Language Anxiety and Its Effect on Students’ Speaking Performance

Abstract

This study is about the analysis of language anxiety factors affecting Technical department 51 Batch 4th semester cadets‟ speaking performance. The aim of this study is to list the language anxiety factors that affect cadets‟ speaking performance and to explain how the language anxiety can affect cadets‟ speaking performance. The data of this study were taken from questionnaire, open-ended interview, and students‟ speaking performance score. There were 60 cadets from two classes on class F and G of Indonesia Merchant Marine of Semarang. The questionnaire data were analyzed based on Horwitz‟s theory of Language Anxiety. Then for the language anxiety factors, each statement was calculated to know five chosen statement. The relation between language anxiety and students‟ speaking performance were analyzed based on students‟ interview answer, speaking score, and anxiety level. There were five factors of language anxiety affects students‟ speaking performance: 1) lack of preparation during language class, 2) peer-pressure in language as a whole, 3) sudden-activity in class, 4) peer-pressure in English speaking, and 5) students‟ negative attitudes toward English language. There were no solid correlation between students‟ speaking performance and language anxiety, what made their speaking performance differ from one to another was their linguistic competence and how they cope with their anxiety during speaking class.