Conquering the Fear: Navigating Second Language Speaking Anxiety Among ESL Learners in Selangor Private University

This research investigation focuses on the amount of English-speaking anxiety among English as a Second Language (ESL) students at a private university in Selangor, Malaysia. A considerable number of Malaysian graduates struggle with English competence, which limits their employment opportunities. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the amount of English-speaking anxiety among ESL students, as well as to identify the elements that contribute to it. A total of 100 undergraduate students (33 men and 67 women) participated. A modified version of Horwitz et al.’s (1986) Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety Scale (FLSAS) was administered via a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 29. The findings show that students have moderate levels of speaking anxiety, which is mostly due to test anxiety, communication uncertainty, and fear of poor evaluation. These findings help students and teachers understand the amount of English-speaking anxiety and devise techniques to alleviate it.