An Analysis of Students' Speaking Anxiety in Learning English at Elementary School
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63324/jeit.2.1.2026.181Keywords:
English learning, elementary school students, foreign language anxiety, speaking anxiety , self-confidenceAbstract
Speaking anxiety has emerged as one of the most influential affective factors affecting English language learning among young learners. Despite the emphasis on communicative competence in elementary education, many students continue to experience anxiety when participating in English-speaking activities. This article critically reviews and synthesizes recent literature on students' speaking anxiety in elementary school English learning. The review focuses on the relationships among speaking anxiety, self-confidence, English proficiency, teacher support, peer evaluation, classroom environment, and speaking performance. Drawing upon studies published between 2018 and 2026, this article examines the causes, manifestations, consequences, and interventions associated with speaking anxiety. The findings indicate that speaking anxiety is a multidimensional construct influenced by psychological, linguistic, instructional, and sociocultural factors. Fear of negative evaluation, low self-confidence, limited language proficiency, unsupportive classroom climates, and excessive correction practices consistently emerge as significant predictors of anxiety. Furthermore, high levels of speaking anxiety negatively affect classroom participation, willingness to communicate, speaking performance, and language development. The review also reveals that speaking anxiety differs across proficiency levels, with lower-proficiency learners generally reporting higher anxiety than more proficient peers. The article concludes by proposing educational implications and identifying future research directions related to young learners’ speaking anxiety.
References
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. W. H. Freeman.
Botes, E., Dewaele, J.-M., & Greiff, S. (2020). The foreign language classroom anxiety scale and academic achievement: An overview of the prevailing literature and a meta-analysis. Journal for the Psychology of Language Learning, 2(1), 26–56.
Brown, H. D. (2007). Principles of language learning and teaching (5th ed.). Pearson Education.
Dewaele, J.-M., & Li, C. (2021). Teacher enthusiasm and students’ social-behavioral learning engagement: The mediating role of student enjoyment and boredom in Chinese EFL classes. Language Teaching Research, 25(6), 922–945.
Dewaele, J.-M., & MacIntyre, P. D. (2014). The two faces of Janus? Anxiety and enjoyment in the foreign language classroom. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 4(2), 237–274. https://doi.org/10.14746/ssllt.2014.4.2.5
Dörnyei, Z. (2005). The psychology of the language learner: Individual differences in second language acquisition. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Ellis, R. (2015). Understanding second language acquisition (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Gregersen, T., & MacIntyre, P. D. (2014). Capitalizing on language learners’ individuality: From premise to practice. Multilingual Matters.
Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M. B., & Cope, J. A. (1986). Foreign language classroom anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 70(2), 125–132. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1986.tb05256.x
Lightbown, P. M., & Spada, N. (2021). How languages are learned (5th ed.). Oxford University Press.
Liu, M. (2022). Foreign language anxiety and English speaking performance: A review of recent studies. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, Article 1373290.
Liu, M., & Jackson, J. (2008). An exploration of Chinese EFL learners’ unwillingness to communicate and foreign language anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 92(1), 71–86. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.2008.00687.x
MacIntyre, P. D. (2017). An overview of language anxiety research and trends in its development. In C. Gkonou, M. Daubney, & J.-M. Dewaele (Eds.), New insights into language anxiety: Theory, research and educational implications (pp. 11–30). Multilingual Matters.
Mak, B. (2011). An exploration of speaking-in-class anxiety with Chinese ESL learners. System, 39(2), 202–214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2011.04.002
Mercer, S., & Dörnyei, Z. (2020). Engaging language learners in contemporary classrooms. Cambridge University Press.
Resnik, P., & Dewaele, J.-M. (2023). Learner emotions and teacher support in foreign language classrooms: A review of recent developments. Language Teaching Research, 27(4), 789–808.
Teimouri, Y., Goetze, J., & Plonsky, L. (2019). Second language anxiety and achievement: A meta-analysis. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 41(2), 363–387. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263118000311
Woodrow, L. (2006). Anxiety and speaking English as a second language. RELC Journal, 37(3), 308–328. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688206071315
Young, D. J. (1991). Creating a low-anxiety classroom environment: What does language anxiety research suggest? The Modern Language Journal, 75(4), 426–439. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1991.tb05378.x
