Do anxious students produce lexically rich words? Evidence from classroombased group speaking task

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that students with a high level of anxiety in language learning had a debilitative or negative effect on
their score or performance. In this study, the role of foreign language anxiety on lexical richness - diversity, sophistication, and
density in a group speaking task was investigated. The participants' level of anxiety was measured using the Foreign Language
Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS). After that, the speaking was conducted. Spoken outputs of twenty-seven students with
varying levels of foreign language anxiety were transcribed and analyzed using D_Tools for lexical diversity, AntWordProfiler for
lexical sophistication, and TagAnt for lexical diversity. It was found that low anxious students had the highest level of lexical
diversity. In contrast, students with a moderate level of foreign language anxiety had the most sophisticated and dense words.
Practical implications into testing were recommended to ease tension or nervousness in a group speaking task.