Research article | Open Access
International Journal of Language and Education Research 2026, Vol. 8(1) 46-66
Anxiety and Coping as Correlates of Oral Communication in BSEd English Majors
pp. 46 - 66
Publish Date: April 30, 2026 | Single/Total View: 0/0 | Single/Total Download: 0/0
Abstract
This descriptive-correlational study examined communication anxiety and coping strategies and self-assessed oral communication among 43 third-year BSEd English majors at Zamboanga Peninsula Polytechnic State University to determine how coping strategies affect students' perceived oral communication abilities. The study employed two classroom instruments which included (a) an adapted Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale to evaluate communication apprehension test anxiety and fear of negative evaluation and (b) a Student Oral Communication Self-Assessment index. The coping scale contained nine items that measured students' preparedness and their application of positive thinking and their tendency to ask peers for assistance. The study used ordinal logistic models to analyze the relationships between oral-communication index bands while descriptive statistics provided data about cohort status. The participants showed average foreign/second-language anxiety levels (M = 3.21) but their subscale scores ranged from evaluation anxiety (M = 3.17) to communication apprehension (M = 3.27). The students achieved their highest scores during particular high-pressure situations - rapid pacing, public performance, and evaluative interactions, where anxiety intensifies and hinders retrieval and fluency. Students reported using reading and lexical exercises for preparation as they practiced positive self-talk. However, they mostly asked their peers for clarification rather than engage in independent practice. The study found that preparation activities improved students' oral communication skills according to their self-assessment (p < .001) although positive thinking (p = .105) and peer-seeking (p = .953) did not reach statistical significance. The findings revealed that students generally maintain emotional stability but continue to exhibit sensitivity to stressful events. Task-oriented preparation, implemented through controlled low-stakes practice activities, improves students' perceived speaking competence. The study suggests using three scaffolding methods: advanced organizers, timed micro-rehearsals, and peer feedback cycles, to help students manage anxiety and move smoothly from preparation to confident speech delivery.
Keywords: Communication anxiety, Foreign Language Anxiety (FLA), Oral communication skills, Coping strategies, Preparation, Teacher education
APA 7th edition
Infante, S.J., Zamora, S., & Ceneciro, C. (2026). Anxiety and Coping as Correlates of Oral Communication in BSEd English Majors. International Journal of Language and Education Research, 8(1), 46-66.
Harvard
Infante, S., Zamora, S. and Ceneciro, C. (2026). Anxiety and Coping as Correlates of Oral Communication in BSEd English Majors. International Journal of Language and Education Research, 8(1), pp. 46-66.
Chicago 16th edition
Infante, Stephanie Joy, Saudiboy Zamora and Collin Ceneciro (2026). "Anxiety and Coping as Correlates of Oral Communication in BSEd English Majors". International Journal of Language and Education Research 8 (1):46-66.
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