Practice makes it perfect: Public speaking anxiety of prospective teachers of English

Abstract

This study examines the effectiveness of a ten-week structured public speaking training programme in reducing speaking anxiety amongst Turkish prospective teachers of English. Through a one-group pre-test–post-test design, quantitative data are collected from 54 senior-year undergraduates through the Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety (PRPSA) scale. A mixed ANOVA is conducted to analyse both within-subject (time) and between-subject (sex) effects. Results show a significant overall reduction in speaking anxiety following the intervention, with moderate to large effect sizes. Although female participants initially report higher anxiety levels, they demonstrate greater reduction over time, resulting in non-significant gender differences at post-test. The results suggest that supportive public speaking instruction can effectively lower affective barriers and enhance self-perceived confidence in L2 use.