CC BY-NC 4.0Lachica, John Mark2026-09-012026-09-012019Lachica, J. M. (2019). Lift yourself up or dust yourself down: A phenomenology of the speaking anxiety experienced by university students. Asian EFL Journal. 21(2), 46-71.17381460https://lakasa.dmmmsu.edu.ph/handle/123456789/2443Abstract onlyThis phenomenological study explored and described the lived experiences of nine university students in their speech classes through video-recorded performances, survey, and semi- structured interview. This study yielded three manifestations of speaking anxiety namely physiological, cognitive, and linguistic manifestations. Among the causes and types of anxieties experienced by the participants are psychosocial anxiety, anxiety related to the use of the target language, and anxiety related to limited exposure to the target language. Moreover, reminiscence, relearning, and remediation were three of the coping mechanisms used by the student participants in dealing with their anxieties. Findings of this qualitative inquiry and observation may not only contribute to the existing literature on speaking anxiety but may also provide insights that probe on the practices, lived experiences and performances of university students when exposed to such phenomenon in acquiring a second language. Meanwhile, despite the fact that English speaking anxiety is a common phenomenon in the teaching of English, teachers do not always identify anxious students, and often attribute their unwillingness to participate in speaking tasks to factors such as lack of motivation or low performance.enSpeaking anxietyForeign language anxietyEnglish language -- Study and teachingSecond language acquisitionOral communicationUniversity students -- PsychologyCoping behaviorLanguage learningEnglish language -- Spoken English -- Study and teachingSecond language acquisition -- Psychological aspectsSpeech anxiety among university studentsForeign language learning -- AnxietyEnglish language -- Spoken EnglishSecond language acquisitionLanguage and languages -- Study and teaching. -- Psychological aspectsAnxiety in studentsCollege students -- PsychologyCommunication apprehensionArticle