Studying Iranian EFL learners’ Attitudes toward Development of Speaking Skill and Speaking Anxiety under Online Education

The present article aims to discover the effect of the employment of online education on Iranian low intermediate EFL learners’ speaking attitudes and anxiety. The samples were assigned to one experimental group (E۱; N=۲۰) and one control group (C۱; N=۲۰). Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety (PRPSA) and Students Speaking Attitudes Questionnaire were utilized. By comparing the pre-test and post test scores of both groups, it was revealed that students' speaking attitudes were improved and their speaking anxiety was reduced after ten treatment sessions. The affective elements leading to speaking anxiety are related to the learners’ feelings and personalities. An avatar is developed through Twinity and it makes students get a better sense of relaxation as they are not going to be assessed based on their real character. At the end of the study, other topics are suggested to explore the effect of software on other variables such as students’ autonomy, self-efficacy, motivation, etc.