How can English teachers help students overcome Communication Apprehension (CA)?
At a recent webinar, I had the opportunity to discuss ‘communication apprehension’ (CA) with teachers of English. The focus was on why many experience CA and how teachers can help students overcome it.
What is CA?
James McCroskey defines communication apprehension as “the fear or anxiety an individual experiences as a result of either real or anticipated communication with another individual or group of people”. It is purely psychological. Such people are not comfortable communicating with people in groups or speaking in public due to various reasons. Not everyone who has communication apprehension is skill deficient. Even those who have excellent language skills may experience CA and may have any or some of these symptoms: dryness in the mouth, clammy hands, sweating, faster heartbeats, quivering voices, and butterflies in the stomach.