| Summary: | For youths speaking a second language in a classroom can be quite anxious, worrying how their classmates will react or if the teacher will correct every single mistake.For teachers it is as important to teach the new language as to create a welcoming classroom setting where the students feel comfortable to make mistakes. To achieve a good learning environment, it is imperative to develop an understanding from students’ perspectives what conditions are needed for participation and what obstacles are there which prevent them from participating.Three year 8 classes were invited to complete a foreign language questionnaire regarding their will to speak during English lessons. The results showed most students did not have a speech anxiety. Those who showed a certain level of speech anxiety were mostly afraid of how their classmates would react. Also, this group of students were least active at home practising English online such as speaking with others. This indicates the importance to encourage students to practise English daily to overcome their speech anxiety. It is also important for educators to create a learning environment to allow students to feel comfortable to make mistakes without being laughed at or vigorously corrected by the teacher.
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