THE FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS’ ANXIETY IN AN ONLINE ORAL ENGLISH CLASS AT THE SCHOOL OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES, THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the anxiety of first-year students in an online oral English class at the School of Foreign Languages, Thai Nguyen University. 263 participants were selected from the School of Foreign Languages and took part in a 4-week online English speaking class with 11 instructors from Hawaii Pacific University. The study was conducted using quantitative data collected through the questionnaires. The data was analyzed using the Statistical Package of the Social Sciences (SPSS) and Excel software. The findings indicate that the predominant factors contributing to anxiety among students were insufficient self-assurance, apprehension of committing errors, uncertainty regarding unfamiliar situations, adherence to strict regulations, dread of correction, apprehension of ridicule, and uncertainty pertaining to questioning. Based on the findings, recommendations for future research, teachers, and students were provided. Future researchers should conduct similar studies; teachers should encourage students to overcome their anxiety, and students should practice speaking and listening more often.