A Racing Heart and Strategies: A Case Study of Final-Year Undergraduates Taking the English Exit Speaking Test

Abstract

Undergraduates often face situations that require quick decision-making and concentration, especially during stressful assessments. A racing heart is usually linked to anxiety, which may also indicate increased mental effort. In language learning, this reaction may be triggered by fears of speaking English inaccurately or failing to complete all five tasks in the English Exit Speaking Test (EET). Using Giles’ (1973) Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT), this study explores students’ speaking anxiety and the adjustment strategies they use when taking the EET Speaking Test at a Malaysian public university in Sarawak. The general purpose is to identify the main causes of anxiety, examine how students adapt, and suggest ways to reduce speaking anxiety in oral assessments. Addressing a research gap, this study investigates three research questions: (i) what levels of speaking anxiety students experience, (ii) whether gender differences exist, and (iii) what strategies are used to manage anxiety. A mixed-methods design was used, with quantitative data collected from 88 undergraduates through convenience sampling and qualitative insights from semi-structured interviews. All respondents were non-native speakers with English as a second language and had at least 15 years of formal English education. Findings highlight a lack of confidence and fear of incomplete tasks as the main causes of anxiety, while coping strategies include reframing negative thoughts, relaxation, thorough preparation, and focusing on fluency over perfection. Overall, the study shows that speaking anxiety involves not only language skills but also emotions, social situations, and personal experiences.