FEAR OF JUDGMENT AND ENGLISH-SPEAKING ANXIETY: A CASE STUDY AMONG THAI EFL STUDENTS

Abstract

Speaking English in a foreign-language context is often shaped by learners' concerns about how their performance will be evaluated by others. While prior research has documented speaking anxiety and its contributing factors among Thai EFL learners, the specific relationship between fear of judgment and English-speaking anxiety among Thai high school students has received limited empirical attention. This study examined the relationship between fear of judgment and English-speaking anxiety among Grade 10 Thai EFL students using a quantitative correlational design. A two-section questionnaire measuring both constructs on a five-point Likert scale was completed by 22 students. Both scales demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's Alpha = .877 for fear of judgment and .927 for English speaking anxiety). Descriptive results indicated variation in fear of judgment scores (M = 26.00, range 10–46) and English-speaking anxiety scores (M = 27.05, range 10–47). Pearson's Product Moment Correlation across all 22 students revealed a strong, statistically significant positive relationship between fear of judgment and English-speaking anxiety (r = .707, p < .001), indicating that students who reported greater concern about being judged also tended to report higher levels of speaking anxiety. A supplementary analysis using actual speaking-test performance scores, available for a subset of 10 students, found no significant relationship between the questionnaire measures and speaking test scores (r = -.057, p = .875 for fear of judgment; r = .103, p = .776 for speaking anxiety), suggesting that self-reported anxiety and observed speaking performance may not align directly in this sample. The study underscores the importance of building low threat, supportive speaking environments to reduce students' fear of judgment in EFL classrooms, while highlighting the need for further research on the relationship between self-reported anxiety and actual oral performance.

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