A STUDY OF SPEECH ANXIETY AMONG ESL LEARNERS

This research investigated English as a second language (ESL) speaking anxiety faced by university students. Data was obtained through a group of 44 students in the undergraduate course, in public university in Malaysia through questionnaires in a Google Form. This study examined reasons of anxiety, types of anxiety, and methods to cope with the anxiety. The instrument is a questionnaire. The data was analysed using SPSS. The result of the analysis revealed that ESL students suffered from English language speaking anxiety. Furthermore, fear of negative evaluation and lack of confidence was proven to be the source of ESL speaking anxiety. Additionally, different students have different types of anxiety such trait anxiety and situation anxiety. In order to cope with anxiety, development of self-confidence is important. Preparation is another way to relieve language anxiety for instance implementation of roleplay or simulations. <p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0740/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

THE ROLE OF PARENTAL ATTITUDES, IRRATIONAL BELIEFS, NEED FOR SOCIAL APPROVAL AND SELF-ESTEEM IN SPEECH ANXIETY / KONUŞMA KAYGISI ÜZERİNDE ANNE BABA TUTUMLARI, AKILCI OLMAYAN İNANÇLAR, SOSYAL ONAY İHTİYACI VE BENLİK SAYGISININ ROLÜ

In this study, the effects of parental attitudes, self-esteem, need for social approval and irrational beliefs were examined on the speech anxiety of university in Turkey. Correlational survey model was employed in the study, and the participants were 615 Turkish university students. The relationships between the variables were analysed by establishing a structural regression model. Irrational Beliefs Scale, Need for Social Approval Scale, Speech Anxiety Scale for Teacher Candidates, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and Parental Attitudes Scale were employed to collect data in this study. The analyses showed that the model had a good fit to the research data [ᵡ2=463.806, sd=201, ᵡ2/sd=2.307, CFI=.961, TLI=.951, IFI=.961, RFI=.916, NFI=.933, AGFI=.912, GFI=.936, RMSEA (%95 GA)= .046, SRMR=.058]. Irrational beliefs, self-esteem, and need for social approval were found to have a full mediator role in the relationship between parental attitudes and speech anxiety. In order to reduce speech anxiety, individuals' self-esteem should be improved, while reducing their need for social approval and eliminating their irrational beliefs. However, family-oriented projects should be carried out considering the effect of parental attitudes associated with these variables. Bu araştırmada, eğitim fakültesi öğrencilerinin konuşma kaygısı üzerinde anne baba tutumları, benlik saygısı, sosyal onay ihtiyacı ve akılcı olmayan inançların etkisi araştırılmıştır. Araştırma, ilişkisel tarama modelinde bir araştırma olup, araştırmada 615 üniversite öğrenci yer almaktadır. Değişkenler arasındaki ilişkiler yapısal regresyon modeli kurularak analiz edilmiştir. Araştırmada Akılcı Olmayan İnanç Ölçeği, Sosyal Onay İhtiyacı Ölçeği, Öğretmen Adaylarına Yönelik Konuşma Kaygısı Ölçeği, Rosenberg Benlik Saygısı Ölçeği ve Anne Baba Tutumları Ölçeği kullanılmıştır. Yapılan analizler sonucunda modele ilişkin uyum iyiliği değerleri modelin mükemmel uyum sağladığını göstermektedir [ᵡ2=463.806, sd=201, ᵡ2/sd=2.307, CFI=.961, TLI=.951, IFI=.961, RFI=.916, NFI=.933, AGFI=.912, GFI=.936, RMSEA (%95 GA)= .046, SRMR=.058]. Anne baba tutumları ile konuşma kaygısı arasında akılcı olmayan inançların, benlik saygısının ve sosyal onay ihtiyacının aracılık rolü bulunmaktadır. Konuşma kaygısını azaltmak için bireylerin benlik saygılarının artırılması, sosyal onay ihtiyacının ve akılcı olmayan inançlarının azaltılması gerekmektedir. Ancak bu değişkenlerle ilişkili olan anne baba tutumlarının etkisine yönelik aile temelli çalışmalar yapılması gerekmektedir. <p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0740/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Speech Anxiety in the Communication Classroom During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Supporting Student Success

A wealth of literature clearly supports the presence of speech anxiety in the communication classroom, especially in those classes with a focus on public speaking and/or presentations. Over the years, much work has been done on intentional approaches to empowering students to effectively manage their speech anxiety in face-to-face, hybrid, and online communication courses. These research-based findings have led to best practices and strong pedagogical approaches that create a supportive classroom culture and foster engaged learning. Then COVID-19 appeared, and things changed. In an effort to keep campuses safe and save the spring semester, everyone jumped online. Many instructors and students were experiencing online education for the first time and, understandably, anxiety exploded. Between the uncertainty of a global pandemic, the unchartered territory of a midterm pivot to fully online education, and the unknown effects of the situation on our educational system, our stress levels grew. Public speaking and presentations took on new meaning with Zoom sessions and webcams and our speech anxiety, undoubtedly, grew, as well. Reflecting upon the scholarship of the past with an appreciation of our present situation and looking toward the future, we will curate a list of best practices to prepare students to effectively manage their speech anxiety with agency, ability, and confidence.

Seeking “skilled, poised, fluent” verbal communicators: Aesthetic labor and signaling in journalism job advertisements

Journalism job advertisements send important signals about valued skills and attributes. How such advertisements articulate journalistic expertise, including interactional expertise, has been studied, but signals about verbal communication usually have been overlooked. Little is known about how journalism employers define the most valued communication skills and the ideal journalistic voice. This signaling theory study explores expectations advertisements convey for how journalists should sound through a thematic analysis of U.S. journalism job listings (n = 510) specifying substantial verbal communication. Requirements for exceptional verbal skills and explicit calls for vocal clarity raise barriers to entry for journalists with speech disabilities or speech anxiety.