Fear Of Mispronunciation In English Speaking Activities Among Efl Students At UIN Mataram

Abstract

Fear of mispronunciation represents a distinct yet underexplored dimension of speaking anxiety among EFL learners. While existing studies have examined general foreign language anxiety, few have investigated mispronunciation fear as a foregrounded construct within Indonesian Islamic university settings. This study aims to explore the nature, manifestations, and contributing factors of mispronunciation fear among sixth-semester students of the English Education Department at UIN Mataram, Indonesia. Employing a descriptive qualitative design within the interpretivist paradigm, 12 participants were purposively selected based on their reported experiences of fear during English speaking activities. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Five themes emerged: social judgment and fear of face loss, limited practice opportunities and passive classroom culture, behavioral manifestations of pronunciation fear, anxiety escalation across speaking contexts, and the role of teacher feedback and prior negative experiences. Findings reveal that mispronunciation fear is shaped by collectivist norms, hierarchical classroom dynamics, and limited authentic English exposure specific to the Islamic university context. This study contributes to qualitative EFL research by foregrounding learner voices in an underrepresented institutional setting and offers practical implications for pronunciation pedagogy and affective classroom management.