English glossophobia among private university apprentices of Bangladesh: A comparative study and sustainable recommendations

This study demonstrates the prevalence of fear of public speaking in English among students at six distinct private universities in Bangladesh. Tertiary-level students of Bangladesh have a desire to learn English; however, they often experience anxiety during public speaking. This nervousness does not stem only from a lack of language proficiency but also from the fear of judgment by peers and mentors, as well as inadequate psychological preparation for such situations. Since English is practiced as a foreign language in Bangladesh, students face various challenges, including familial problems, institutional limitations, financial pressures, and surroundings dominated by the Bengali language, which increase the probability of developing glossophobia. In this study, students and instructors from six different private universities were surveyed through semi-structured interviews to explore the reasons for glossophobia and to develop recommendations for addressing it. A random selection of students from various English and non-English departments across universities in Dhaka, Feni, Chittagong, and Cox’s Bazar participated in these interviews with their English mentors. The aim was to identify key factors influencing glossophobia and to find ways to foster confident English public speaking. The data, findings, discussions, and recommendations presented in this study provide a comprehensive overview of the situation in Bangladesh and may help reduce glossophobia among Bangladeshi tertiary learners.