Willingness to Communicate, Communication Apprehension and Speaking Anxiety among Undergraduates at the Faculty of Education

This study aims to investigate the level of Willingness to Communicate (WTC), Communication Apprehension (CA) and Speaking Anxiety (SA) in identifying the paradigms that influence oral engagement for English language among undergraduates from the Science and Mathematics programmes at the Faculty of Education in a public university, Selangor. The study uses WTC heuristic model, CA continuum and Foreign Language Classroom anxiety for the theoretical frameworks where both Communication Apprehension (CA) and Speaking Anxiety (SA) influence the outcome of Willingness to Communicate (WTC). A quantitative research approach and descriptive design was applied where 80 undergraduates were selected as respondents through stratified random sampling. The data collection was conducted using online questionnaires where 61 items were adapted in investigating the level of WTC, CA, and SA among the undergraduates. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics in producing the means and standard deviations for all items in each paradigm. The findings of this study disclosed that the undergraduates had a moderate level of WTC that inclines towards peer-supported tasks but decreases in speaking tasks with significant academic values as well as spontaneous speech. On the other hand, the CA level was moderate but may increase in formal situations while the SA level was high due to the fear of making mistakes and negative feedback. These findings conclude that the undergraduates ‘readiness for English oral communication depends on the context or situation. Future research suggests the emphasis on Scaffolding learning, rehearsal and practices, as well as low-stake speaking with simulated practices for increasing undergraduates WTC in oral engagement while minimising CA and SA.

Willingness to Communicate, Communication Apprehension

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