Exploring the Causes of Speaking Anxiety among Libyan EFL University Students

Abstract

This study investigates the sources of provoking English speaking anxiety among Libyan university students. The data was collected through a close-ended questionnaire completed by 300 students randomly selected from English departments in three colleges. The findings reveal that ‘fear of making mistakes’ , ‘lack of practice’, ‘fear of negative evaluation’ and ‘lack of/limited vocabulary’ represent the main provokers of nervousness and uneasiness among the participants when they speak English in classrooms. Some anxiety alleviating strategies have been discussed and recommended.