This study explores students' experiences with speaking anxiety during English class presentations. The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that contribute to students' speaking anxiety and to investigate the strategies used to overcome anxiety during English class presentations. Conducted among second-semester English Education students at UIN Walisongo Semarang in the 2024/2025 academic year, this study offers valuable insights for educators, students, and future researchers concerned with language learning anxiety. Using a qualitative descriptive method, the data were collected through questionnaires distributed to 31 students and semi-structured interviews with four participants from class 2D. Methodological triangulation and member checking were used to ensure data validity. The findings revealed that speaking anxiety is caused by three interrelated factors, communication apprehension, test anxiety, and fear of negative evaluation, with fear of negative evaluation being the most dominant. The students stated that limited vocabulary, grammar weaknesses, and fear of social judgment often triggered anxiety during presentations. In response, the students adopted five coping strategies namely, relaxation, positive thinking, peer seeking, and resignation. Among these strategies, preparation, relaxation, and positive thinking were the most frequently used. This study concludes that although anxiety remains a significant obstacle, students actively manage their fear through various coping strategies.
Keyword: Speaking Anxiety, English Class Presentation, EFL Students