The aim of the present study was to find out about teachers’ awareness, experiences and specific strategies used when dealing with Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety in the subject of English in Swedish upper secondary schools. Five teachers were interviewed to find out about their awareness and experiences of what contributes to Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety, and what manifestations students show who suffer from it. Further, the interviews also intended to find out about the teachers’ specific strategies used in order to reduce Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety. The results demonstrated that the anxious students generally are those who put unrealistic demands on themselves and feel that anything less than an excellent outcome is a failure. All participants agreed that two contributing factors to Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety are the fear of being embarrassed in front of others, and the emotional aspect of low self-confidence or self-esteem. Students tend to fear speaking situations where others could evaluate them negatively, which probably has to do with low self-confidence or self-esteem. The most evident manifestation of Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety proved to be the strategy of avoidance, where students can refuse to speak, become silent, or do not even show up for speaking activities. The most extensively used strategy for reducing Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety turned out to be dividing students into smaller groups, in order to make each student feel more comfortable speaking English. However, the results also brought up some interesting strategies used not mentioned in previous research. / Syftet med denna studie var att ta reda på lärarnas medvetenhet, erfarenheter och specifika strategier som de använder sig av när det kommer till talängslan i främmande språk i en svensk gymnasieskolekontext. Fem lärare intervjuades för att få reda på deras medvetenhet och erfarenheter kring vad som bidrar till talängslan i främmande språk och hur det yttrar sig hos eleverna som lider av det. Vidare så var även syftet att ta reda på specifika strategier lärarna använder sig av i undervisningen för att reducera talängslan i främmande språk. Resultaten visade att oroliga studenter oftast är de som ställer orealistiska krav på sig själva och känner att allt utom ett utmärkt resultat är ett misslyckande. Alla deltagare var överens om att två bidragande orsaker till talängslan i främmande språk är rädslan för att bli generad framför andra, och den känslomässiga aspekten av lågt självförtroende eller självkänsla. Eleverna tenderar att vara oroliga i talsituationer där andra skulle kunna bedöma dem negativt, vilket antagligen har att göra med lågt självförtroende eller självkänsla. Det mest uppenbara yttrandet för talängslan i främmande språk visade sig vara undvikande, som till exempel, att eleverna vägrar att prata, blir tystlåtna, eller inte ens är närvarande under talaktiviteten. Den mest använda strategin för att reducera talängslan i främmande språk visade sig vara att dela upp eleverna i mindre grupper för att de skall känna sig mer bekväma med att tala engelska. Resultaten visade även på några intressanta strategier som inte nämnts i tidigare forskning.

This study explores the realm of foreign language speaking anxiety (FLSA) among Swedish upper secondary school students studying English through a mixed-method approach combining surveys and qualitative interviews. By analyzing responses from a questionnaire distributed to a sample of 99 students and conducting in-depth interviews with four participants, this research aims to explore the extent of speech anxiety among the students, its contributing factors, and viable strategies for teachers to mitigate it. Findings reveal multifaceted sources of speech anxiety, ranging from fear of judgment to lack of self-confidence. Additionally, participants provide valuable insights into the role of teachers in addressing this issue, emphasizing the importance of fostering a safe and encouraging learning environment and working with students' self-confidence. This research contributes insights into understanding and addressing speech anxiety in educational settings, offering practical implications for educators to help students.

The aim of the present study was to explore teachers’ experiences of student anxiety in the subject of English in Swedish upper secondary schools. Five teachers were interviewed to find out about their experiences of what causes anxiety in their students and what strategies they have found work best in order to decrease speaking anxiety. The results showed that the anxious students are usually those with a high performance level and good English knowledge. All participants agreed that the reason for anxiety is that performing in speech is perceived as embarrassing. Students tend to see all speaking activities as tests of their knowledge and are afraid of what reactions they may receive. The most distinct way to identify anxiety turned out to spot students’ withdrawal from all speaking activities in English. The best strategy to reduce speaking anxiety according to all participants was careful formation of groups, since smaller groups with only the closest friends is the best way to work for these students. Interestingly, while all teachers mentioned the benefits of recordings and podcasts, only one teacher used this method exclusively instead of oral presentations. / Syftet med denna studie var att ta reda på lärares erfarenheter av elevers oro inför att tala engelska i svenska gymnasieskolor. Fem lärare intervjuades för att få reda på deras erfarenheter av vad det är som gör eleverna oroliga och vilka strategier som de har märkt fungerar bäst för att minska oron över att tala. Resultaten visade att de oroliga eleverna oftast är de som är högpresterande och har goda engelskakunskaper. Alla deltagare var överens om att anledningen till oron är att det uppfattas som pinsamt att tala. Elever ser alla muntliga övningar som prov på sina kunskaper och är oroliga över hur de andra ska reagera. Tydligaste sättet att identifiera oro visade sig vara att vara uppmärksam på undvikande-strategier från engelskaktiviteter. Den bästa strategin för att minska oron enligt alla lärare var att kontrollera hur grupperna formas, eftersom mindre grupper med bara de närmsta vännerna är det bästa sättet att jobba för dessa elever. Intressant var det även att se att, trots att alla lärare nämnde fördelar med att spela in muntliga diskussioner, var det bara en lärare som valt att använda sig av denna metod istället för muntliga redovisningar.

Language anxiety (LA) is “the worry and negative emotional reaction when learning and using a second language and is especially relevant in a classroom where self-expression takes place” (Gregersen & MacIntyre, 2014, p. 14). In the present study, particular attention is drawn to the development of students’ communicative competence and speaking proficiency in English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) classrooms. The prevalence and effects of foreign language speaking anxiety (FLSA) were examined among Swedish EFL lower secondary school students, reporting the triggers of foreign language anxiety (FLA) and FLSA from the perspective of pupils and teachers. A mixed-methods approach was applied to collect data from pupils (N=273) where a self-report questionnaire, a modified version of the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) operationalised originally by Horwitz, Horwitz, and Cope (1986) is administered, plus open-ended semi-structured interviews with open-ended and closed questions were conducted with pupils (N=67) and teachers (N=5). The participants were grouped into three categories: low, medium and high anxiety, based on their scores. The results showed that 26% of the participants were assigned as low anxious learners; 59% of the students experienced medium levels of FLSA and 15% of the pupils were highly anxious language learners. Interviews with pupils and teachers explored the effects and the sources of the FLA and FLSA on pupils’ oral and general English language proficiency (fear of negative evaluation (FNE), affective variables, grades, teachers, classmates, pronunciation, and classroom atmosphere), noting that some pupils reported that monologic genres such as long episodes of speaking, evaluation situations and giving an oral presentation present the most anxiety-provoking contexts in EFL lessons.

Previous studies that have utilized the Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety Scale (FLSAS) have performed their studies with the assumption that Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety is negatively correlated with oral skills, i.e. as anxiety increases, speaking skills decrease. In order to confirm this assumption, this study included a survey, the purpose of which is to measure three factors, in order to verify the possibility of other factors playing possibly bigger roles, among upper secondary school students in Sweden: the frequency of language use, their anxiety levels, and foreign language speaking skills. In order to be able to discuss the data thoroughly, this study includes theories regarding motivation, Self-Determination Theory, and Willingness to Communicate (WTC). The data showed that as the anxiety of the students increased, their language speaking skills decreased, i.e. a negative correlation was discovered. However, their frequency of foreign language use remained virtually the same, regardless of their anxiety levels, i.e. no strong correlation was discovered here. Lastly, the language skills of the students showed a weak positive correlation with their language use, i.e. the more they spoke, the higher their oral skills were. Therefore, the results of this study confirm previous studies claiming that foreign language speaking competence has a strong negative correlation with foreign language speaking anxiety.