RELAXATION TECHNIQUES: DOES IT REDUCE EFL STUDENTS’ ANXIETY IN SPEAKING?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22460/eltin.v14i2.p501-510Keywords:
Relaxation Techniques, Anxiety, English, StudentsAbstract
Speaking anxiety is one of the common affective barriers that may hinder students’ performance in English communication. Although various strategies have been introduced to overcome speaking anxiety, limited studies have examined the effectiveness of relaxation techniques as an intervention to reduce English-speaking anxiety among university students, particularly in the Indonesian EFL context. Therefore, this research aims to examine the effectiveness of implementing relaxation techniques in reducing English-speaking anxiety among students at IKIP Siliwangi. A quantitative approach was employed using a quasi-experimental research design with an experimental group and a control group through a pre-test and post-test procedure. The participants were IKIP Siliwangi students who experienced nervousness and anxiety during English-speaking activities. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical analyses, including normality, homogeneity, hypothesis testing, and N-Gain analysis. The findings revealed a significant difference between the experimental group receiving relaxation technique intervention and the control group without intervention. The hypothesis testing indicated that Ha was accepted and Ho was rejected. Furthermore, the average N-Gain score of the experimental group was 59.33%, which was categorized as effective enough. These findings suggest that the implementation of relaxation techniques can be an effective alternative strategy to reduce students’ anxiety in speaking English.
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