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Beyond the Script: A Reflective Case Study of English Public Speaking Anxiety among Third-Year English Majors

Author(s)

Mingxin Zhu

Affiliation(s)

Xi'an Fanyi University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China

Abstract

Third-year English-major students in practice-oriented public speaking courses often show a distinctive anxiety profile: dependence on scripted delivery, avoidance of audience eye contact, disproportionately poor performance despite lengthy preparation, and near-total loss of content when speaking impromptu. This paper presents a reflective case study of an English Public Speaking Practice course for third-year English majors, in which a group-discussion-plus-representative-speech method was used across a semester. Drawing on foreign language anxiety theory, communication apprehension research, and recent work on English public speaking anxiety among Chinese EFL learners, the paper analyzes why these four symptoms recur together, describes how the group-based method was adapted to target each symptom, and reflects on its perceived effects and limitations. The discussion offers practical implications for practice-oriented public speaking pedagogy and outlines directions for future classroom-based research.

Keywords

English Public Speaking Anxiety; Communication Apprehension; Impromptu Speaking; Group Discussion Method; English Majors; Reflective Practice.

References

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