Impact of Intervention to Reduce Stage Fear and to Enhance the Speaking Skills of Prospective Teachers

Abstract

In the communicative model of language teaching, instructors help their students to develop their speaking skills by providing authentic practice that prepares students for real-life communication situations.  Effective instructors teach students speaking strategies - using minimal responses, recognizing scripts, and using language to talk about language - which they can use to help themselves expand their knowledge of the language and their confidence in using it. Learners have stage fear and they refuse to speak in front of others. Speech therapists describe speaking anxiety as something that has a great impact on one’s self-confidence since it often makes one experience failure when not being able to speak out and show what one knows. Speaking anxiety creates a low self-confidence which makes students remain quiet in all situations, even if they have subject knowledge and the capacity to express themselves.  The present paper discusses the intervention that can be given to reduce speaking anxiety and to develop the speaking ability of prospective teachers.