Exploring Factors of English-Speaking Anxiety Among Kurdish EFL University Students

Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine the factors influencing English-speaking anxiety among Kurdish EFL university learners to enhance pedagogical practices and interventions. This research employs a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative and qualitative methods, to comprehensively explore and understand the various dimensions of English-speaking anxiety among Kurdish EFL university learners. A mixed-method approach, using a questionnaire for the quantitative component and interviews for the qualitative component, was employed to explore students’ perceptions and experiences. The questionnaire results highlighted the factors contributing to Kurdish EFL learners' anxiety inside the classroom, encompassing fear of making mistakes, fear of negative evaluation, test anxiety, and lack of confidence. The results obtained from the interviews discovered that the factors that cause Kurdish EFL students’ anxiety while speaking English outside the classroom were fear of making mistakes, concerns about being understood, fear of judgment and accent concerns, flawed pronunciation, and lack of confidence. The findings suggest implications for educators and policymakers in fostering a supportive classroom environment, tailoring interventions for individual challenges, and adopting a communicative language teaching approach to mitigate English-speaking anxiety among Kurdish EFL university learners

Author
Fouad Rashid Omar

DOI
https://doi.org/10.21271/zjhs.30.3.15

ISSN

Publish Date: 2026-06-15