oai:eurokd.com:article/2040
2026-04-05
The Influence of Teachers’ Behaviour on Learners’ Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety
Volume 12
Şevval Çelik
Gülsüm Sena Haylamaz
Sude Filiz
Gizem Dane
Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety (FLSA)
Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety (FLCAS)
Teacher Behaviour
Classroom Observation
Teacher Awareness
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Georgia', serif;">This study examines the influence of teachers’ behaviors on students’ foreign language speaking anxiety (FLSA) in Turkish middle school classrooms. Conducted with 55 students and two non-native English teachers over 14 weeks, the research included classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and a foreign language anxiety scale. The findings reveal that teachers' behaviors have a moderately significant impact on students' anxiety levels, with positive behaviors reducing FLSA and negative behaviors exacerbating it. The results highlight discrepancies between teachers’ self-perceptions and their observed classroom practices, underscoring the need for greater teacher awareness of their impact on students’ learning experiences. This research contributes to the literature on FLSA by focusing on young learners in a Turkish context, emphasizing the importance of teacher attitudes and strategies in mitigating anxiety and fostering effective oral communication. The research took place in a Turkish state school classroom with 55 students and two non-native English language teachers over a period of 14 weeks. The findings concluded that teachers’ behaviours have an important impact, albeit small, on students' speaking anxiety levels, where positive behaviours decrease FLSA, while negative behaviours increase it. The outcomes also highlight a mismatch between teachers' self-perception and their classroom experiences.</span></p>
Language Testing in Focus: An International Journal
2026-04-05
Text
https://api.eurokd.com/Uploads/Article/2040/ltf.2025.12.02.pdf
https://doi.org/10.32038/ltf.2025.12.02
en
Pages 21–45