Abstract:
Public speaking is a common skill that must be mastered by students especially in
English Department. Previous research has found that, there are still many
Indonesian EFL college students do not feel confident to conduct public speaking.
They perceive that public speaking can influence their anxiety enhancement.
Therefore, the aims of this qualitative research are to diagnose the causes that
affect the public speaking anxiety, and to identify the circumstances of their
anxiety as well. This research was completed by 18 undergraduate students in
University of Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara who experienced anxiety in public
speaking. All participants were shared an online open-ended questionnaire that
consisted 5 questions. Then, the answers were validated by using interview
approach. This study identifies 9 causes of public speaking anxiety such as lack of
confidence, difficulty of concentrating, fear of making mistakes, limited
vocabulary, poor grammar, fear of people’s attention, less preparation, negative
judgment, and shyness. Additionally, the students feel the anxiety in specific
circumstances such as on preparation, pre-performance, and performance
