Teacher's Strategies in Overcoming student Anxiety in Speaking Activities at MAN 1 MEDAN

This study aims to describe the strategies used by the English teacher in
overcoming students’ anxiety during speaking activities at MAN 1 Medan. This
research employed a descriptive qualitative design, with one English teacher and
the eleventh-grade students of the Language Program as the subjects. The data
were collected through observation, interview, and documentation, and analyzed
using Miles and Huberman’s model of qualitative data analysis, which includes
data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing.The findings revealed that
the teacher implemented three main strategies to overcome students’ speaking
anxiety based on Dewaele and MacIntyre’s (2014) framework: (1) creating a
supportive and safe classroom environment, (2) providing constructive feedback
sensitive to anxiety, and (3) using teacher-led communicative activities. The first
and second strategies were applied consistently in every meeting, while the third
strategy was used less frequently due to time constraints and classroom
conditions.The implementation of these strategies proved effective in reducing
students’ anxiety levels, increasing their confidence, and encouraging active
participation in English-speaking activities. The teacher played an essential role
not only as an instructor but also as a facilitator who created a positive,
comfortable, and non-threatening learning atmosphere. Therefore, the affective
strategies applied by the teacher at MAN 1 Medan can serve as a valuable
reference for other educators in helping students overcome speaking anxiety and
improve their communicative competence in English.