Investigating the effects of individual and group presentation tasks on foreign language speaking anxiety of EFL learners

This study investigates the influence of individual and group presentation tasks on the level of foreign language speaking anxiety (FLSA) experienced by EFL learners at a private university in Turkey. Adopting the process of action research, this case study included 40 students at the B1 language proficiency level, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative data. The study aimed to address three research questions: 1) Does the individual presentation task reduce EFL students' foreign language speaking anxiety levels? If so, to what extent? 2) Does the group presentation task reduce EFL students' foreign language speaking anxiety levels? If so, to what extent? 3) Is there a significant difference between the individual and group presentation tasks in terms of reducing FLSA? To address these questions, the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) was administered in Turkish as a pre-test and post-test to measure changes in two groups of tertiary level EFL students' anxiety levels after the intervention of two different types of presentation tasks. Over the course of six weeks following the pre-test administration, half of the 40 students focused solely on individual presentation task, while the other half engaged in group presentations specifically designed to enhance their English speaking skills. The quantitative data analysis, including two Wilcoxon Signed Ranks tests and one Mann-Whitney U test, demonstrated meaningful decreases in FLSA levels for the group presentation group, while a statistically significant reduction in the average anxiety score was not found for the individual presentation group. Nevertheless, the comparison of both groups concluded that while the group presentation task is more effective in lowering FLSA compared to the individual presentation task, the value is not strong enough to claim a significant difference. To get in-depth insights from participants regarding the possible changes in the levels of their speaking anxiety at the end of the intervention process, semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted with both groups. The qualitative data collected through interviews indicated that students in both groups experienced increased self-confidence and improved speaking opportunities. Following the content analysis, the recurring themes in the interview provided valuable insights into students' experiences and perspectives on presentation tasks at the tertiaty-level language preparatory schools, as well as suggestions for teachers on how to effectively design these tasks. This study also aims to fill the gap in the field regarding the comparative effects of individual and group presentation tasks on FLSA, providing practical implications for language instructors and contributing to the existing literature on anxiety reduction techniques in EFL contexts.