THE EFFECT OF THE SKYPE TM CONFERENCE CALL ON ENGLISH SPEAKING ANXIETY

Abstract

As a result of the globalized world, technology has become the center of our lives and changes a lot of things such as our education and communication.  Educational institutions have started to use some online communication platforms such as Skype ^TM while teaching a second language. This research examines the effect of Skype ^TM on foreign language learners’ speaking anxiety levels and tries to find out the differences in foreign language speaking anxiety levels between the traditional speaking lesson and the Skype ^TM Conference Call lesson. Twenty-one B1-B2 level adult English language learners participated in this study and a true experimental research design was used. The data were analyzed by paired samples t-test analysis of pre- and post-tests of participants. The results indicated that Skype ^TM had an impact on foreign language learners’ speaking anxiety because it reduced the anxiety levels of learners in the experimental group.