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Developing a Scale to Measure Foreign Language Presentation Anxiety #1264

Whether their purpose is to present research findings or to prepare themselves for the global workforce after they graduate, being able to carry out an effective presentation can be of great importance for university students. However, one of the greatest inhibitors to a successful presentation is anxiety. While much research has been conducted into measuring and analyzing foreign language anxiety and public speaking anxiety, little research has been conducted on measuring the anxiety foreign-language learners experience conducting presentations. This presentation will detail the development of a Presenting in a Foreign Language Anxiety Scale (PFLAS) specifically designed to measure the anxiety Japanese university students experience when making presentations in English. It is hoped that the information gleaned from this survey will allow the researchers to better understand what aspects of classroom instruction increase or reduce anxiety. This will in turn lead to changes in instruction, to help students become more successful presenters.