Speaking remains one of the most anxiety-inducing skills for most second language learners, and despite the

global transition to online learning, language anxiety persists in virtual environments. Due to this reason, this

study investigates the coping strategies employed by learners to manage speaking anxiety in online classrooms

and identifies the strategies dimension they perceive as most effective. A set of questionnaires, adapted from

classrooms.

In Malaysia, the second language after the mother tongue is English and it is taught as a compulsory core

subject in schools under the national education policy. The fundamental language skills; listening, reading,

speaking and writing, are incorporated into the school syllabus and further developed in the tertiary level of

education, signifying its influential role as an international lingua franca. A study by Bakar, Esa, Ationg &

Jawing (2021) highlights the importance of learning English in the Malaysian schooling system to equip

students with essential language skills for global communication. It is evident that English is widely used in

multifaceted key sectors such as education, business, travel and culture. Thus, this signifies indispensable

reading, writing and listening, but they seem to have difficulties in speaking skills. In fact, Aziz & Kashinathan

(2021) state that many Malaysian employers are not satisfied with their new employees, especially the fresh

graduates due to lack of communication skills, as they are hardly able to communicate their ideas effectively,

especially in company business presentations.

Reflecting current scenarios in Malaysian higher level of education, many learners experience speaking

anxiety at an alarming rate due to several factors (Chin, Ting & Yeo, 2016). A recent study by Sapuan, Awang

Ali, Mohamed Musli & Idris (2025) shows Malaysian undergraduates in a private university have experienced

moderate levels of speaking anxiety. This is worsened as the learning mode has been shifted from traditional

classroom learning to virtual learning, where the learners can access their lessons online without attending a

physical classroom. Despite the years that have passed since the global pandemic, the profound tension to

While numerous studies have explored the factors contributing to speaking anxiety, considerably less attention

has been given to strategies for mitigating this issue specifically in the context of online classrooms. Therefore,

to address this gap, the present study aims to identify the coping strategies used by the ESL learners to cope

with their speaking anxiety. Accordingly, this study also seeks to investigate the most effective coping strategy

category to reduce speaking anxiety among ESL learners.

This study is deemed necessary in assisting language instructors to well-strategise their online teaching

approaches, especially lessons involving speaking skills. Thus, there are two research questions formulated for

this study:

1. What coping strategies do ESL learners use to reduce their speaking anxiety in online classrooms?

2. Which coping strategy dimension is perceived as the most effective in reducing their speaking anxiety

identified as the most anxiety-inducing aspect of second or foreign language learning and is regarded as the

primary source of classroom language anxiety (Saltan, 2003; Ozturk & Gurbuz, 2014). MacIntyre & Gardner

(1991), viewed speaking anxiety as a situation-specific type of anxiety that emerges during oral performance in

a second or foreign language, as well as a fear to express it verbally (Balemir, 2009)

Several studies have been done to investigate the intensity of foreign language speaking anxiety and its factors.

Miskam & Saldavi (2018) found that the majority of Malaysian undergraduates demonstrate moderate levels of

speaking anxiety and the dominant factor that contributes to this issue among them is communication

apprehension. This has hindered learners’ efforts in acquiring the target language, diminished their overall

learning outcomes, and consequently impeded the development of their communicative competence. This

echoes with a study conducted by Ahmad & Awang Hashim (2023), that a majority of ESL Malaysian

learning remains relevant and functional post pandemic era. This is endorsed by findings from Malaysian

based studies, that online and hybrid learning continue to be effective and practical modes of instruction even

after the pandemic. This is exemplified a study by Bustami, et.al. (2022), which demonstrate that when a sound

instructional design, effective technology integration, and active student engagement, online learning produces

high level of satisfaction among university students, while in Abd Karim & Mustapha (2025), ESL learners

report that online instruction does not impede their English acquisition and are generally satisfied with online

However, Saffari, Amini, Lee, Alipour, and Abbaspour (2024) found that online environments set their own

instructors and peers simultaneously, which intensifies their anxiety levels. Foreign language anxiety tends to

be heightened in online learning contexts compared to traditional classrooms, largely because learners are

separated from instructors and peers, experience reduced interaction and delayed feedback, feel less confident

in self-directed learning, and must rely heavily on digital tools and internet technologies (Doğan, 2020).

Furthermore, Hongnaphadol (2023) examined online language anxiety among university students using

unique psychological stressors that can significantly hinder oral communication, making it essential for

educators to develop supportive strategies tailored to digital environments.

Past research by Yasuda and Nabei (2018) highlighted two perspectives on coping strategies for language

anxiety: functionality and effectiveness. From a functional standpoint, coping strategies should be adaptable to

specific contexts since language anxiety is situation-dependent; for example, ESL learners often fear peer

evaluation in classrooms with native speakers, while EFL learners are more concerned about teacher

judgments when learning with peers of similar proficiency. From the effectiveness perspective, the authors

emphasized the importance of consistently practising coping strategies to reduce speaking anxiety.

Nevertheless, they also noted that limited empirical evidence leaves uncertainties about the actual effectiveness

evaluation. In addition, Aziz and Kashinathan (2021), drawing on systematic review data from tertiary-level

significantly to speaking difficulties, thus, reinforcing the importance of teacher intervention. Variety of

teaching methods like using interactive language games in class and setting up a welcoming learning

atmosphere in schools would drive the learners’ confidence and boost their motivation to learn and speak the

language.

Mohd Nasir and Ramsa (2024) revealed that ESL learners adopted a range of coping strategies to deal with

speaking anxiety, including thorough preparation and rehearsal, engaging in positive self-talk, and seeking

support from peers. While these adaptive strategies were reported to enhance confidence and facilitate

participation, some learners relied on avoidance techniques, such as minimizing verbal contributions, which

classroom environment, encouraging active use of constructive coping strategies, and providing meaningful

Conclusively, these studies underscore the critical role of educators in fostering supportive and non-threatening

prior research (Yasuda & Nabei, 2018; Miskam & Saidalvi, 2019; Aziz & Kashinathan, 2021; Mohd Nasir &

Ramsa, 2024), which highlights four interrelated dimensions: supportive environment, student readiness and

behaviour, teacher attitude and practices, and vocabulary familiarity and preparation.

Firstly, a supportive environment dimension (based on Yasuda & Nabei, 2018; Mohd Nasir & Ramsa, 2024)

emphasizes the role of peer collaboration and a safe, non-judgmental space in reducing anxiety. Students who

feel secure in their learning community are more likely to take risks in using the target language. Secondly,

student readiness and behaviour dimension (based on Yasuda & Nabei, 2018; Mohd Nasir & Ramsa, 2024)

refers to learners’ active efforts, such as thorough preparation, rehearsal, and positive self-talk, which enable

them to face speaking tasks with greater confidence. Thirdly, teacher attitude and practices (based on Miskam

& Saidalvi, 2019; Aziz & Kashinathan, 2021; Mohd Nasir & Ramsa, 2024) also plays a critical role, as

constructive feedback, encouragement, and the use of interactive teaching methods can foster motivation and

These four dimensions highlight the strategic approaches that support students in addressing speaking anxiety

during online classes. Reinforcing them is expected to lessen anxiety levels and, at the same time, encourage

more confident oral contributions and language proficiency in virtual environments.

Form. The participants enrolled in English language subjects, which involved various online speaking

on Student Readiness, Section D contains 4 items on Teacher Attitude/Practices, and lastly, Section E includes

another 3 items on Vocabulary Familiarity. (see Appendix)

Table 1 - Distribution of items in the survey

fifteen (15) strategies positively impacted the respondents in minimizing their speaking anxiety in online

most effective in reducing their speaking anxiety during online speaking classrooms?

The result in Table 4 reveals notable differences across the four dimensions of coping strategies for speaking