MITIGATING SPEAKING ANXIETY THROUGH SUPPORTIVE TEACHER EVALUATIVE DISCOURSE IN ESP EDUCATION
Keywords:
speaking anxiety, ESP education, evaluative discourse, supportive feedback, professional face-threat, philology undergraduates, classroom interactionAbstract
Speaking anxiety is one of the most common psychological challenges
experienced by students in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) classrooms. Among
philology undergraduates, anxiety during oral communication often negatively affects
participation, fluency, confidence, and academic performance. Teacher evaluative
discourse plays a significant role in either intensifying or reducing these emotional
difficulties. The present study investigates how supportive teacher evaluative
discourse can mitigate speaking anxiety among philology undergraduates in ESP
education. Using a qualitative research methodology, the study collected data through
classroom observations and semi-structured interviews conducted with undergraduate
ESP students. The findings reveal that supportive feedback strategies, emotionally
sensitive correction methods, and psychologically safe classroom environments
significantly reduce students’ fear of negative evaluation and improve communicative
confidence. Conversely, harsh criticism and public correction contribute to
communication avoidance and professional face-threat. The article emphasizes the
importance of empathetic teacher-student interaction and student-centered feedback
practices in promoting effective oral communication and emotional well-being in ESP
classrooms.
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