SPEAKING ANXIETY IN ESL CLASSROOMS: A CROSS-DEPARTMENTAL COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

Abstract

 English is an official language of Pakistan, but we do know that anxiety makes it harder to learn and teach. Language anxiety has been thoroughly examined internationally; however, it has not been sufficiently explored in the Pakistani context. The primary objective of this study is to assess the level of Foreign Language Anxiety among ESL students from various departments at Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur, Mirs. This research employs a case study methodology within a quantitative framework. A random sample of 300 students was selected to participate in the study. We used a questionnaire based on the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) developed by Horwitz et al. (1986) to assess students' anxiety. The results showed that students exhibited moderate to high levels of anxiety about speaking a foreign language, especially when they are afraid of negative evaluations and have low self-esteem. ANOVA was conducted to assess differences in anxiety levels across departments. Results across departments, F(4,295) = 2.679, p = .032, indicated a statistically significant difference in foreign language anxiety among students. Students studying science, such as zoology and microbiology, were more anxious than those studying business and commerce. students who are learning English. They were in the middle. Business, commerce, and microbiology showed the highest standard deviation (SD), indicating that anxiety experiences were more diverse in these domains. These results are in accordance with ANOVA. which indicate significant disparities between departments and suggest that departmental affiliations affect foreign language proficiency.

It shows that the department a student is in has a big effect on how anxious they are about learning a foreign language. This shows that English language classrooms need specialized teaching methods to help students feel less anxious and improve their speaking skills.