Beyond Tones and Characters: Public Speaking Anxiety in Chinese as a Foreign Language among Malaysian Undergraduates

Abstract

China’s rapid economic growth has increased interest in learning Chinese, including among Malaysian students, yet Chinese is often perceived as one of the most difficult foreign languages for learners from alphabetic language backgrounds, contributing to heightened anxiety, particularly in public speaking. This cross‑sectional survey study investigated the psychological and physiological indicators underlying students’ anxiety, as well as the strategies they employ to manage it during public speaking tasks in Chinese as a foreign language. Participants were 122 students enrolled in Chinese language courses at a public university on the east coast of Malaysia, and data were collected using a Likert‑scale questionnaire and analyzed descriptively. The findings indicate that key psychological indicators include feelings of tension, anxiety, and fear of forgetting the script, while major physiological indicators involve rapid heartbeat and discomfort prior to speaking. Overall, students reported a moderate level of anxiety, supported by various coping strategies such as repeated practice, careful selection of familiar vocabulary, and thorough preparation of speech content. The study recommends that educators reinforce these existing strategies and develop new pedagogical approaches to further enhance students’ confidence and public speaking competence in Chinese, with important implications for producing competitive graduates in an era of globalization.