<![CDATA[Speaking anxiety can constrain EFL learners’ participation, yet its meaning and perceived causes may vary across learning contexts and stages of university study. This study explored how second-semester students in the English Language Education Study Program at Tadulako University experienced speaking anxiety during classroom activities and what internal and external factors they associated with it. A descriptive qualitative design was used with five purposively selected students who reported experiencing speaking anxiety. Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews and supporting documentation and analyzed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña (2014). The findings describe emotional and physical reactions, including nervousness, hesitation, panic, trembling, and sweating, particularly during spontaneous speaking tasks. Participants associated their anxiety with fear of negative evaluation, limited vocabulary, and low self-confidence, as well as lecturer behavior and classroom atmosphere. They also described coping strategies such as deep breathing, positive self-talk, and regular practice. Although anxiety often discouraged participation, some participants perceived it as a prompt to prepare more carefully. The study contributes a context-specific account of how early-semester EFL students interpret speaking anxiety as an interaction of personal, linguistic, and classroom factors. The findings suggest that lecturers should combine structured speaking practice with supportive feedback, gradual task progression, and a classroom climate in which mistakes are treated as part of learning.]]>
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