The Anxiety-Willingness Nexus: Examining Communication Apprehension and Oral Participation Among Libyan EFL Freshmen.

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between Communication Apprehension (CA) and Willingness to Communicate (WTC) among first-year EFL students (N = 60) at the English Language Department, College of Arts, Gharyan University. Employing a quantitative, cross-sectional correlational design, data were collected using the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension (PRCA-24) and the WTC scale. Descriptive statistics revealed a moderately high level of CA (M = 82.4), with public speaking emerging as the most anxiety-provoking context (M = 24.5/30). WTC scores demonstrated a marked disparity between communication with friends (M = 86.5) and strangers (M = 52.8). Pearson correlation analysis indicated a very strong negative relationship between CA and WTC (r = -0.96, p < .05), while simple linear regression confirmed CA as a significant predictor of WTC, accounting for 34% of its variance (R² = 0.34, F(1,58) = 29.7, p < .001). These findings align with MacIntyre et al.'s (1998) heuristic model and Krashen's Affective Filter Hypothesis, suggesting that students trapped in cycles of anxiety and avoidance require targeted pedagogical interventions. The study recommends low-anxiety classroom environments, cooperative learning strategies, and teacher professional development in anxiety-aware pedagogy. This research contributes to the growing evidence on affective variables in EFL contexts and offers practical implications for educators and policymakers in Libyan higher education.