An analysis of English oral communication apprehension among administrative staff in a Malaysian public university.

• Main Author: Mohd Zulfadli Mat Husin
• Format: UMK Etheses
• Language: English
• Published: 2022
• Online Access: http://discol.umk.edu.my/id/eprint/10783/1/MOHD%20ZULFADLI%20MAT%20HUSIN.pdf; http://discol.umk.edu.my/id/eprint/10783/

English oral communication at the workplace is an essential skill to master among Malaysian public university administrative staff. Research shows that the expectation of mastering the skill can lead to a concept in anxiety known as communication apprehension. Comprehensive studies have covered English oral communication apprehension, yet there is a minimal focus on workplace contexts. Hence, this study aims to analyse the communication apprehension levels of the administrative staff at a Malaysian public university. The study employed a mixed method approach. A survey questionnaire, adapted from PRCA-24, received one hundred fifteen responses, and six participants took part in semi-structured interviews. The results generally showed a moderate level of communication apprehension among the respondents, and the highest apprehension was delivering public speaking using English. There was no significant difference between CA levels with gender, job schemes grades, level of education, and years of service among administrative staff. The workplace variables were not directly affecting the staff. However, there were revelations among the staff on the lack of selfconfidence as the primary source of apprehension. The study concludes with sufficient evidence of English oral communication apprehension among the staff, which could intensify and jeopardise their job and productivity in the long run. The study implicates the need to strategise English oral communication professional development training for the administrative staff to better their English communication at the workplace.