Abstract:

Students of language learning as Foreign Language face some barriers when they first start to learn a language. One of the most common problems they have is the anxiety of speaking L2. For each individual student it is important to interact with the teacher to overcome the feeling that obstructs language learning process. In most of speaking classes in EFL, teachers face the difficulty not practicing enough to help their students reduce anxiety. To hold conversations with each individual student and give feedback is quite time-consuming and mostly impossible during the class hour. Audio Journals give an opportunity to the teacher to individualize the L2 speaking process. This paper is a case study of Audio Journal practices at Anadolu University, School of Foreign Languages (AUSFL). The study, which was conducted in the fall semester of 2010-2011 academic year with the participation of 17 beginner level learners, aims to examine the effect(s) of audio journal exchanges between students and the researcher on reducing learners’ speaking anxiety. The data were collected through an anxiety scale given at the beginning and end of the study. The details and pedagogical implications will be discussed in detail.

Keywords:

Audio journals, speaking anxiety.