Standing in the Spotlight: Public Speaking Anxiety in an Academic Presentations Course

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F61988987%3A17250%2F25%3AA2603CQU" target="_blank" >RIV/61988987:17250/25:A2603CQU - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://journals.muni.cz/casalc-review/article/view/41863" target="_blank" >https://journals.muni.cz/casalc-review/article/view/41863</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.5817/casalc2025-2-2" target="_blank" >10.5817/casalc2025-2-2</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Standing in the Spotlight: Public Speaking Anxiety in an Academic Presentations Course

Original language description

This article examines public speaking anxiety (PSA) among university students presenting in English as a foreign language. Public speaking is widely recognized as an essential academic and professional skill, yet many learners experience significant stress when asked to perform in front of an audience. The study draws on data from a questionnaire and from students’ self-reflection journals written during a Master’s-level presentations course at a Czech university.The findings show that anxiety manifests in multiple ways, including physical symptoms, negative thoughts, and loss of confidence. Students reported that presenting in a second language made them especially self-conscious, as they worried about vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. At the same time, the journals revealed important strategies for coping, such as thorough preparation, supportive peer feedback, and positive classroom atmosphere. Over the course of the semester, many students described gradual improvements in their ability to manage nervousness and to view presentations more positively.The study argues that PSA is not only an individual challenge but also a pedagogical issue that can be shaped by course design. It concludes that fostering a safe environment, normalizing anxiety, and encouraging reflection are effective ways to help students build resilience and develop greater confidence as speakers.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_ost - Miscellaneous article in a specialist periodical

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

50301 - Education, general; including training, pedagogy, didactics [and education systems]

Project

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Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

CASALC Review

ISSN

1804-9435

e-ISSN

2694-9288

Volume of the periodical

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Issue of the periodical within the volume

2

Country of publishing house

CZ - CZECH REPUBLIC

Number of pages

24

Pages from-to

20-43

UT code for WoS article

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EID of the result in the Scopus database

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