An Investigation of EFL Learners’ Speaking Anxiety and Motivation in Face-to-Face and Synchronous Text-based Chat and Voice-based Chat Environment

Abstract

This research investigated the effects of synchronous text-based and voice-based chats on Russian EFL students’ speaking anxiety and motivation. To this end, 90 Russian EFL learners at the upper-intermediate level were selected and assigned to three groups: synchronous text-based, synchronous voice-based, and traditional (face-to-face). After that, the questionnaires of AMTB and SAS were given to the three groups to determine their motivation and speaking anxiety before conducting the treatment. Then, one experimental group was taught eight conversations through a synchronous text chat. The other experimental group was taught through a synchronous voice chat. The control group received a traditional conversation instruction. After teaching eight conversations, the mentioned questionnaires were re-administered to determine the impacts of the instruction on the participants’ motivation and speaking anxiety. Finally, the gathered data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Post hoc Scheffe test. The gained findings demonstrated that there were remarkable differences between the post-test of the experimental participants and the control participants. The obtained outcomes depicted that the experimental participants noticeably outperformed the control participants in the motivation and speaking anxiety post-tests. The results of this study provide some practical implications both for EFL teachers and learners.