Les causes de la peur de la prise de parole au cours d’allemand langue étrangère : cas des élèves de la classe de terminale du lycée bilingue de Mbalngong et du collège polyvalent les Aiglons

Abstract

When it is time to speak, it has been observed that students of Upper Sixth classes show reluctance. To speak German is therefore a stressful situation that generates by these students anxiety. This situation has been called in the literature Speaking Anxiety. The aim of this study is to identify the causes of this speaking anxiety in two different contexts: in a public and in a private secondary school, and to suggest ways of reducing this phenomenon. To reach this aim, a questionnaire has been administered to teachers and students. A comparison of the students‟ results shows that they suffer from speaking anxiety, but they did not identify the same origins to their problem. If the two groups recognize that their speaking anxiety is caused by none mastering of linguistic elements (grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation) and demotivation, the ones of private school pointed out that they are not afraid of reactions of the teacher or of their classmates; whereas those of the public school confirm that they are really influenced by these reactions. To their parts, teachers identify three causes to the speaking anxiety of students: none mastering of linguistic elements, the demotivation and the fear of negative reactions of the teachers and classmates. At the end, teachers and students proposed the use of games in German courses and the tolerance of mistakes by both teachers and students. Key words: