Factors Influencing Listening Anxiety among EFL Students in TED Talks-Based Listening Activities
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1234/prosiding.v2i1.4998Keywords:
Listening anxiety, EFL learners, TED Talks, Playback speed, Listening comprehension, IPAAbstract
abstract—Listening anxiety is one of the affective barriers frequently experienced by EFL learners, particularly when they engage with authentic materials such as TED Talks. This study aims to explore the factors influencing listening anxiety among seven second-semester EFL students during TED Talk-based listening activities with varying playback speeds. This study employs a qualitative approach using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to understand participants’ experiences and emotional responses. Participants were purposively selected based on their experiences facing difficulties and anxiety while listening. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, observations, and participant reflections. The results identified six main factors influencing listening anxiety: high speaking speed, limited vocabulary, unfamiliar accents, fear of missing important information, difficulty maintaining concentration, and low self-confidence. Among these factors, high speaking speed and limited vocabulary were the most dominant. The findings indicate that listening anxiety arises from the interaction of linguistic, cognitive, and affective factors that influence participants’ comprehension of authentic materials. Therefore, adjusting playback speed, vocabulary reinforcement, and explicit training in listening strategies can help reduce anxiety and improve listening comprehension in an EFL context.
Keywords—Listening anxiety, EFL learners, TED Talks, Playback speed, Listening comprehension, IPA
Abstrak— Kecemasan mendengarkan merupakan salah satu hambatan afektif yang sering dialami oleh siswa EFL, terutama ketika mereka berinteraksi dengan materi autentik seperti TED Talks. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengeksplorasi faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi kecemasan mendengarkan pada tujuh mahasiswa EFL semester dua selama kegiatan menyimak berbasis TED Talks dengan kecepatan pemutaran yang bervariasi. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) untuk memahami pengalaman dan respons emosional peserta. Partisipan dipilih secara purposive berdasarkan pengalaman mereka dalam menghadapi kesulitan dan kecemasan saat menyimak. Data dikumpulkan melalui wawancara semi-terstruktur, observasi, dan refleksi peserta. Hasil penelitian mengidentifikasi enam faktor utama yang mempengaruhi kecemasan mendengarkan, yaitu kecepatan bicara yang tinggi, keterbatasan kosakata, aksen yang tidak familiar, ketakutan kehilangan informasi penting, kesulitan mempertahankan konsentrasi, dan rendahnya kepercayaan diri. Di antara faktor-faktor tersebut, kecepatan bicara yang tinggi dan keterbatasan kosakata merupakan faktor yang paling dominan. Temuan menunjukkan bahwa kecemasan mendengarkan muncul dari interaksi faktor linguistik, kognitif, dan afektif yang mempengaruhi pemahaman peserta terhadap materi autentik. Oleh karena itu, penyesuaian kecepatan pemutaran, penguatan kosakata, dan pelatihan strategi menyimak secara eksplisit dapat membantu mengurangi kecemasan dan meningkatkan pemahaman mendengarkan dalam konteks EFL.
Kata kunci—Kecemasan mendengarkan, Siswa EFL, TED Talks, Kecepatan pemutaran, Pemahaman mendengarkan, IPA
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