Communication Apprehension of Asian Students' Speaking English as a Second Language

According to McCroskey (1984), Communication Apprehension (CA) refers to an individual’s fear or anxiety associated with either real or anticipated communication with others. There are numerous studies on various aspects of CA since the 1970s, but only a few focus on CA for English As-A-Second-Language (ESL) speakers. This study addresses the communication apprehension of the non-native English speakers who study at Fort Hays State University (FHSU) in the U.S. This research is designed to study the association of CA with ESL. By distributing surveys to Asian students at FHSU, this research project begins to probe the Communication Apprehension experience of Asian students at FHSU. In this study, two CA scales were used to test the CA scores of Asian students. One is the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension (PRCA-24), and the other is the Willingness To Communicate (WTC), Overall. Asian students reported higher PRCA-24 scores than U.S average scores when speaking in their native language and in English, and lower WTC scores when speaking in English as compared to their native language. The Japanese sample reports a significantly higher CA mean score than that of Chinese students. And, the Japanese students reported lower WTC scores than Chinese students when speaking in both their native language and in English. The findings are discussed in reference to English as a Second Language.