Fun Media in Lower Secondary EFL Classrooms: Addressing Students’ Speaking Anxiety
https://doi.org/10.59110/aplikatif.950
Keywords:
Affective filter, Canva, EFL speaking anxiety, Fun media, WordwallAbstract
Speaking anxiety remains a major challenge in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts, often causing young learners to experience severe hesitation and physical symptoms during classroom interactions. Therefore, this study aimed to explore how digital fun media are utilized to address students' psychological barriers and language anxiety during EFL speaking activities. Employing a qualitative descriptive research design, the study involved 32 grade VII D students at MTs Al-Maarif 1 Singosari within a single instructional session. Data were collected through observations and semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the interactive framework of data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings suggest that the collective integration of Canva-based visual presentations and interactive Wordwall flashcards via classroom projectors was perceived by students as helpful in reducing nervousness, supporting vocabulary recall, and building confidence to read constructed sentences in front of the class. These exploratory findings indicate that game-based and visually stimulating media may contribute to lowering learners’ affective filters, fostering a more supportive and low-pressure classroom experience. The study contributes to the field of English Language Teaching (ELT) methodologies as an exploratory qualitative inquiry, particularly offering practical insights into creative instructional design to alleviate language anxiety under institutional technological constraints.
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