Revisiting the Anxiety-Speaking Ability Link in Vocational EFL Education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58230/socratika.v3i2.714Keywords:
speaking anxiety, English speaking ability, correlational study, vocational high school, foreign language anxietyAbstract
This study examines the relationship between speaking anxiety and English speaking ability among students at an Islamic vocational high school in South Sumatra, Indonesia.
A quantitative correlational design was employed involving 100 students. Data were collected through a questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s product-moment correlation.
The results showed that the students had a relatively high level of speaking anxiety (M = 38.49, SD = 4.63), while their English speaking ability was at a moderate level (M = 36.02, SD = 2.63). The correlation analysis revealed a very weak negative and statistically nonsignificant relationship between speaking anxiety and English speaking ability (r = −0.043, p = 0.670).
The findings indicate that speaking anxiety was not significantly associated with the students’ English speaking ability. Their speaking ability may therefore be influenced by other factors, including instructional practices, motivation, learning context, and environmental support.
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