAMIYAH
A 122 23 005

POSTGRADUATE PROGRAM
TEACHER TRAINING AND EDUCATION FACULTY
TADULAKO UNIVERSITY
PALU
2023
 English speaking anxiety among English-major tertiary students in Ghana
Data collection procedure/method of the data collection used in this study
involved qualitative methods, specifically semi-structured interviews. Here are the
key details:
a) Sample: The study collected data from 30 English-major students who attend
a college of education in the Western North region of Ghana. The specific
sampling method is not mentioned.
b) Data Collection Instrument: Semi-structured interviews were used as the data
collection instrument. Semi-structured interviews involve a set of
predetermined questions or topics, but the interviewer has the flexibility to
explore additional areas of interest and probe for more in-depth responses.
c) Data Analysis: The collected data were analysed using inductive coding data
analysis procedures and techniques. Inductive coding involves identifying
patterns, themes, and categories in the data without preconceived notions or
predetermined coding schemes. The dominant patterns and themes emerging
from the data were grouped and examined.
The data analysis in the mentioned journal article utilized inductive coding
data analysis procedures and techniques. After collecting qualitative data through
semi-structured interviews with 30 English-major students from a college of
education in Ghana, the researchers analysed the data. The analysis involved
identifying dominant patterns and themes emerging from the data and grouping
and examining them.
Interpretation the findings: The article titled "English speaking anxiety
among English-major tertiary students in Ghana" explores the issue of speaking
anxiety among trainee teachers in colleges of education in Ghana. The study aims
to identify the causes of speaking anxiety in learners and provide strategies to
mitigate this anxiety. The research collected qualitative data through semi-
structured interviews with 30 English-major students from a college of education
in the Western North region of Ghana. The data were analysed using inductive
coding data analysis procedures to identify dominant patterns and themes. The
findings of the study reveal that the major causes of speaking anxiety among
English-major students in Ghana include inferiority complex, fear of making
mistakes, lack of preparation, fear of limited knowledge, negative evaluation from
tutors and peers, limited vocabulary, and self-criticism .The participants also
suggested strategies to address the problem of speaking anxiety, such as creating a
learner-friendly and less formal classroom environment, implementing peer
assessment, encouraging more speaking activities in the classroom, providing
positive evaluative feedback, and promoting resignation and avoidance as coping
mechanisms. Based on the findings, the study recommends that future research
could employ a quantitative approach to further explore and generalize the
outcomes. Overall, the article highlights the significance of speaking anxiety as a
barrier to language acquisition and academic achievement among English-major
students in Ghana. It underscores the need for teachers and stakeholders to
understand the causes of speaking anxiety and implement effective strategies to
alleviate it.
Conclusion:
It must be underscored that (English) speaking anxiety remains one of the
most important issues in language teaching and learning in a non-native context
like Ghana. This study dealt with the causes of in- class English speaking anxiety
among trainee teachers in the college of education in Ghana, using a college in the
Western North region as the case study. It also examined the strategies that can be
adopted to combat the complex phenomenon of speaking anxiety. Data were
collected from 30 English-major students through interviews. The results revealed
that some of the causes of speaking anxiety among Ghanaian tertiary students are
inferiority complex, fear of committing mistakes, spontaneity and the lack of
preparation, fear of negative evaluation from tutors and peers, limited knowledge
and vocabulary in the language and self- criticism. (Fenyi et al., 2023)To extend
beyond just unravelling the problem, the study also delved into the practical
strategies to mitigate the speaking anxiety problem. From the perspective of the
learners, some of the strategies include creating a learner-friendly and less formal
classroom environment, peer assessment, encouraging the use of more speaking
activities in the classroom, positive evaluative feedback and resignation and
avoidance. The findings of the study expect to contribute to the understanding of
the complex phenomenon of speaking anxiety and provide some useful insights
into how English language students and teachers in Ghana, and in similar contexts
globally, could effectively handle the problem.
It must be emphasized, however, that, the empirical results presented in
the study should be considering some limitations. The responses that are provided
the research questions are based on the data gathered through the interview
method from only the college of education students specializing in English
language. For further and future studies, it is suggested that data should be
collected from the language teachers as well, and probably, a comparative analysis
of the views of the students and the teachers be done. In addition, different data
collection instruments such as questionnaire, observations, documents, and
reflective journals could be employed to provide a more diversified data. A future
study could also adopt a quantitative approach or a mixed method approach to
generate a more generalizable outcome.
 References
Fenyi, D. A., Kongo, A. E., Tabiri, M. O., & Jones-Mensah, I. (2023). English
speaking anxiety among English-major tertiary students in Ghana.
International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education, 12(3),
1716–1726. https://doi.org/10.11591/ijere.v12i3.25027