The Relationship Between Shyness and Self-Perception in English Language Communication: Effects and Strategies
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.23918/ijsses.v12i4p2Keywords:
Shyness, Self-preception, Students, English, SpeakingAbstract
Shyness is a psychological factor that causes students to avoid communicative situations or stay silent. University students are expected to learn and communicate in English within classrooms and outside. Most of the students facing shyness are afraid to verbally communicate and participate. They may encounter doubt in ability or lack proficiency that leads to avoiding interactive situations. This study investigates learning about the shyness within communication that university students face and their self-view of their verbal language abilities. Moreover, its purpose was to identify shyness and self-perception’s potential effects on communicating in English. Strategies available to overcome English-speaking apprehension were explored to aid in increasing confidence. A quantitative design was applied to amass responses from students. Tishk International University-Erbil, Catholic University in Erbil, and Cihan University were the settings used to obtain data from 185 students using a survey. The findings displayed that most of the surveyed students sometimes felt nervous and self-conscious when verbally interacting. Fascinatingly, many encountered the psychological factor of mistake making and overthinking. Practicing was the most helpful strategy chosen followed by listening to English media. Although some participants did feel shy speaking, the majority kept a neutral perspective towards their English communication. Regardless, this study has shown that participants were aware of their struggles, perceptions, and psychological factors that require further efforts and strategies to overcome.
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