Possible Language Teacher Selves and Their Contribution to Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety: A Study Over English Language Teaching and English Language and Literature Departments

Abstract

Speaking in front of people is challenging even in one‘s own language. So it can be asserted that if teachers are aware of the reasons for their students’ English speaking anxiety, they may teach their classes better and decide on the most effective teaching techniques and methods. Speaking anxiety and speaking self-efficacy can be suggested among the most common problems in foreign language learning. The aim of the current study is to investigate whether there is a significant difference between foreign language speaking anxiety levels of English Language Teaching (ELT) and English Language and Literature (ELL) departments’ students; to investigate the degree and type of correlation between these FLSA variables of two departments; and to investigate the students’ levels of FLSA and whether their degree of anxiety in speaking a foreign language differs according to the departments of the students. The study has the features of quantitative research design. Data are received from 4th year students of English Language Teaching and English Language and Literature Departments. The findings show that there is a significant difference between the foreign language speaking anxiety levels of ELT and ELL students; ELT students are less anxious in speaking English than ELL students.