Iranian EFL Teacher Immediacy and Learners’ Communication Apprehension

In language teaching context, language learners’ communication apprehension (CA) and teachers’ characteristics play a significant role. The existing literature indicates scarcity of studies on learners’ CA with respect to their teachers’ immediacy. Thus, the present study set explored whether Iranian EFL teachers’ verbal and non-verbal immediacy predicted the learners’ CA. To this aim, ۱۲۰ EFL learners and ۹۳ EFL teachers from several language institutes in Tehran, Iran, were selected based on their availability. To collect the research data, McCroskey (۱۹۸۲) personal report of CA (PRCA), nonverbal immediacy scale by Richmond,McCroskey and Johnson’s (۲۰۰۳) and verbal immediacy scale by Gorham (۱۹۸۸) were administered. After administering the questionnaires, the analysis of the data through linear regression revealed that there Iranian EFL teachers’ verbal and non-verbal immediacy had a linear relationship with the learners’ CA. In other words, EFL learners’ higher levels of verbal and nonverbal immediacy would enhance learner’s willingness to participate, approach behaviors, enthusiasm and commitment to conducting the learning tasks and activities, and eradiate the learners’ communication apprehension and anxiety. Finally, the theoretical and pedagogical implications of the study were presented.

Keywords:

Communication Apprehension , Gender , Teacher Immediacy