The effects of mindfulness practices on foreign language speaking anxiety, speaking performance and level of awareness

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of a 6-week mindfulness training program on foreign language speaking anxiety, speaking performance, and general mindfulness levels of university preparatory class students. The study was conducted at a state university in Nevşehir and comprised 46 participants (n=24 experimental, n=22 control). Quantitative data were collected using the Public Speaking Class Anxiety Scale (PSCAS) and the Mindfulness Awareness Scale (MAAS) as pre-test and post-test. Additionally, the participants were supposed to complete reflection forms on the topic at the end of each week, and they were also given short tasks to practice outside the class. As a result of the analysis, a significant difference was found between the post-test levels of the MAAS between the two groups, which means the general awareness levels of participants in the experimental group were higher than those in the control group (p=0.01) at the end of training. Although there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of the PSCAS post-test levels (p=0.24), it was observed that the rate of decrease (p=0.04) in the anxiety levels of the participants in the experimental group was higher than that of the participants in the control group. Qualitative data also supported the decrease in speaking anxiety of the participants in the experimental group. The general views of the participants endorse that mindfulness training may potentially affect foreign language speaking performance. As a result, it was concluded that mindfulness practices may reduce university students' speaking anxiety in a foreign language, increase their general awareness levels, and improve their speaking skills.