The Causes and Impact of Language Anxiety on the Speaking Skill of Saudi Female EFL Learners

This paper aimed at investigating the issue of foreign language anxiety (FLA) and the factors that cause it for Saudi female EFL learners at college level when they speak English from two different perspectives: learners and teachers. A mixed- methods qualitative dominant methodology was used to investigate the issue. The first quantitative phase of the study collected data from 257 Saudi female EFL learners who were enrolled in the Department of English at Arrass College of Science and Arts by using the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) as well as a background information questionnaire. In the second qualitative phase, 41 highly anxious learners were chosen to participate in semi-structured interviews and focus-group discussions. Finally, 7 female EFL experienced teachers were interviewed to add more depth to the issue under investigation. Results of the quantitative phase revealed that the majority of participants scored medium anxiety levels. The percentage of the students experiencing FLA, whether high or moderate, was extremely high (85.21 %). Compared to the results reported by previous studies, the mean for the current sample was the highest (104.23). The qualitative analysis of the interviews revealed that FLA can originate from psycholinguistic and socio-cultural factors. The psycholinguistics factors that cause FLA for learners are: classroom environment, pedagogical and instructional practices, the role of language teachers, English-insufficient command of linguistic knowledge, preoccupation with committing errors, fear of negative evaluation, speaking activities and oral exams, fear of risk-taking, non-comprehension, competitiveness, low self-esteem and lack of self-confidence, misconceptions about learning English and unrealistic expectations, speaking in front of native/ more fluent speakers , lack of motivation, and finally lack of preparation when speaking .The socio-cultural causes of the participants' FLA are: cultural differences and unfamiliar topics, social environment and limited exposure to English, differences in the social and educational status, and gender.