The dissonance between teachers‘ and students‘ views on speaking anxiety in foreign languages for specific purposes

Abstract

The study identifies the perceptions of the reasons for speaking anxiety in foreign languages for specific purposes (FLSP) by Slovenian students and their teachers. A survey was carried out with 335 students and 24 teachers of FLSP from Slovenian higher education institutions. The results show discrepancies between students’ and teachers’ perspectives regarding the reasons for FLSP speaking anxiety. The students emphasized a lack of the knowledge of the carrier content in FLSP, whereas the teachers stated as reasons oral tests, failure to speak fluently and a worry about being looked down on for making mistakes in real and carrier contents.