Communication Apprehension

Introduction: Educational equity is a fundamental principle in any society. Investigating the academic performance of students based on gender helps assess if there are disparities in access to quality education, resources, or support systems. Accountancy is one of the most in-demand courses in the Philippines because of the employment opportunities and career progression in the field. The licensure examination for certified public accountants has long-been considered as one of the most difficult state board examination in the Philippine history. Studying the academic performance of accounting students by gender group in a developing country like the Philippines holds significant importance due to its potential to contribute to various aspects of education, society, and gender equality since prior research has tended to focus on developed nations like America and Europe. Purpose: The present article aims to present findings from relevant literature to enhance educational equity by investigating factors influencing academic performance which can help identify barriers that certain gender groups may face in pursuing accounting education. This knowledge can offer evidence-based policy recommendations to higher education institutions and regulatory bodies aimed at improving accounting teachinglearning, academic performance, production of licensed accountants, and overall improvement in the accountancy profession. Method: The review was conducted using PRISMA Statement (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) which allows for rigorous search for articles on gender disparities in classroom learning in accounting education. The resources include Google Scholar, Scopus and Web of Science journal databases. Several eligibility and exclusion criteria were determined including the time period from 2020 to 2024 to properly include recent studies and development; data should be from empirical study which means that article review, chapter in book, and conference proceeding are excluded. In addition, in order to avoid confusion in understanding, non-English publications are also excluded. Findings: This review finds that gender disparities in accounting education in the Philippines persist despite higher female enrollment rates, driven by intertwined socio-cultural, economic, and institutional factors. Cultural norms, economic constraints, and unequal access to mentorship and leadership roles contribute to differentiated educational experiences and career trajectories between men and women. Addressing these gaps requires coordinated action among policymakers, academic institutions, and professional bodies to promote gender-sensitive curricula, equitable resources, and inclusive networks. Such reforms align with Sustainable Development Goal 5 (Gender Equality) by eliminating systemic barriers and ensuring equal opportunities, thereby strengthening the diversity, competence, and resilience of the accounting profession. Recommendations: To address the persistent gender disparities in accounting education, it is recommended that gender equity principles be fully integrated into higher education policies, licensure requirements, and professional standards. Institutions and professional bodies should develop structured mentorship and leadership programs, particularly targeting underrepresented genders in senior accounting roles. Accounting curricula must be redesigned to incorporate gender-sensitive content, inclusive language, and equity-focused ethical training to normalize diversity in the profession. Equitable access to education should also be enhanced through expanded scholarships, financial subsidies for licensure review programs, and fee assistance for economically disadvantaged students. Moreover, national campaigns and institutional initiatives should actively challenge stereotypes and reshape cultural narratives that limit career opportunities for certain genders. Finally, continuous monitoring through gender audits and data-driven research should be institutionalized to track progress toward achieving SDG 5 and to inform evidence-based interventions.

This quasi-experimental study explores the impact of authentic task-based learning on Omani university female students' willingness to communicate (WTC) in English. The research examines key factors such as self-perceived communication competence (SPCC), communication anxiety, motivation, and the practical applicability of learning experiences. A sequential mixed-methods design was employed, beginning with quantitative data collection via questionnaires completed by 145 students, followed by qualitative interviews with nine selected participants. Results demonstrate that over 66% preferred familiar topics; 79% favoured pair work; WhatsApp (80%) and MS Teams (48.30%) were top communication tools. However, barriers such as unfamiliar topics, fear of making mistakes, and limited language proficiency hinder effective communication. The study highlights a strong correlation between WTC and confidence levels, emphasizing the role of authentic content and assessment in fostering student confidence, increasing practice opportunities, and promoting collaboration. These findings offer pedagogical insights into effective language instruction strategies aimed at enhancing learners' WTC in EFL settings-crucial for preparing students for academic, professional, and societal participation.

This paper determined 128 Korean university students' language potentials on "pre," "during," and "post" communicative activities. Their strengths and weaknesses in the communicative challenges were investigated; particularly, their weaknesses in the three stages were determined in terms of rank of difficulty and frequency of attitude toward the activities. In the exploratory-quantitative-exploratory research method with qualitative perspectives, the findings were concluded: Not all were challenged in pre, during, and post communicative activities. Parents, English language environment, teaching approaches, and bad timing may be the culprit why students' motivation, interest, and proficiencies were in bad shape. Students' learning styles, strategies, and attitudes were also affected due to the difficulties of communicative challenges and lack of support system. Lack of support system can be characterized with lack of the proper language proficiency assessment on where to place the students in class and how much time to be allotted for each class. The students from the 22 departments attended an English class for only an hour and fifty minutes per week. With the conditions mentioned above, the students could hardly develop communicative skills because they were not able to manage learning meaningfully. Deeper insights on these three stages (such as pre, during, and post) would add literature to address students' real needs and teacher's issues on sense of commitment in the English language education. The rank of difficulty on communicative activities in each stage would provide the support system (which involves TESOL practitioners, teachers, curriculum developers, researchers, and even students) priorities on what, how, and when to implement communicative challenges. By evaluating every angle of these current data would help the support system design or develop teaching techniques, result-oriented materials, and interactive activities to accommodate the priorities. Thus, the ranks of difficulty in communicative activities as well as the rank and frequency of attitude towards these activities will serve as a basis for conducting further investigation or similar studies to fulfill the support system's objectives.

Este trabajo describe los resultados de la aplicación de la escala de aprehensión paterna, a una muestra de 135 padres de familia, del tercero de preescolar en tres comunidades del estado de Yucatán, México. El instrumento inicial consistió en 16 reactivos en forma de enunciados dicotómicos tipo diferencial semántico, los cuales se clasificaron en cuatro dimensiones con 4 ítems bipolares cada una: dependencia-independencia, seguridadinseguridad, supervisión laxa-estricta, confianza-desconfianza. Tanto el análisis factorial de los resultados y el análisis de ítems, sugieren que son dos -en vez de 4-los factores principales que subyacen a la estructura de la prueba. La primera responde acerca de la percepción de los padres hacia la escuela y la segunda respecto a la prestancia de los hijos y la escuela y su capacidad de adaptación. Por lo anterior, se propone una mejor escala para la evaluación de los padres de niños de preescolar, con dos factores conceptuales, en una escala Likert positiva de 5 puntos. Se discuten los resultados en cuanto a sus implicaciones para el desarrollo de escalas que permitan con justicia y fiabilidad evaluar de manera expedita diversos factores asociados al ajuste de los niños mexicanos al preescolar.

This paper reports the students’ needs in developing a GME instructional course with the following research questions: 1) What is the present level of students’ oral communication apprehension? 2) What are the students’ needs (the learning and the language needs) in learning General Maritime English? The research was conducted at the Akademi Maritim Akademi Indonesia AIPI Makassar. There were 150 students of the nautical department in the academic year 2016-2017 as the primary subjects of this research. The researchers administered questionnaires, conducted interviews and observed exams to collect the data. The results found that the students’ level of oral communication apprehension was high, based on the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS). It was also found that there was a high demand for materials that could prepare the students to have good communication skills, in order to be equipped to work in international maritime industries. Most of the students assumed that...

Communication apprehension is a major challenge in higher education, affecting students’ communication ability, which is crucial for academic success and future employability. It manifests as public speaking anxiety, reluctance in group discussions, and avoidance of classroom interactions, hindering soft skill development and academic performance. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of counselling approaches in reducing communication apprehension among students in higher education. Consequently, counselling intervention modules, including the solution-focused brief cognitive behavior (SFBCB) therapy and group counselling (GC) modules, were developed. Sixty students who participated in this study were studying at a public university. Pre-tests, post-tests, and follow-up tests were administered using the personal reports of communication apprehension questionnaire to measure changes in apprehension levels across different communication contexts, including group discussions, meetings, dyadic interactions, and public speaking. The results demonstrated that both intervention modules significantly reduced communication apprehension, with improvements in participants’ confidence and communication abilities. In conclusion, the study highlights the effectiveness of integrating solution-focused and cognitive-behavioral techniques in counselling interventions to mitigate communication apprehension. These findings suggest that such approaches can be valuable tools in higher education to enhance students’ communication skills, ultimately contributing to their academic success and personal growth.

In a sample of 95 university students, scores on a measure of desire for control correlated .37 with willingness to communicate, supporting the notion of control as a motive for communication and also correlated .43 with self-perceived communication competence but not with communication apprehension.

Age and sex dffirences in willingness to communicate (WC), communication apprehension, and self-perceiaed communicntion competence were examined using three age cohorts of participants drazun from junior high, high sclnol, and uniaersitq student populations. Results indicate that junior high femnles are higher in WTC than tlrcir male counterparts and fenales at the uniztersitq lcxel are higher in communtcntion apprehension and lower in self-perceiaed competence than are male uniaersity sttrdents. Communication apprehension and self-perceiaed competence show a consistent negatioe relationship that does nLtt ttary utith age or sex in the present sample. Tlrc degree to which contmunication apprclrcnsion and self-perceiaed competence predict WTC naries witlt age and scx. ln all tlree age cohorts, communication apprehension is a signif cant predictor of WTC onlong women, Among men, self-perceiacd competence emerges as a significant predictor of WTC in all three age groups. Willingness to communicate (WTC) has been defined as the probability that an individual will choose to communicate, specifically to talk, when free to do so . Although WTC has been conceptualized as stable and traitlike, with individuals showing consistency in the degree to which they choose to talk or not to talk across contexts and receivers , a person's level of WTC is influenced by the situation . Intuitively, a high level of WTC seems beneficial under most conditions: to be unwilling to talk is to relinquish a key process for relationship building and interpersonal influence. Indeed,

The study is aimed at describing teacher’s strategy in teaching English to the fifth grade students at SD IT Al-Furqan Palangka Raya. Statements of the problem covers what are the teacher’s strategy in teaching English to the fifth grade students at SD IT Al-Furqan Palangka Raya and How are the learners’ impact toward in learning English. Research design used is Qualitative. Technique of data collection is using observation, interview, field note and documentation. To analyze the data obtain, the writer uses data collection techniques, data reduction, data display and conclusion drawing or data verification. Subject of the study was the teacher of English, and the object of this study was teacher’s strategies in teaching English. The writer used endorsement of data credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability. The result of this study showed. The teachers’ strategy in teaching English applied at SD IT Al-Furqan Palangka Raya consist, games, questioning, narration,...

This paper examines the impact of traditional and accelerated public speaking instruction on undergraduate-level students' self-perceptions of communication apprehension and self-esteem. Subjects, students at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs were enrolled in the same semester in either a 16-week traditional public speaking course (n=64) or an accelerated one-week public speaking course (n=35). Entrance and exit assessment testing was conducted in both courses through the administration of the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. T-tests comparing the degree of increase in self-esteem indicated no significant differences between students in the two course formats. T-tests comparing the degree of decrease in communication apprehension indicated no significant difference between the two course formats regarding student apprehension in groups, meetings, or conversations. However, students in the 16-week course demonstrated a significantly greater reduction in public speaking anxiety and in overall apprehension than did students in the one-week course. An obvious explanation for the differences in the latter o')servation is the time factor. Students in the 16-week course had more time to learn about anxiety, more time to process that information, and more time to research, prepare, and practice speaking in the communication laboratory. Conclusions of this study call attention to the value of extensive treatment to remediate public speaking anxiety and overall communication apprehension. (Contains three tables of data and 30 references.) (Author/TB)

This paper examines the impact of traditional and accelerated public speaking instruction on undergraduate-level students' self-perceptions of communication apprehension and self-esteem. Subjects, students at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs were enrolled in the same semester in either a 16-week traditional public speaking course (n=64) or an accelerated one-week public speaking course (n=35). Entrance and exit assessment testing was conducted in both courses through the administration of the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. T-tests comparing the degree of increase in self-esteem indicated no significant differences between students in the two course formats. T-tests comparing the degree of decrease in communication apprehension indicated no significant difference between the two course formats regarding student apprehension in groups, meetings, or conversations. However, students in the 16-week course demonstrated a significantly greater reduction in public speaking anxiety and in overall apprehension than did students in the one-week course. An obvious explanation for the differences in the latter o')servation is the time factor. Students in the 16-week course had more time to learn about anxiety, more time to process that information, and more time to research, prepare, and practice speaking in the communication laboratory. Conclusions of this study call attention to the value of extensive treatment to remediate public speaking anxiety and overall communication apprehension. (Contains three tables of data and 30 references.) (Author/TB)

Conducting long-term assessment of the impact of students' participation in introductory communication courses is an important endeavor for enhancing pedagogy and understanding the contribution of communication instruction to the student experience. This 14-year study reports data from a campus-wide assessment program extending from 2004 to 2018. The study analyzed a large sample of undergraduate students' self-reported pre-and post-test scores on critical variables related to student outcomes in three introductory communication courses. The variables examined were demographic characteristics, self-esteem and communication apprehension in both the public speaking course and the business communication course, and self-esteem and willingness to communicate in the interpersonal communication course. Across the 14-year period, 93% of the results of pre/post comparison scores showed a significant increase in students' self-perceived levels of self-esteem and

This paper investigates the communication apprehension (CA) and a form of anxiety which affects the engineering undergraduates’ oral communicative skills in English and particularly in oral presentations. However, this study was mainly based on the research question to be investigated: What barriers prevail among undergraduates that handicap their successful language learning and oral communicative skills in English? This study used qualitative instruments for collecting data; the instruments used were included as semi-structured interviews with eight participants and two focus group discussion to explore the barriers among Pakistani undergraduates. The data were analyzed using content analysis of the gathered data. The results revealed that communication apprehension can cause the variety of barriers among undergraduates during oral presentation. The results provided positive insights to communication practitioners and language educators on the issues related to communication appre...

This study analyzed the National Communication Association (NCA) members’ perceptions regarding the effectiveness of their own and their peer presentations and the challenges they faced when preparing and giving conference presentations. Overall, participants (n = 187) feel fairly content with the effectiveness of NCA conference presentations and the value they have gained from them. The effectiveness of others’ presentations has a significant association with members’ perceived value of the conference presentations. The lack of experience and lack of confidence are key variables that heighten anxiety which can impact the effectiveness of presentations. Process anxiety was positively associated with presentation effectiveness whereas performance anxiety was negatively associated with presentation effectiveness. This needs assessment provides informed suggestions for making academic presentations more effective in the future.

Since educational institutions have reported higher performances in terms of both students and organizational wellbeing, contemporary academic life has been increasingly boosting communication in multiple ways. Moreover, the interplay between higher educational context and student engagement seems to promote the connection with positive attitudes, which are required to facilitate the learning process and critical thinking development.

Quarantine, isolation, and social distancing were essential for preventing the transmission of the virus and protecting people's physical fitness during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, they may have had lasting negative impacts, notably on mental health and well-being, especially on higher education students, as they are in a pivotal life-transition stage linked to increased mental health crises. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to assess the influential factors associated with mental health crises among foundation-level students during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study involved 277 students from the foundation of science programme at the Preparatory Centre of Science and Technology, University of Malaysia Sabah. A questionnaire was originally constructed to analyse the factors impacting mental health crises. Overall results found that the range of the mean from the questionnaire was 4.56 to 4.80, indicating that depression, anxiety, stress, and eating diso...

The objectives of this study are to determine the presence of speaking anxiety among ESL learners, to investigate the relationship between language anxiety and speaking skills and to determine the effect of task-based approach on learners' speaking anxiety. This quasi-experimental investigation was done on a total of 30 ESL low proficient diploma learners, who were in the age range of 18 to 24. These purposive samples were given questionnaire to support the first research question as it tests the presence of speaking anxiety. This questionnaire is framed as per the model of Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) which was designed by . The pre-test and post-test, which were adapted from IELTS speaking test examples, were used to determine the effect of task-based approach. Task sheets containing pictures related to automobile, routine, events and processes were prepared by the researcher to conduct the seven weeks of programme. The findings revealed that anxiety exists among the learners in terms of communication apprehension, English language class anxiety and fear of negative evaluation. The more anxious the learners became, the lower the grades were achieved. The use of task-based approach throughout the intervention has given positive effect on the grades achieved in the post-test.

is currently chair of the department of engineering technology at IUPUI. From 1998 -2016 he was with Penn State Behrend as a faculty member in Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology. His research interests are in renewable energy, energy storage, and engineering education.

Currently, 9.7 million people in Brazil have some hearing impairment, who use a sign-visual language to communicate, the Brazilian Sign Language (LIBRAS). The discussion about education in an inclusive perspective of the deaf and Brazilian Sign Language has been expanded in recent years by education professionals, as well as by the deaf community itself. In this context, the present study sought to analyze the impact of the Brazilian Sign Language on the development of the deaf in the city of Acopiara-CE, located in the semiarid region of northeastern Brazil, through a case study structured in a descriptive and exploratory research. Data collection was carried out in three stages: visiting the deaf and his family, to explain the study, applying an identification questionnaire and applying a fundamental level I test. Thus, it was possible to analyze the reality of two deaf subjects , residents of the same city, approximate age range, who had their school journey diverging from each o...

Background: Communication apprehension (CA) is a widespread phenomenon negatively affecting communicative skills, psychological well-being, and social connectedness. This randomized controlled study investigated whether online emotion-focused ego-state coaching, based on the emTrace framework, can sustainably reduce CA. Methods: A total of 260 German-speaking participants with elevated CA were randomly assigned to one of two ego-state coaching interventions: Core Transformation (CT) or Smart Part Lab (SPL). CA was assessed using the PRCA-24 and a bipolar scale of subjective feeling at pretest, posttest, and 2-week follow-up. Results: Both interventions significantly reduced CA [F(2, 258.3) = 242.14, p < 0.001; pre: M = 80.7; post: M = 63.4; follow-up: M = 62.3; η2p = 0.65), with 80% of initially high-CA participants reporting moderate or low CA at follow-up. CT induced stronger self-transcendent experiences than SPL; however, this did not translate into a stronger CA reduction, suggesting self-transcendence is not the primary mechanism of change. Conclusion: A single 80-min online ego-state coaching session within the emTrace framework sustainably reduced trait-like CA. The findings highlight the potential of resource-oriented, emotion-focused coaching as a low-threshold intervention to foster communicative confidence and psychological resilience.

This study examines the impact of the Empathy stage in the Design Thinking method on students' self-confidence in English communication, particularly during real-life interactions with foreign tourists in the Thematic Community Service Program (KKN Tematik) in Tana Toraja. Employing a Convergent Parallel Mixed-Methods Design, the research involved students from the English Education Departments of Universitas Muhammadiyah Makassar and Christian University of Indonesia Toraja. Quantitative data were gathered using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE) and the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension (PRCA-24), while qualitative insights were obtained through semi-structured interviews. The results reveal a significant inverse relationship between students' self-confidence and communication apprehension. Furthermore, participants reported that the empathy-based activities, such as observing and interviewing foreign tourists, contributed meaningfully to their confidence development, vocabulary growth, and reduction of anxiety during English conversations. These findings suggest that the Empathy stage of Design Thinking offers a valuable experiential learning framework that enhances students' linguistic competence and psychological readiness for authentic communication. The study underscores the importance of integrating context-based and interactive strategies into English language teaching at the university level.

Communication apprehension is an uneasiness experienced by all individuals, especially when speaking. Meanwhile, coping strategies are approaches people use in dealing with anxiety. This study determined the level of communication apprehension and coping strategies of the BSED-English major students of the College of Education (CED), Jose Rizal Memorial State University-Tampilisan Campus. The researchers used the descriptive survey method utilizing the survey-questionnaire checklists. The first instrument was adopted from McCroskey's (1981) cited in Diane (2015) Personal Report of Communication Apprehension 24 (PRCA-24). The other one is the validated researchers-made survey statements comprising 30-item statements categorized as strategies for overcoming communication apprehension in group discussions, meetings, interpersonal conversation, and public speaking, with a Cronbach's alpha value of >0.70. The researchers also adopted McCroskey and Richmond's coding and scoring system, weighted mean, and frequency count. Results show that most of the English major students in JRMSU-TC have a moderate level of communication apprehension. Further, there is a difference in the level of communication apprehension when grouped according to group discussion, meetings, interpersonal communication, and public speaking, as well as in the overall weighted mean. Therefore, there is a difference in the level of communication apprehension of the BSED English major students when grouped according to year level. In terms of coping strategies, students used the following strategies: accepting cultural differences, paying attention when talking to others and considering their cultural views, thoroughly preparing before the speech, and thinking of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation as a reward. In this connection, there are proposed interactive activities that may help overcome the students' communication apprehension.

Information utilizing English inside the regulatory center is imperative for developing effective English dialect instruction bundles in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). but, put of commerce dialect wants are nevertheless understudied, especially in Vietnam. thus, this paper reports on component of an assignment-based completely wants examination thinks about assignment performed by implies of a Vietnamese university to improve its regulation English dialect tutoring packages to viably plan college understudies for work. particularly, it investigates the assignments embraced in English with the help of proficient engineer's interior the put of work and the significance of English dialect instruction at HEIs for tending to the one's communicative needs. The insights have been accumulated the utilize of parallel variations of a wants assessment survey presented to 291 master engineers and forty bosses and supported up by way of interviews with 39 of the engineers. outcomes perceive 30 authoritative center obligations that proficient engineers routinely treated in English, showing an error among those analyzed put of job requirements and the English dialect tutoring at HEIs, and imparting sensible pointers to upgrade designing students' preparation for employment. This paper gives valuable truths for analysts and practitioners inquisitive about upgrading the viability of English language education for proficient purposes at HEIs in Vietnam and conceivably throughout the Asia-Pacific area.

This study investigated the causes of language anxiety and the coping mechanisms employed by Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSED) English majors at West Visayas State University, Himamaylan City Campus. As English was a widely used language for global communication, English majors were expected to exert a highly proficient level of language performance, which invited scrutiny that carried pressure. Thus, this study identified four main sources of language anxiety related to speaking, such as fear of judgment and making mistakes, number and nature of audience, preparation, and level of self-esteem, which considerably affected students' oral performance and resulted in emotional distress like stress or emotional strain for students in education and assessment settings. To better understand these factors, the researcher used an open-ended interview guide to conduct this study in six participants. Collection, analysis, and interpretation of the data were facilitated using Braun and Clarke's Thematic Analysis. Although the researchers found differences in both situations, the students all experienced anxiety as a normalizing outcome as students, expectations they put on themselves and that others placed on them, fear of negative evaluation, and lack of experiences with large audiences. However, the participants also shared effective coping mechanisms such as the importance of habitually and repeatedly practicing presentations, engaging in positive self-talk, utilizing acceptable systems of social support, gradually and systematically exposing oneself to larger audiences, and employing physical methods like deep breathing and strategic pauses. These strategies helped mitigate anxiety and fostered confidence. The study emphasized the importance of supportive environments that promote learning while minimizing the risk of failure. This research enabled teachers to understand the intricacies of experiences caused by different psychological and sociological factors and to develop teaching strategies that alleviate anxiety while encouraging healthy developmental progression on various fronts.

There are several factors -internal and external- that may cause anxiety about oral presentations. Past studies have shown that trait and state apprehension can influence oral presentation among students. The main objective of this study is to look into the factors that cause apprehension for oral presentation among ESL learners. Specifically, this study explores how trait and state apprehension influence oral presentation. In addition to that, this research also investigates whether there are any significant differences of trait and state apprehension for oral comprehension across genders and faculties. The two main constructs are trait and state apprehension; while the variables are gender and faculties. 129 students participated in this quantitative research. T-test and ANOVA were used to find relationships and significant differences across gender and faculties. Results of this study reveal that both trait and state apprehension have different influence on oral presentation amon...

All praise be to Allah, the Almighty, the Benevolent for His blessings and guidance; for giving me the strengths and courage to continue my master and finally making this research a reality. To my beloved supervisor, Dr. Azizah Rajab; thank you so much for all your comments, suggestions and encouragement throughout the process of finishing this research. You continuously amaze me as the fastest and yet the most meticulous reader at the same time. My utmost gratitude for your guidance as the best supervisor ever but the most important thing is for your patience, humor and best of all your friendship which only a few people are lucky to have. To my family members particularly my parents, Dato' Rafek Reshidullah and Datin Hidayah Endut; there are no words to best explain how much both of you mean to me. Thank you for all the things you've done including for making me believe without a doubt that I could reach my dreams no matter how far off they were. And now I realize how much I learn from both of you about life. Thank you, for still holding my hands through the things that make me scared. Exclusively for the best parents in the world, I love you both, always… and this one is for you. To Irwan Saufi, Redzuan, Mastura and Maisarah; my most eccentric, unconventional and loving siblings, thanks for your understanding and patience with my whining. All of you are the most extraordinary persons in the whole world with unlimited supports, hugs and kisses. Love you guys...

It should go without saying that language assessment1 and language pedagogy are clearly connected -i.e., that there are clear interfaces between the two. In fact, Davies (1991) claims that language testing, both the British as well as the North American tradition, &quot;grew out of language pedagogy needs&quot;:Language testing as practiced today, grew out of the special demands on language assessment of large-scale, on-demand intensive adult language courses in World War 2, which had a similar influence on parallel developments in language teaching materials and methodology (Davies, 1991: 136).Clearly both disciplines are inter-related and affect each other. New theories of teaching and learning may lead to changes in testing practices (Spolsky, 1995) while language tests, especially high-stakes tests, which have a direct impact on students&#39; immediate futures, may affect teaching and learning (Cheng, 1997; Clapham, 2000; Wall, 1996). One fundamental interface of these two field...

Kajian ini bertujuan mengenal pasti keberkesanan e-pembelajaran sebagai medium pengajaran dan pembelajaran kursus komunikasi. Seramai 260 pelajar yang mengikuti kursus Komunikasi terlibat dalam kajian Fasa 1 iaitu pada minggu awal semester, manakala seramai 189 pelajar terlibat pada Fasa ke 2 iaitu pada minggu akhir semester. Kompetensi komunikasi diukur berdasarkan skala Personal Report of Communication Apprehension manakala keberkesanan penggunaan e-pembelajaran oceania berdasarkan kepada dua dimensi iaitu sikap dan niat terhadap penggunaan e-pembelajaran. Analisis menunjukkan terdapat perbezaan min yang signifikan bagi setiap dimensi komunikasi pengucapan awam, kumpulan kecil, mesyuarat dan perbualan biasa. Kajian juga menunjukkan terdapat hubungan yang signifikan antara penggunaan e-pembelajaran dan kompetensi komunikasi. Kajian ini memberi implikasi bahawa e-pembelajaran adalah platform pengajaran dan pembelajaran yang bersesuaian kerana mampu meningkatkan kompetensi komunikasi melalui aktiviti secara dalam talian. Selain itu juga, e-pembelajaran sesuai dan boleh diteruskan pada masa hadapan dengan meningkatkan lagi beberapa ciri terkini selari dengan perkembangan teknologi semasa.

This study examines how international graduate students in a Malaysian public university perceive and overcome academic reading difficulties. The target population included all graduate students from Yemen, an Arab country, studying at Universiti Sains Malaysia. Data were collected using questionnaires, focus group interviews, and journal writing. While quantitative data were analysed using SPSS, qualitative data were analysed through content analysis. The results show that most of the academic reading difficulties faced by international graduate students were five: taking brief and relevant notes, using their own words in note taking, working out meaning of difficult words, identifying supporting ideas/examples, and managing their time for completion of reading academic materials. To overcome academic reading difficulties, international graduate students used strategies such as enrolling in some intensive English language courses, attending workshops organised in the University, at...

Speaking anxiety remains a major challenge for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners, particularly among university students who are expected to demonstrate high levels of oral proficiency. This study investigates the speaking anxiety experienced by sixthsemester students of the English Department at Universitas Islam Riau, focusing on 35 fourth-semester participants to gain preliminary insights. Using a descriptive quantitative approach and anxiety-rating scales, the study identifies the levels and factors contributing to students' speaking anxiety. Results show that a significant portion of participants experience moderate to high levels of anxiety during speaking tasks, particularly in classroom presentations and impromptu speaking situations. The primary factors contributing to this anxiety include fear of negative evaluation, lack of preparation, low self-confidence, and linguistic limitations. These findings emphasize the importance of creating supportive classroom environments and implementing anxiety-reducing strategies in speaking instruction. The study also suggests integrating psychological awareness into curriculum design to foster students' communicative competence in a more holistic and student-centered manner.

Learning English as a foreign/second language is never a straightforward process. Several constraints may come along the way that tend to hinder students’ learning. Studies have shown that the successes and failures of L2 learners in an English language classroom are dependent upon various psychological and social factors including anxiety. This study examined the English language learning anxiety of Filipino college students. The Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety survey adapted from Horwitz, Horwitz and Cope (1986) was administered to a group of 150 students randomly selected from 5 programs at a private university in the Philippines to identify students’ anxiety level in terms of fear of negative evaluation, communication apprehension, fear of test, and anxiety of English class and to determine which factor is most probable to cause anxiety among them.. The results indicated that the students expressed different levels of anxiety among the four factors as majority provided answer...

The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between
intercultural sensitivity, communication apprehension, and perceived stress among cabin crew. Data were collected from
405 cabin crew members in Türkiye using a survey method and an online questionnaire. The questionnaire included a
sociodemographic form as well as the intercultural communication apprehension scale, intercultural sensitivity scale,
and perceived stress scale. The findings indicated that cabin crew demonstrated a high level of intercultural sensitivity
(=4.1466) while exhibiting low levels of perceived stress (=2.1262) and communication apprehension (=1.7146). Among
the sociodemographic variables examined, only gender was found to impact stress and communication apprehension
significantly. Furthermore, the effects of intercultural sensitivity on stress (β= -0.264) and communication apprehension
(β= -0.789) were reinforced. Additionally, perceived stress was found to mediate the relationship between intercultural
sensitivity and communication apprehension (95% BCA CI [-.079, -.023]). Training programs designed to enhance
intercultural sensitivity and reduce stress should be implemented for cabin crew, considering the direct role of sensitivity
in reducing communication apprehension and the mediating role of stress.

Author's age prediction is the task of determining the author's age by studying the texts written by them. The prediction of author's age can be enlightening about the different trends, opinions social and political views of an age group. Marketers always use this to encourage a product or a service to an age group following their conveyed interests and opinions. Methodologies in natural language processing have made it possible to predict author's age from text by examining the variation of linguistic characteristics. Also, many machine learning algorithms have been used in author's age prediction. However, in social networks, computational linguists are challenged with numerous issues just as machine learning techniques are performance driven with its own challenges in realistic scenarios. This work developed a model that can predict author's age from text with a machine learning algorithm (Naïve Bayes) using three types of features namely, content based, style based and topic based. The trained model gave a prediction accuracy of 80%.

To explore communicative readiness and motivation among refugee teachers in Malaysia, 30 refugee teachers registered under UNHCR were recruited Drawing on a quantitative approach, questionnaires consisting of 20 items adapted from McCroskey and Richmond’s (2013) Willingness to Communicate Scale, Gardner’s (2004) Attitude/Motivation Test Battery (AMTB) and Fulmer’s (2010) Organisational Communication Survey were distributed. The data analysis revealed that communication apprehension was negatively associated with willingness to communicate and anxious teachers were less willing to communicate with strangers and acquaintances. A negative relationship between interpersonal conversation subscale of communication apprehension and intrinsic motivation was also observed. Those who regarded learning English as important were more willing to converse in the said language. It is hoped that this study could serve as an introductory guide to NGOs and existing voluntary groups when designing mat...

Willingness to communicate (WTC), as a prerequisite for improving communication skills, has garnered special attention in second and foreign language classes. It is believed that high tendency to become involved in communication activities may expose learners to much more input and as a result more intake. Several factors, some of which are situational and some others trait, have been identified in promoting learners’ WTC or reticence. This study set out to unravel the role of English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers, as the main facilitators of communication, in these classes in encouraging learners’ WTC. Data for this study were collected using a focus group interview. For this purpose, 48 EFL learners, with the age range of 17-45, who were taking general advanced and high-intermediate English courses in one of the popular English Schools, were selected to participate in the study. The results of the analysis revealed that both teachers’ socio-affective strategies and teaching...

Guided by the model of faculty readiness for online teaching (FROT), the goal of the current study was to investigate the influence of instructors' knowledge (e.g., online teaching preparation), confidence (e.g., computer-mediated communication apprehension; CMCA), and attitudes about online teaching (e.g., perceived usefulness) on their communicative and organizational outcomes (e.g., communication frequency and satisfaction, job satisfaction, motivation). We recruited college instructors from a variety of institutions to report on their experiences during the transition to emergency remote teaching in the spring academic semester. Results from the study suggest that instructors' CMCA was a significant and negative predictor of instructors' communication satisfaction with online student interactions, job satisfaction, and motivation to teach after controlling for the other predictors in the model. Taken together, the findings suggest that CMCA may serve as a barrier to instructor communication competence in online teaching and may have deleterious impacts on instructor a ect toward their positions. Ultimately, we recommend that faculty workshops aimed at developing online teaching competence should specifically address instructor dispositional and a ective characteristics such as CMCA to prevent faculty vulnerability.

This study investigates students' attitudes towards reading for pleasure. Also, this study tries to discover the relationship between reading materials and reading environment on one hand and students' attitudes towards reading for pleasure on the other. The subjects of the study consisted of 98 students who represented Part 3 and Part 4 Bachelor Degree students from three different faculties. There were two types of instruments used to collect the data, namely the questionnaires and the semistructured interview. Ninety eight questionnaires were distributed to the respondents and 10 students were interviewed. The results from the study were very encouraging. The study revealed that most respondents possessed positive and encouraging reading attitudes towards reading. Most respondents were able to value reading not only for academic purposes but also for pleasure. They perceived reading as a relaxing, fun and enjoyable activity. Though most respondents put a high value on reading, many of them failed to decide whether they are active readers or not which may be due to their inconsistencies in reading. With regard to reading materials, it was discovered that most respondents agreed that the choice and characteristics of the reading materials contributed to their attitudes towards reading. According to them, reading materials that appeal to their needs and interests will create a pleasurable reading experience for them. However, some interesting discoveries from the study were majority of the respondents were unable to decide whether technical texts would make them lose interest in reading. The findings also featured that the reading environment had a great influence on the students' attitudes towards reading for pleasure. Teachers, parents, peers and the learning institution are among the motivating factors discovered to have encouraged the students to commit themselves to reading for pleasure. On the other hand, most respondents believed that their reason for reading was not exclusively due to their teacher's reading act. From the correlation analyses, it was also gathered that the reading materials and reading environment had a strong influence on the students' attitudes towards reading for pleasure. On a different note, the correlation analyses showed some negative relationships between types of reading materials and average hours students spent on reading. Apart from that, some implications gathered from the findings also featured that some students might not practice what they believed even though they were aware of the importance of reading. In fact, some of them mostly spent their time reading for academic purposes rather than for pleasure. Attention should also be given on the authenticity of the reading materials as most respondents were unable to decide whether they found enjoyment reading materials that were not of their choice. Due to that, it is pertinent that teachers, parents, and stakeholders look into these implications seriously and find proactive ways in tackling the matter. In a nutshell, students read for pleasure when they find reading to be an enriching activity, which is very much supported by the reading materials and the reading environment. li

This study investigates students&#39; attitudes towards reading for pleasure. Also, this study tries to discover the relationship between reading materials and reading environment on one hand and students&#39; attitudes towards reading for pleasure on the other. The subjects of the study consisted of 98 students who represented Part 3 and Part 4 Bachelor Degree students from three different faculties. There were two types of instruments used to collect the data, namely the questionnaires and the semistructured interview. Ninety eight questionnaires were distributed to the respondents and 10 students were interviewed. The results from the study were very encouraging. The study revealed that most respondents possessed positive and encouraging reading attitudes towards reading. Most respondents were able to value reading not only for academic purposes but also for pleasure. They perceived reading as a relaxing, fun and enjoyable activity. Though most respondents put a high value on rea...

Language anxiety is one of the factors that needs to be considered in learning and teaching second or foreign language. Language anxiety can be defined as the feelings of uneasiness, worry, nervousness, self-doubt, frustration and apprehension (Brown, 2001) experienced by non-native speakers when learning or using a second or foreign language. Learners respond to language anxiety differently. This study investigates the language anxiety levels and coping strategies applied by adult learners of UiTM Sarawak in using English as a medium of instruction. The subjects of the study involved those between 45 to 50 years of age. The data collection was carried out through the distribution of questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The results from the study show that the adult learners have different levels of language anxiety and they have also adopted several strategies in coping with their anxiety. The conclusion of the study presents suggestions and recommendations on ways in han...

This study explores perceptions of Saudi university students about the factors that affect their in-class willingness to communicate (WTC) in English. The study is conducted using a qualitative research approach. The sample of the study comprises 30 EFL students enrolled in the Preparatory Year programme at the Northern Border University (NBU) in Arar City, kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews and then analyzed using a thematic content analysis. The results revealed that there are 19 factors affecting the students' in-class WTC in English which can be categorized into three main themes that are learner-related factors (e.g., self-perceived communication competence, fear of making mistakes, fear of being laughed at, feeling of shyness, lack of confidence, being afraid of public speaking, previous communication experience), affective factors (e.g., motivation, second language communicative anxiety, evaluation apprehension), and classroom environment factors (e.g., topic interest, topic familiarity, instructional methods, instructional materials, time, classroom apprehension, instructor, class size, classmates). The study concludes with some pedagogical implications for EFL practitioners about L2 learners' in-class participation in the target language and provides some insights for the improving the learning experience of English as a foreign language.

This study explores perceptions of Saudi university students about the factors that affect their in-class willingness to communicate (WTC) in English. The study is conducted using a qualitative research approach. The sample of the study comprises 30 EFL students enrolled in the Preparatory Year programme at the Northern Border University (NBU) in Arar City, kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews and then analyzed using a thematic content analysis. The results revealed that there are 19 factors affecting the students’ in-class WTC in English which can be categorized into three main themes that are learner-related factors (e.g., self-perceived communication competence, fear of making mistakes, fear of being laughed at, feeling of shyness, lack of confidence, being afraid of public speaking, previous communication experience), affective factors (e.g., motivation, second language communicative anxiety, evaluation apprehension),...

This narrative literature review takes a closer look at how motivation shapes the language learning journey. It explores how motivation influences learner engagement, performance, and persistence in language learning. The review synthesizes conceptual and theoretical perspectives, highlighting both internal and external sources of motivation and their impact on learning outcomes. It also discusses how motivation interacts with emotional factors such as anxiety, attitude, and self-confidence, and how supportive learning environments can lower affective barriers. The findings aim to inform more effective teaching practices that foster sustained motivation and language proficiency.

Speaking is a basic element in acquiring any language. The ability to communicate orally in the English language is the most significant skill, but many second language learners face particular constraints in mastering it. The purpose of this qualitative study was to learn about and comprehend Jordanian students&#39; coping mechanisms and strategies for overcoming and reducing their own English language Oral Communication Apprehension (OCA), both inside and outside the classroom, as well as their suggested strategies. A sample of undergraduate students was selected from various programmes at the Hashemite University (HU) in Jordan where English is the medium of instruction. A qualitative research method was used to elicit the students&#39; viewpoints and coping mechanisms with regard to their fear of speaking in English, either with their instructors in class or outside the classroom. The results of this study revealed that undergraduates at HU employed five key coping strategies to...

This research is designed to investigate language anxiety among Jordanian master&#39;s students of English language at Yarmouk University. It is directed by two research questions: To what extent do selected variables age, socio-economic status, and speaking ability predict the language anxiety levels among Jordanian master&#39;s students at Yarmouk University? and which factors do students believe contribute to anxiety? This research used an adopted version by Aida (1994) of the FLCAS instrument proposed by Horwitz, Horwitz & Cope (1986) to measure anxiety levels. It is recommended that teachers, educators and educational policy makers pay more attention to the problems of foreign language anxiety, especially in speaking skills, and to tailor new innovative methodologies and strategies that can reduce anxiety levels. Keywords: Language Anxiety, Jordanian master&#39;s students, Quantitative Research

The current study investigated anxiety-provoking classroom sources among undergraduate engineering students at Mehran UET, Pakistan. In this study, the participants (female 105 male 116) participated. The data were collected via questionnaire FLCAS and semi-structured interviews. The objective of this study was to identify classroom sources of anxiety quantitatively and qualitatively. The findings of study suggested some main sources of anxiety among fresh engineering students: (1) test anxiety; (2) apprehension in communication; (3) fear of negative evaluation; (4) presentation in English; (5) English language instructor; (6) competitiveness in English language; (7) negative self-evaluation; (8) individual tasks in classroom; (9) fear of making errors in English classroom; (10) English language difficulties. The participants have self-reported the main sources of anxiety in English language learning. These sources also confirm previous research on anxiety-causing sources among fore...

The current study investigated anxiety-provoking classroom sources among undergraduate engineering students at Mehran UET, Pakistan. In this study, the participants (female 105 male 116) participated. The data were collected via questionnaire FLCAS and semi-structured interviews. The objective of this study was to identify classroom sources of anxiety quantitatively and qualitatively. The findings of study suggested some main sources of anxiety among fresh engineering students: (1) test anxiety; (2) apprehension in communication; (3) fear of negative evaluation; (4) presentation in English; (5) English language instructor; (6) competitiveness in English language; (7) negative self-evaluation; (8) individual tasks in classroom; (9) fear of making errors in English classroom; (10) English language difficulties. The participants have self-reported the main sources of anxiety in English language learning. These sources also confirm previous research on anxiety-causing sources among fore...

Communication centers exist to help students enrolled in the introductory public speaking course develop their presentational skills . Based on the model of writing centers, communication centers provide support in the form of one-on-one tutoring. Previous studies have looked at services offered by communication centers, along with the impact of communication centers on student confidence, communication apprehension, and overall public speaking ability (e.g., . The scholarly community needs to continue exploring the utility of communication centers from the perspective of students, and sharing thoughts from experienced communication tutors, to enhance communication centers. In particular, understanding why students come to communication centers, what they gain, and what they like about the tutoring approaches can help communication centers pinpoint their perceived usefulness to students. These three areas of inquiry can also help communication centers determine the types of services they should consider offering, ways they can consider marketing their services, and approaches they could consider taking to the tutoring process. Therefore, the topics we explore include the purposes for students' visits to a communication center, the outcomes of their appointment, and the attributes of the tutoring and characteristics of the tutor that students appreciate. This paper addresses students' and tutors' experiences in a communication center at a large Midwestern university to offer recommendations for new and improving communication centers. We integrate empirical research conducted on student reflection forms with existing literature and insights from our own professional experiences with communication centers and as past introductory public speaking course instructors. The first three authors of this paper are former and current tutors in the communication center, while the fourth author is the director of the communication center. Our goal is to bring awareness to the experiences of students who attended tutoring sessions in a communication center and offer commentary rooted in knowledge from the academy and from our time serving as tutors to help improve and expand the services available to students in communication centers. The purpose of this paper is to provide an understanding of students' experiences in a communication center and offer recommendations for new and growing communication centers about serving students in the introductory public speaking course. To begin, we briefly review literature on communication centers to provide a working conceptualization of what brought to you by CORE View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk

Background: Nurses are affected by the developments brought by the health sector’s globalization and is denoted with the concept of “transcultural nursing”. Nurses are considered transcultural healthcare personnel in transcultural approach to nursing care.
Aim: The study aim was to determine nurses’ views related to transcultural nursing.
Methodology: A descriptive study design was used. Participants were 80 nurses working in a private hospital in Ankara, Turkey. Data were collected using a questionnaire, designed by the researchers, which includes 16 questions and 15 statements on transcultural nursing. Percentage and frequency analysis were used to evaluate the data.
Results: 87.5% of the participants stated that they had difficulties communicating with patients from different cultural backgrounds, 62.5% stated that they were not competent in transcultural nursing, 68.8% stated that their proficiency level in a foreign language was not satisfactory, and 74.5% suggested that foreign language education programs should be initiated with the support of health institutions.
Conclusions: This study suggests that nurses are aware of the importance of cultural differences in healthcare and that they think including courses on the topic in nursing education programs, attaching a higher importance
to foreign language education, and enforcing regulations that are more conducive to cultural interaction would help increase the quality of nursing care.
Key words: Transcultural health, globalization, nurse, cultural care