INDONESIAN EFL STUDENTS’ ANXIETY IN SPEECH PRODUCTION: POSSIBLE CAUSES AND REMEDY

Abstract

This research examined what causes speech-production-related foreign-language anxiety among Indonesian students majoring in English Language Education. Furthermore, it also looks into whether and how selfreflective activities are able to help these students reduce their anxiety. The data were gathered from a qualitative research conducted on a group of Indonesian students taking a Public Speaking course at Sanata Dharma University. The subjects were given two types of questionnaires to explore the possible causes of their anxiety and their reflection on the process of learning the public speaking skills. The research results show three causes of foreign language anxiety: fear, shyness, and discomfort. The results also demonstrate that self-reflections helped the students deal with foreign language anxiety because they helped the students identify their strengths and weaknesses, conduct problem solving, and increase confidence.