The foreign language anxiety in learning German and the effects of total physical response method on students’ speaking skill

Abstract

There are some factors affecting the development of the speaking skill in the process of learning a foreign language. One of the factors hampering the speaking process is the anxiety state of students. A student who thinks they will make mistakes in classroom activities or while talking to a person speaking that language experiences anxiety at a certain degree. They get anxious, even become afraid prior to speaking activities. This problem covers the whole language learning process in time and affects it adversely. In this study, after the anxiety levels of the students in language learning were detected, the Total Physical Response Method was employed to reduce speaking anxiety, to support language learning with actions, and to ensure learning through practice and experience. Before the applications, the speaking anxiety pretest and oral communication placement test were applied. The pre-test points for speaking skills of students in the experimental group were obtained with the application of an A2 level 3-step oral examination from Goethe Institute. Considering the speaking skill exam post-test points the students got after the application of the Total Physical Response Method, it can be seen that the lowest point was 64 and the highest was 86. It can be seen in the results of the speaking anxiety posttest and the anxiety levels that the anxiety levels of three students with a high level (112+) decreased to medium (61-111). The anxiety points of the other seven students in the experimental group decreased but their anxiety level remained the same (medium). After the applications, students were also observed to be more willing to speak German and eager to take turns to speak.