LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY AND SPEAKING ANXIETY IN MACEDONIAN LEARNERS OF ENGLISH
Abstract
A number of studies have investigated the connection between students’ proficiency level and their speaking anxiety, for which mixed results have been presented. Namely, some claim that the more proficient the learner, the lower their anxiety level and vice versa, however, some disagree. This study aims to investigate the possible relationship between language proficiency level and speaking anxiety, contributing to the existing literature for better understanding of the core issues that top and average students experience. Results revealed that the more proficient participants (C1 level) are more relaxed compared to the less proficient participants (B1 level) with the former classified as experiencing “low anxiety” while the latter - “moderate anxiety”. The main issue of the less proficient participants is found to be low self-confidence during speaking activities, which further supports the majority of the past findings, while grammatical correctness is something that high proficient participants are most aware of during speaking activities. The results also showed that both groups do not feel particularly frightened to speak right after receiving corrective feedback.
Keywords: proficiency; anxiety; speaking; self-confidence; feedback.
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References
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Bordios, R. V., Jr., Miranda, A. C., Abdul, A. R., Almirol, J. B. M., & Mascud, J. A. (2022). Level of anxiety in speaking English among college students. Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 4(1), 52-63. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7032207
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Gamlo, N. (2019). EFL learners’ preferences of corrective feedback in speaking activities. World Journal of English Language, 9(2), 28-37. doi:10.5430/wjel.v9n2p28
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Hussain, A., us Saqlain, N., & Khadim, H. (2023). The effectiveness of teachers’ corrective feedback (CF) and speaking practice on undergraduate language learners’ speaking anxiety (SA). PJER, 6(2), 429-446.
Jang, S. S. (2011). Corrective feedback and language anxiety in L2 processing and achievement. English Teaching, 66(2), 73-99. Retrieved from: http://kate.bada.cc/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/kate_66_2_4.pdf
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Lee, E. J. E. (2016). Reducing international graduate students’ language anxiety through oral pronunciation corrections. System, 56, 78-95. doi:10.1016/j.system.2015.11.006
MacIntyre, P. D., & Charos, C. (1996). Personality, attitudes, and affect as predictors of second language communication. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 15(1), 3-26. doi:10.1177/0261927X960151001
Marcos-Llinás, M., & Garau, M. J. (2009). Effects of language anxiety on three proficiency-level courses of Spanish as a foreign language. Foreign Language Annals, 42(1), 94-111. doi:10.1111/j.1944-9720.2009.01010.x
Mouhoubi-Messadh, C., & Khaldi, K. (2022). Dealing with foreign language speaking anxiety: What every language teacher should know. Training, Language and Culture, 6(1), 20-32. doi:10.22363/2521-442X-2022-6-1-20-32
Mufidah, Z. (2018). The impact of oral corrective feedback on the level of language anxiety. Proceedings of the International Conference on English Language Teaching (ICONELT 2017). doi:10.2991/iconelt-17.2018.48.
Nurmansyah, R., & Nurmayasari, E. (2018). Exploring the low proficiency level student's anxiety during speaking English. English Journal, 12(2), 120-128. Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/347900380_EXPLORING_THE_LOW_PROFICIENCY_LEVEL_STUDENT'S_ANXIETY_DURING_SPEAKING_ENGLISH
Rahim, A. (2024). Learning style of undergraduate university students with anxiety. Annals of Human and Social Sciences, 5(4), 190-198. doi:10.35484/ahss.2024(5-IV)20
Rassaei, E. (2015) Oral corrective feedback, foreign language anxiety and L2 development. System, 49, 98-109. doi:10.1016/j.system.2015.01.002
Sa’diyah, D. S., Werdiningsih, I., & Rasuki, M. (2021). The correlation between speaking anxiety and speaking proficiency. Unpublished undergraduate thesis, Universitas Muhammadiyah Jember. Retrieved from: http://repository.unmuhjember.ac.id/11908/11/k.%20Article%20%281%29.pdf
Seyedebrahimi, S., Rahimi Esfahani, F., & Sepehri, M. (2022). Effects of different corrective feedback types on reducing Iranian test-takers’ speaking anxiety: Lower- and upper-intermediate levels. International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching and Research, 10(42), 11-21.
Sheen, Y. (2008). Recasts, language anxiety, modified output, and L2 learning. Language Learning, 58(4), 835-874. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9922.2008.00480.x
Spielmann, G., & Radnofski, M. L. (2001). Learning language under tension: New directions from a qualitative study. The Modern Language Journal, 85(2), 259-278. doi:10.1111/0026-7902.00108
Toubot, A. M., Seng, G. H., & Abdullah, A. B. A. (2017). Examining levels and factors of speaking anxiety among EFL Libyan English undergraduate students. International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature, 7(5), 47-56. doi:10.7575/aiac.ijalel.v.7n.5p.47
Wijewantha, N. W. S. C. (2021). Speaking anxiety in the second language classroom: Learners’ perspective. Proceedings of the 7th International Research Conference on Humanities & Social Sciences (IRCHSS) 2021. doi:10.2139/ssrn.3808930
Wilson, J. T. S. (2006). Anxiety in learning English as a foreign language: Its associations with student variables, with overall proficiency, and with performance on an oral test. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Universidad de Granada, Granda, Spain. Retrieved from: https://digibug.ugr.es/bitstream/handle/10481/1074/16235290.pdf?sequence=1
Woodrow, L. (2006). Anxiety and Speaking English as a Second Language. RELC Journal, 37(3), 308-328. doi:10.1177/0033688206071315
Young, D. J. (1990). An Investigation of Students' Perspective on Anxiety and Speaking. Foreign Language Annals, 23(6), 539-553. doi:10.1111/j.1944-9720.1990.tb00424.x
Zhang, L. J., & Rahimi, M. (2014). EFL learners' anxiety level and their beliefs about corrective feedback in oral communication classes. System, 42(1), 429-439. doi:10.1016/j.system.2014.01.012
Bordios, R. V., Jr., Miranda, A. C., Abdul, A. R., Almirol, J. B. M., & Mascud, J. A. (2022). Level of anxiety in speaking English among college students. Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 4(1), 52-63. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7032207
Brown, J. D., Robson, G., & Rosenkjar, P. R. (2001). Personality, motivation, anxiety, strategies, and language proficiency of Japanese students. In Z. Dornyei & R. W. Schmidt (Eds.), Motivation and second language acquisition (pp. 361-398). Honolulu: University of Hawaii, Second Language Teaching and Curriculum Center.
Frantzen, D., & Magnan, S. S. (2005). Anxiety and the true beginner-false beginner dynamic in beginning French and Spanish classes. Foreign Language Annals, 38(2), 171-186. doi:10.1111/j.1944-9720.2005.tb02483.x
Gamlo, N. (2019). EFL learners’ preferences of corrective feedback in speaking activities. World Journal of English Language, 9(2), 28-37. doi:10.5430/wjel.v9n2p28
Gregersen, T., & Horwitz, E. K. (2002). Language learning and perfectionism: Anxious and nonanxious. The Modern Language Journal, 86, 562-570. doi:10.1111/1540-4781.00161
Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M. B., & Cope, J. (1986). Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 70(2), 125-132. Available from: https://www.jstor.org/
Hussain, A., us Saqlain, N., & Khadim, H. (2023). The effectiveness of teachers’ corrective feedback (CF) and speaking practice on undergraduate language learners’ speaking anxiety (SA). PJER, 6(2), 429-446.
Jang, S. S. (2011). Corrective feedback and language anxiety in L2 processing and achievement. English Teaching, 66(2), 73-99. Retrieved from: http://kate.bada.cc/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/kate_66_2_4.pdf
Jin, Y., de Bot, K., & Keijzer, M. (2015). The anxiety-proficiency relationship and the stability of anxiety: The case of Chinese university learners of English and Japanese. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 5(1), 41-63. doi:10.14746/ssllt.2015.5.1.3
Kondo, Y. (2009). A study on relationship between language anxiety and proficiency: In a case of Japanese learners of English. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237476567
Kurt, E. & Savuran, Y. (2016). An exploration of SFL students’ emotional intelligence and foreign language anxiety. Anatolian Journal of Education, 1(2), 28-47. doi:10.29333/aje.2016.123a
Lee, E. J. E. (2016). Reducing international graduate students’ language anxiety through oral pronunciation corrections. System, 56, 78-95. doi:10.1016/j.system.2015.11.006
MacIntyre, P. D., & Charos, C. (1996). Personality, attitudes, and affect as predictors of second language communication. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 15(1), 3-26. doi:10.1177/0261927X960151001
Marcos-Llinás, M., & Garau, M. J. (2009). Effects of language anxiety on three proficiency-level courses of Spanish as a foreign language. Foreign Language Annals, 42(1), 94-111. doi:10.1111/j.1944-9720.2009.01010.x
Mouhoubi-Messadh, C., & Khaldi, K. (2022). Dealing with foreign language speaking anxiety: What every language teacher should know. Training, Language and Culture, 6(1), 20-32. doi:10.22363/2521-442X-2022-6-1-20-32
Mufidah, Z. (2018). The impact of oral corrective feedback on the level of language anxiety. Proceedings of the International Conference on English Language Teaching (ICONELT 2017). doi:10.2991/iconelt-17.2018.48.
Nurmansyah, R., & Nurmayasari, E. (2018). Exploring the low proficiency level student's anxiety during speaking English. English Journal, 12(2), 120-128. Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/347900380_EXPLORING_THE_LOW_PROFICIENCY_LEVEL_STUDENT'S_ANXIETY_DURING_SPEAKING_ENGLISH
Rahim, A. (2024). Learning style of undergraduate university students with anxiety. Annals of Human and Social Sciences, 5(4), 190-198. doi:10.35484/ahss.2024(5-IV)20
Rassaei, E. (2015) Oral corrective feedback, foreign language anxiety and L2 development. System, 49, 98-109. doi:10.1016/j.system.2015.01.002
Sa’diyah, D. S., Werdiningsih, I., & Rasuki, M. (2021). The correlation between speaking anxiety and speaking proficiency. Unpublished undergraduate thesis, Universitas Muhammadiyah Jember. Retrieved from: http://repository.unmuhjember.ac.id/11908/11/k.%20Article%20%281%29.pdf
Seyedebrahimi, S., Rahimi Esfahani, F., & Sepehri, M. (2022). Effects of different corrective feedback types on reducing Iranian test-takers’ speaking anxiety: Lower- and upper-intermediate levels. International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching and Research, 10(42), 11-21.
Sheen, Y. (2008). Recasts, language anxiety, modified output, and L2 learning. Language Learning, 58(4), 835-874. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9922.2008.00480.x
Spielmann, G., & Radnofski, M. L. (2001). Learning language under tension: New directions from a qualitative study. The Modern Language Journal, 85(2), 259-278. doi:10.1111/0026-7902.00108
Toubot, A. M., Seng, G. H., & Abdullah, A. B. A. (2017). Examining levels and factors of speaking anxiety among EFL Libyan English undergraduate students. International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature, 7(5), 47-56. doi:10.7575/aiac.ijalel.v.7n.5p.47
Wijewantha, N. W. S. C. (2021). Speaking anxiety in the second language classroom: Learners’ perspective. Proceedings of the 7th International Research Conference on Humanities & Social Sciences (IRCHSS) 2021. doi:10.2139/ssrn.3808930
Wilson, J. T. S. (2006). Anxiety in learning English as a foreign language: Its associations with student variables, with overall proficiency, and with performance on an oral test. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Universidad de Granada, Granda, Spain. Retrieved from: https://digibug.ugr.es/bitstream/handle/10481/1074/16235290.pdf?sequence=1
Woodrow, L. (2006). Anxiety and Speaking English as a Second Language. RELC Journal, 37(3), 308-328. doi:10.1177/0033688206071315
Young, D. J. (1990). An Investigation of Students' Perspective on Anxiety and Speaking. Foreign Language Annals, 23(6), 539-553. doi:10.1111/j.1944-9720.1990.tb00424.x
Zhang, L. J., & Rahimi, M. (2014). EFL learners' anxiety level and their beliefs about corrective feedback in oral communication classes. System, 42(1), 429-439. doi:10.1016/j.system.2014.01.012
Published
2025-07-01
How to Cite
Anastasova, A., & Daskalovska, N. (2025). LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY AND SPEAKING ANXIETY IN MACEDONIAN LEARNERS OF ENGLISH. PALIMPSEST / ПАЛИМПСЕСТ, 10(19), 191-201. Retrieved from https://js.ugd.edu.mk/index.php/PAL/article/view/7457
Section
МЕТОДИКА НА НАСТАВАТА / TEACHING METHODOLOGY
