Can You Teach Me to Speak? Oral Practice and Anxiety in a Language MOOC

The present chapter examines learners' beliefs and attitudes with regard to speaking in a learning environment that is neither formal nor non-formal. The main research question is whether learners perceive Language Massive Open Online Courses (LMOOCs) as a completely informal context that is free of anxiety or rather as a virtual classroom where Foreign Language classroom Anxiety (FLA) (Horwitz, Horwitz, & Cope, 1986) is present. Data were obtained from over 200 beginner learners on self-reflective questionnaires and forum discussions. Results indicate that learners have a positive attitude towards language learning on LMOOCs, but FLA is present in this asynchronous speaking environment too and needs to be addressed by the course instructors. [For the complete volume, "Innovative Language Teaching and Learning at University: Integrating Informal Learning into Formal Language Education," see ED585162.]