Investigating The EFL Learners’ Speaking Anxiety In Language Classroom

Anxiety is one of the barriers to foreign language acquisition. It may prevent comprehensible input and the way learners receive such input could be determined by affective. In the Cambodian context, since the contemporary teaching and learning has lately been introduced, the role of teacher is believed to force students to perform well on their study. Thus, the existence of anxiety occurs dramatically in classroom. The purpose of this case study is to investigate the causes and practical strategies to deal with Cambodian Australia School students’ EFL speaking anxiety in a language classroom. Similar to past research on ESL/EFL learners’ anxiety conducted outside the Cambodian context, this study used qualitative semi-structured interview format and focus-group discussion techniques to investigate the issue. Seventeen participants of Cambodia Australia School EFL students and teachers participated in this study.The study found that there were three main factors which provoke speaking anxiety in classroom:(1) students’ factors;(2) teachers’ factors; and (3) alternative factors. Among these factors, teachers’ factors were the most significant in increasing or decreasing students’feeling of anxiety in the class. Based on these findings, pedagogic implications and the future research are discussed in the Cambodian context.