How Communicative Language Teaching Reduces EFL Students' Speaking Anxiety: A Conceptual Framework

Abstract

This article examines the role of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) as a systematic strategy to reduce English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students’ speaking anxiety. Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety (FLSA) is particularly prevalent in Indonesian universities, where teacher-centered and assessment systems emphasize grammatical accuracy. Although CLT has been linked to reduced speaking anxiety, a clear theoretical explanation of how and why this method produces an affective impact remains insufficiently studied. Consequently, many EFL teachers lack a strong conceptual foundation to sustain CLT implementation amid institutional pressures. Using a conceptual literature review, the researchers retrieved relevant sources from Scopus, Web of Science, Springer, Taylor and Francis, and Google Scholar; they retained 46 sources and analyzed them through thematic synthesis to identify recurring theoretical patterns. This article integrates five complementary theoretical frameworks to construct an affective framework explaining how CLT reduces speaking anxiety. The article proposes that CLT’s success in addressing anxiety depends on three interrelated conditions: shifting assessment focus from accuracy to communicative success, structuring speaking tasks in stages, and fostering a supportive classroom atmosphere. These conditions carry important implications for Indonesian EFL teachers’ development programs, suggesting that understanding the psychological rationale behind CLT is more essential than just mastering technical classroom activities.