EFL Learners’ Anxietyin Oral Skill Performance The Case of 1 st year LMD Students of English at Ahmed Zabana University Center of Relizane

Abstract

Anxiety is considered as a very important issue that most foreign language learners suffer from during the oral expression subject. The current study is conducted in order to investigate the issue of anxiety and its effect on learners’ oral performance. The main purpose of this study is to explore the negative effects that hinder students’ speaking performance. Then to look for effective activities and techniques that teachers can use in order to reduce anxiety and develop students' foreign language speaking skill. The research depends on three main data gathering tools: questionnaires, classroom observation that was conducted with three groups of First year students during the academic year 2016-2017, and experimental study. Questionnaires were administered to twenty five students of first year LMD of English and nine teachers of oral expression at Ahmed Zabana University Center of Relizane. The classroom observation was carried out with the same first year group of first year at English Department. The results obtained from the questionnaires, the classroom observation and experimental study confirm the hypothesis set for this research that most foreign language students tend to be anxious while they asked to speak. Thus, games, discussion and role play were effective activities that can help learners decrease anxiety and enhance their speaking performance.