Investigating Students’ Attitudes Towards The Relationship Between The Use Of Socio-affective Strategies And Reducing Speaking Anxiety Among Efl Learners

Résumé: During the last four decades, the affective variables such as foreign language anxiety (FLA) marked an increasing interest in research because of their decisive role in impacting language learners' success; especially in speaking classes. That's why researchers in education try to suggest better ways to lower this type of anxiety. This study sought investigating the students' attitudes toward the relationship between the use of socio-affective strategies and reducing the speaking anxiety among EFL learners. Accordingly, a mixed method research model, which uses both the quantitative and the qualitative modes, was opted for. The Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety scale (FLCAS) was administered to thirty second-year students of English at Larbi Ben M'hidi University, and a semi structured interview was adopted with an eleven second year students as well. The results obtained revealed that the students had a moderate level of speaking anxiety from the FLCAS. However, the findings the analysis of the semi-structured interview revealed the fact that most of the interviewees were are using a kind of socio-affective strategies to help minimize their fear in class without knowing that these strategies are used to reduce the FLA in an unintentional way. These findings confirmed the hypothesis of the study, and consequently, results were positive to the point that the use of socio- affective strategies is useful in lowering the speaking anxiety among EFL learners. Eventually, students and teachers should be aware of this type of humanitarian strategies to better academic achievement and reduce as much as possible the negative feeling of anxiety.

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