Nonverbal Immediacy Behaviors and Communication Anxiety among University Students in EFL

The study was undertaken with 68 public university students at the bachelor’s and master’s degree levels to compare their communication apprehension (CA) and their nonverbal immediacy behaviors. The research was conducted using a quantitative design, employing the Personal Report on Communication Apprehension (PRCA-24) to measure CA and the Nonverbal Immediacy Scale-Self Report (NIS-S) to measure nonverbal immediacy behaviors. ANOVA was utilized to compare the mean scores of CA and NIS-S of the three groups of university students in the study. No significant differences were found among groups for CA and NIS-S. However, those with lower CA were found to use nonverbal immediacy behaviors more often than those demonstrating higher CA. Moreover, it was indicated that students of different ages vary in their use of nonverbal immediacy behaviors. The research results provide insights into how students feel when they use English (L2) and their self-perceptions regarding the use of nonverbal immediacy behaviors. These insights can help teachers and university administrators foster and maintain positive relationships and trust with students, which are essential for the well-being of all parties involved in teaching and learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL) at the university level.