Beyond Tones and Characters: Public Speaking Anxiety in Chinese as a Foreign Language among Malaysian Undergraduates

China’s rapid economic growth has increased interest in learning Chinese, including among Malaysian students, yet Chinese is often perceived as one of the most difficult foreign languages for learners from alphabetic language backgrounds, contributing to heightened anxiety, particularly in public speaking. This cross‑sectional survey study investigated the psychological and physiological indicators underlying students’ anxiety, as well as the strategies they employ to manage it during public speaking tasks in Chinese as a foreign language. Participants were 122 students enrolled in Chinese language courses at a public university on the east coast of Malaysia, and data were collected using a Likert‑scale questionnaire and analyzed descriptively. The findings indicate that key psychological indicators include feelings of tension, anxiety, and fear of forgetting the script, while major physiological indicators involve rapid heartbeat and discomfort prior to speaking. Overall, students reported a moderate level of anxiety, supported by various coping strategies such as repeated practice, careful selection of familiar vocabulary, and thorough preparation of speech content. The study recommends that educators reinforce these existing strategies and develop new pedagogical approaches to further enhance students’ confidence and public speaking competence in Chinese, with important implications for producing competitive graduates in an era of globalization.

Chinese as a foreign language; public speaking anxiety

1. Amat Suparia, F., Abdullah, I., Mhd Rusdi, M. I., Ghazuddin, F., & Mohammed Raffi, M. S. (2022). An overview on speaking anxiety in foreign language classroom: Level of speaking anxiety, gender, and factors. Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 7(10), e001863. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Baccarani, C., & Bonfanti, A. (2015). Effective public speaking: A conceptual framework in the corporate-communication field. Corporate Communications, 20(3), 375–390. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Bailey, P., Onwuegbuzie, A. J., & Daley, C. E. (2003). Foreign language anxiety and student attrition. Academic Exchange Quarterly, 7(2), 304–308. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Basith, A., Musyafak, N., Ichwanto, M. A., & Syahputra, A. (2019). Chinese learning anxiety on foreign students. European Journal of Educational Research, 8(4), 1193–1200. https://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.8.4.1193 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Daily Mail. (2023, October 10). Gen Z confidence crisis: 18–24-year-olds scared of public speaking. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12615629 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Duff, P., & Li, D. D. (2013). Learning Chinese as a heritage language. In K. Arnett & C. Mady (Eds.), Minority populations in Canadian second language education (pp. 87–100). Multilingual Matters. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Docan-Morgan, T., & Nelson, L. L. (2015). The benefits and necessity of public speaking education. In K. Vaidya (Ed.), Public speaking for the curious: Why study public speaking (pp. 1–16). Curious Academic Publishing. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Gardner, R. C., Moorcroft, R., & MacIntyre, P. D. (1987). The role of anxiety in second language performance of language dropouts (Research Bulletin No. 657). University of Western Ontario. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Halliday, M. A. K. (2014). Notes on teaching Chinese to foreign learners. Journal of World Languages, 1(1), 1–6. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Ling, T., Qi, C., Chee, L., & Sunarti, S. (2023). Speaking anxiety in Chinese language learning among non-Chinese learners in Malaysia 马来西亚非华裔生汉语口语焦虑调查. Sinolingua: Journal of Chinese Studies, 1(2), 153–163. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Hayaramae, S. (2016). A study on public speaking anxiety among postgraduate students (Master’s thesis). Language Institute, Thammasat University. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M. B., & Cope, J. (1986). Foreign language classroom anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 70(2), 125–132. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Hu, B. (2010). The challenges of Chinese: A preliminary study of UK learners’ perceptions of difficulty. Language Learning Journal, 38(1), 99–118. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Lewis, M. P., Simons, G. F., & Fennig, C. D. (Eds.). (2015). Ethnologue: Languages of the world (18th ed.). SIL International. http://www.ethnologue.com/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Luo, H. (2013). Chinese language learning anxiety and its associated factors. Journal of the Chinese Language Teachers Association, 48(2), 109–133. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Luo, H. (2014). Foreign language speaking anxiety: A study of Chinese language learners. Journal of the National Council of Less Commonly Taught Languages, 15, 99–117. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Matore, M. E. (2010). Hubungan antara faktor demografi terhadap fobia pengucapan awam dalam kalangan pelajar politeknik: Suatu kajian awal. Journal of Human Capital Development. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. O’Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication: An introduction (2nd ed.). Bedford/St. Martin’s. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Price, M. L. (1991). The subjective experience of foreign language anxiety: Interviews with highly anxious students. In E. K. Horwitz & D. J. Young (Eds.), Language anxiety: From theory and research to classroom implications (pp. 101–108). Prentice Hall. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Sugiyati, K., & Indriani, L. (2021). Exploring the level and primary causes of public speaking anxiety among English department students. Journal of Research on Language Education, 2(1), 57–66. https://ejurnal.teknokrat.ac.id/index.php/JoRLE [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Sung, K. Y., & Li, X. (2019). Factors influencing Chinese language learning anxiety in the classroom setting. New Waves Educational Research & Development, 22(2), 1–15. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Sung, K. Y., & Wu, H. P. (2011). Factors influencing the learning of Chinese characters. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 14(6), 683–700. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. The State Council of the People’s Republic of China. (2019, December 10). 孔子学院十五年：全球“汉语热”带来机遇与挑战 [15 years of Confucius Institutes: The global “Chinese language craze” brings opportunities and challenges]. https://www.gov.cn/xinwen/2019-12/10/content_5460063.htm [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Wang, Q., & Du, F. (2020). Anxiety in Chinese language learning: Relationship to motivation, attitude, and achievement. Electronic Journal of Research in Educational Psychology, 18(1), 81–102. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Wang, W., & Ruan, J. (2016). Historical overview of Chinese language education for speakers of other languages in China and the United States. In J. Ruan, J. Zhang, & C. B. Leung (Eds.), Chinese language education in the United States (pp. 3–20). Springer. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Workforce Institute at Kronos. (2019). Meet Gen Z: The next generation is here – Hopeful, anxious, hardworking, and searching for inspiration [PDF]. https://workforceinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Meet-Gen-Z-HopefulAnxiousHardworking-and-Searching-for-Inspiration.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. Young, D. J. (1990). An investigation of students’ perspectives on anxiety and speaking. Foreign Language Annals, 23(6), 539–553. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. Zhao, A., Guo, Y., & Dynia, J. (2013). Foreign language reading anxiety: Chinese as a foreign language in the United States. The Modern Language Journal, 97(3), 764–778. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.2013.12032.x [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

29. Zhao, A., & Whitchurch, A. (2011). Anxiety and its associated factors in college-level Chinese classrooms in the US. Journal of the Chinese Language Teachers Association, 46(3), 21–47. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

30. Zhou, J. (2017). Foreign language reading anxiety in a Chinese as a foreign language context. Reading in a Foreign Language, 29(1), 155–173. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Assessment of the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Repositioning TVET for Economic Development in Nigeria
• Teachers’ Use of Assure Model Instructional Design on Learners’ Problem Solving Efficacy in Secondary Schools in Bungoma County, Kenya
• “E-Booksan Ang Kaalaman”: Development, Validation, and Utilization of Electronic Book in Academic Performance of Grade 9 Students in Social Studies
• Analyzing EFL University Students’ Academic Speaking Skills Through Self-Recorded Video Presentation
• Major Findings of The Study on Total Quality Management in Teachers’ Education Institutions (TEIs) In Assam – An Evaluative Study