'Under the Magnifying Glass': Students' Perspectives on Oral Presentations and Anxiety in the Efl Classroom

This research was prompted by a perceived conflict between the pedagogical implications of research into anxiety in the context of second language (L2) learning and some of the instructional practices employed in language classrooms. It examines learner anxiety in relation to a frequently used classroom activity: the oral presentation. The participants were Hungarian university EFL students’ (N=39), who, as part of their course requirements, were asked to give a 5-10 minute classroom presentation in one of their regular language development classes. To examine students’ affective responses to this experience, data were collected in two phases. To have a quick survey of their immediate reactions, right after their talk participants were requested to rate on ten-point rating scales (1) how pleasant/unpleasant they felt during the presentation and (2) how much anxiety they experienced. To elicit an in depth account of their perceptions of and feelings about presenting their talks, they were invited to reflect upon their experiences in more detail, answering a set of open-ended questions within 24 hours. Based on participants’ self-ratings of anxiety and overall feelings during the talk and their post-presentation reflections, the paper explores how anxiety-provoking it is for students to give an L2 classroom presentation, what the specific sources of anxiety over oral presentations are, and how important a role anxiety plays in shaping learners’ subjective experience of delivering a speech in the target language. Giving insights into participants’ views on the gains and pains of oral presentations the study has important implications for foreign language teachers.