EFL Undergraduate Students’ Strategies to Cope With Speaking Anxiety

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the strategies that EFL undergraduate learners use to cope with speaking anxiety. This study employed a qualitative method. Data were collected through observation, to know the participant that experienced low and high level of anxiety, and in-depth interviews were conducted to obtain strategies the participants use to cope with speaking anxiety, an some documents to support the data. Two students from two classes of Academic Speaking took part in this study. This research revealed that there are 17 strategies (Understand the topic, Prepare well, Practice more, Record their own voice, Remember the text, Make a keyword, Remind themselves to calm, Pray, Smile, Squeeze paper, Take a deep breath, Brave to speak, Raise the voice, Start the presentation with enthusiasm, Build up self-confidence, Support from peers, Mingle with students) used by both the participants to cope with their speaking anxiety and grouped into 5 main strategies (Preparation, Relaxation, Positive Thinking, Peer Seeking, and Resignation).