Investigating the Levels and Factors Contributing to English Language Speaking Anxiety among English Major Undergraduates in Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Shah Alam

Although it is widely believed that English major undergraduates experience minimal anxiety when conversing in English, a significant number of them continue to encounter substantial difficulties with English-speaking anxiety. This study aimed to investigate the level of English Language Speaking Anxiety among English major undergraduates in Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Shah Alam and to analyse gender-based differences in the level of anxiety. Grounded in the theoretical framework of Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety by Öztürk and Gürbüz (2014), the study employed a 16-item Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety Scale (FLSAS) questionnaire adapted from Toubot et al. (2018) which highlighted three factors: Communication Apprehension (CA), Fear of Negative Evaluation (FNE) and Low Self-confidence (LSC). The questionnaire gathered responses from 140 respondents. The findings revealed that students predominantly had moderate to high levels of anxiety with the highest mean in CA (3.35), followed by FNE (3.26) and lastly LSC (3.23). The independent samples T-Tests revealed no significant difference in anxiety levels based on gender. Overall, English major undergraduates at UiTM Shah Alam generally experience a moderate to high level of English-speaking anxiety. The study highlights the need for supportive and communicative learning environments that can foster students’ confidence and reduce anxiety in speaking contexts.