EXPLORING STUDENTS' SPEAKING ANXIETY AND SELF-ESTEEM: INPUTS FOR ANXIETY REDUCTION PROGRAM

This research aimed to explore students’ academic self-esteem and speaking anxiety among ten groups of respondents in terms of test anxiety, communication apprehension, and fear of negative feedback as the basis for inputs in the anxiety reduction program. The respondents were grouped according to tracks, sex, and year level. The result showed that students in Junior and Senior high school in five different tracks, both male and female, of Guihulngan National High School –Poblacion experienced a moderate level of speaking anxiety. As a result, they had a moderate level of academic self-esteem.  In conclusion, adding seminars and activities will lessen the students’ speaking anxiety and boost their confidence, which helps them improve their academic performance. Thus, these activities will greatly help reduce speaking anxiety in the classroom, which will better benefit the respondents’ speaking skills and language learning.