This research was designed to reveal: students’ speaking anxiety level,
dominant aspect causing speaking anxiety, and dominant strategy in coping
students’ speaking anxiety. The method of this research was descriptive survey
which was done on the sixth semesters of English Department, Muhamadiyah
University of Purwokerto, on academic year 2013/2014. The samples were 25
students or 20% from the population. Data was collected through questionnaires
and interview. The first questionnaire was adapted from Horwitz, Horwitz, and
Cope (1986) namely Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS). It
was made for knowing students’ level of speaking anxiety and dominant aspect of
anxiety that made students experienced speaking anxiety. The second
questionnaire was adopted from Rasmodjo (2011). It was for knowing strategy
that students used in coping their anxiety. The finding of the questionnaires
revealed that students experienced speaking anxiety in severe level (56%),
moderate level (36%), and mild level (8%). Fear of negative evaluation became
dominant aspect (65.28%) causing speaking anxiety. It followed by test anxiety
(58.96%) and communication apprehension (56.72%). In coping students’
speaking anxiety, it was found that making good preparation (belonged to
memory strategy) was used by 80% students. Interview result also revealed the
same point that students were in speaking anxiety, exactly in severe level. Fear
negative evaluation became the dominant aspect causing speaking anxiety
(62.5%) and most of them asserted that making good preparation became their
strategy in coping speaking anxiety (62.5%).