TEACHERS' STRATEGIES IN REDUCING ENGLISH SPEAKING ANXIETY AMONG SEVENTH-GRADE STUDENTS AT SMPN 4 BANJARMASIN
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31851/96144521Keywords:
Teachers’ strategies, Speaking anxietyAbstract
Speaking anxiety significantly hinders students’ participation in English-speaking activities. To address this, English teachers in the seventh grade at SMPN 4 Banjarmasin employ various strategies aimed at reducing students’ anxiety and fostering active engagement. These strategies encompass planning and classroom interactions designed to create supportive learning conditions. Using a descriptive qualitative approach, the study collected data through interviews and classroom observations, analyzed through data reduction, display, and conclusion drawing. Findings from interviews and three classroom observations revealed that teachers implemented multiple techniques to ease students’ anxiety, including providing constructive feedback, introducing speaking tasks gradually, promoting team-based learning, encouraging self-expression, and fostering a relaxed and comfortable classroom atmosphere. Additionally, teachers offered ample speaking opportunities, structured group activities, and motivation-building practices to boost students’ confidence and willingness to speak.
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