HUE UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES --------------- TRAN NGUYEN BICH HA STRATEGIES TO REDUCE LANGUAGE ANXIETY IN SPEAKING AMONG EFL VIETNAMESE LEARNERS: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES MA THESIS IN THEORY AND METHODOLOGY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts, University of Foreign Languages, Hue University THUA THIEN HUE, 2022 HUE UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES --------------- TRAN NGUYEN BICH HA STRATEGIES TO REDUCE LANGUAGE ANXIETY IN SPEAKING AMONG EFL VIETNAMESE LEARNERS: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES MA THESIS IN THEORY AND METHODOLOGY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING CODE: 8140111 SUPERVISOR: ASSOC. TRUONG VIEN THUA THIEN HUE, 2022 ĐẠI HỌC HUẾ TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ --------------- TRẦN NGUYỄN BÍCH HÀ NHỮNG CHIẾN LƯỢC GIẢM THIỂU LO LẮNG NGÔN NGỮ TRONG VIỆC NÓI TIẾNG ANH CỦA CÁC HỌC SINH VIỆT NAM: TỪ KHÍA CẠNH NGƯỜI HỌC LUẬN VĂN THẠC SĨ LÝ LUẬN VÀ PHƯƠNG PHÁP DẠY HỌC BỘ MÔN TIẾNG ANH MÃ SỐ: 8140111 NGƯỜI HƯỚNG DẪN KHOA HỌC: PGS. TRƯƠNG VIÊN THỪA THIÊN HUẾ, 2022 STATEMENT OF ORIGINAL AUTHORSHIP The work contained in this thesis has not been previously submitted for a degree in any university. I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, my thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made in the thesis itself.
i ABSTRACT The mixed method study was conducted to investigate the perceptions of EFL learners' perceptions of language anxiety in speaking in an EFL context and strategies that are considered helpful to the students to implement in reducing their language anxiety while speaking. The participants were 100 upper secondary school students from two high schools located in Thua Thien Hue province, in which English was a compulsory subject in the curriculum. The data collected from survey questionnaires and semi-structured interviews indicate various reasons for EFL learners' language anxiety when they learn to speak, the effects of language anxiety on learners’ spoken performances, and the strategies which could help them reduce the anxiety, from their views. The survey questionnaires were adapted from the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale, aimed to measure the mean values of learners’ agreement on the statement related to factors causing language anxiety in speaking, effects of the anxiety on speaking performances, and the strategies which helpful to reduce the anxiety.
Combining with the one – one interviews, the study revealed the underlying phenomenon related to learner’s perceptions of language anxiety, and strategies should be used to reduce language anxiety. The results indicated students tended to feel anxious since they had fear of getting negative evaluation, communication apprehension, test anxiety, and lack of linguistic competence when speaking English. Besides, language anxiety could be the motivation for them to make efforts to achieve learning tasks, however, it stopped them from getting new language knowledge, broaden the social networks, getting desired careers, and be proficient in English oral exams. The study also revealed the strategies from learners’ perspectives to help reduce language anxiety, which involved teachers’ supportive attitudes, encouraging feedbacks, and students’ frequent practice of speaking English.
ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It has been an arduous journey to get through when I conduct this study. It is a part of a series of unexpected occasions which have brought me struggles to deal with. Fortunately, I finally completed my study, with great instructions, patience and support from my supervisor – Assoc. Truong Vien, my family: my dear father, mother and my younger brother who have helped me to manage my stress during the process of conducting the research.
I would like to show my appreciations to the English Department of Hue University of Foreign Languages and International Studies, teachers and students at Nguyen Chi Thanh and Gia Hoi upper secondary schools, Thua Thien Hue province, and my beloved friends Hanh Nguyen, Phu Lam, Khanh Ngan, Nhat Ly who have given me their encouragements, so that I am able to keep on going this challenging path. Finally, the one who just surprisingly appeared in my life at nearly the end of my research conducting process, my boyfriend, who has given me encouraging words, and love, so that I could complete the thesis.