1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.

1 Background of the study In learning English language there are four components that need to be learnt. However, the most challenging element among these four is speaking. This scenario usually happens in Asian countries such as Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and including Malaysia. English is an international language because of globalisation era. We can also consider it as lingua franca. English is very important because if you cannot communicate in English, you will be left behind. Other than that, English is very important because it helps students in the future especially in employment. One of the basic traits that the employer wants from the fresh graduates is they can speak and communicate in English. In The Star and News Straits Times dated between June to December 2006, there was an analysis on the recruitment, (Ranjit Singh Malhi, 2008) found that the most basic skills that needed by the fresh graduates are oral and written communication skills, interpersonal skills, ability to work in a team, problem solving and decision making skills, leadership and computer literacy. In this research, the focus would be in Malaysia. There are many changes happened in Malaysia education system. According to Stpehen (2013), there were years where the medium of instruction was changing from English to Bahasa Malaysia. The consequence from this change was the deterioration in English language among the students. However, in 2013, Ministry of Education introduced one measure in increasing the competency in English among the students. It was teaching Science and Mathematics in English. This is a good measure because it will prepare the students to be prepared for their tertiary level study. However, it was aborted in 2009 (Nor Hahimah, 2009). The problem of language anxiety among the students can be related and supported by Krashens (1982) affective filter hypothesis that includes the variables of motivation, selfconfidence and anxiety. Krashen (1982) mentioned if the affective elements in the students are not resolved, it will lead to the mental block. It means all the input that comes to the students will be blocked. It means there will be a problem for students in acquiring their second language. This language anxiety among the students in Malaysia will make them become inactive and passive in class.

1.2 Statement of the Problem In every university, it is compulsory for every student to take universitys courses and one of them is English subject for proficiency. According to Ramiza Darmi and Albion (2013), language anxiety among students in learning English language was getting worse because the students discovered that they are required to take English subjects in university. Higher Education students usually have problems in communicating or speaking in English language. If this problem is not solved, it will lead to the low achievement in speaking assessment. The students are also worried that they will be evaluated adversely (Liu & Huang, 2011). Based on the research by Khairi Izwan Abdullah and Nurul Lina Abdul Rahman (2010), even after 11 years of learning English language at school, the students still have problems in using the language and they also have problems to speak in English language. It can make the students become stressful and it will lead to speaking anxiety. This will be an obstacle to the students because they are required to make oral presentations in English language class. The problem occurs and gets more serious because the students are afraid to talk in English because they are afraid of doing mistakes and they think that their friends will laugh at them. They are scared whenever the lecturers address the mistakes that they did and the whole class will stare at them. This will lead to personal embarrassment to individual learner (Ramiza Darmi and Albion, 2013). Other than that, the students tend to feel that their friends are more proficient and superior than them (Liu & Huang, 2011). The other factors that make the students face the language anxiety are personal factor, school factor, social factor and cultural factor. These factors influence the students linguistically and psychologically from the English language use (Noor Hashimah, 2007; Rosemala, 2008). There are so many researches that had been done on speaking anxiety among school students and universities students. Based on Khairi Izwan and Nurul Lina (2010), the students level of anxiety in speaking in English is on moderate level. Other than th at, students have difficulties in speaking in English language because they were anxious when they were evaluated by teachers. (Siti Haryati, 2007). This study is actually can benefit the lecturers. This is because, in Naveed Ahmad (2011), the result showed that more than half of students mentioned that they have inadequate skills in asking questions, giving presentation and also speaking in group or pair work.

In legal education, they use legal English and this language usually used by the lawyers and legal professionals such as, barristers, judges and jurors. As English language becomes an international language, all non-native speakers who wants to be a lawyer needs to be specialised in legal English. This situation leads to introducing one course which is English for Specific Purposes (ESP) (Codruta, 2012). Usually, when we talk about Law students, we assume they are good in speaking skill especially in English. However, in Ahmad (2006), law students in Pakistan still do not have enough skills in English language. The researcher would like to investigate the level of speaking anxiety among the Law students in Malaysia context. This is because their jobs prospect requires them to speak in public. Thus the researcher wants to know whether law students meet the requirement of their jobs prospect especially in delivering their speeches.

1.3 Research Objectives This research wants to: 1. Identify Law students level of speaking anxiety 2. Identify law students level of confidence when speaking 3. Determine if there is any significant difference in Law students level of speaking anxiety based on their demographic details. 4. Determine if there is any significant difference in Law students level of confidence when speaking based on their demographic details. 5. Examine the relationship between Law students level of speaking anxiety and Law students level of confidence when speaking.

1.4 Research Questions The research questions are: 1. What is the Law students level of speaking anxiety? 2. What is the law students level of confidence when speaking?

3. Is there any significant difference in Law students level of speaking anxiety based on their demographic details? 4. Is there any significant difference in Law students level of confidence when speaking based on their demographic details? 5. Is there any significant relationship between Law students level of speaking anxiety and Law students level of confidence when speaking?

1.5 Operational Definition 1.5.1 Speaking Anxiety Speaking anxiety in this research means the nervousness to talk in front of the public and the fear to make mistakes. 1.5.2 Confidence Level Confidence level in this research means the readiness of students to speak in English language. 1.5.3 Law Students Law students in this research are referring to those students who are studying Law course for their Bachelor Degrees in two IPTAs which are Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA) and Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Shah Alam and in two IPTSs which are Taylors University and Management and Science University (MSU), Shah Alam.

1.6 Significance of the Study The researcher hopes that the findings of this study would create awareness of parents, lecturers, the university and the students themselves that practising and be good as well as better in speaking in a second or target language is actually very crucial in todays globalization era. Other than that, the implication of this study will tell the students whether they need to improve themselves and be more confident to talk in the second or target

language in front of people. The significance of this study is also to know that making presentations might give students the opportunity to improve themselves in speaking in a second or target language. This research is important to be held because it is very crucial for the university to find out where the students level of speaking anxiety is at and they may come up with the solutions to encounter the problems. Speaking skills are very important for students future. This is because it will help them to get a better job after they are graduating. This study can help student to identify their level of speaking anxiety. It will help them to be better in the future in order to lower down their speaking anxiety. They still have time to improve it. They may seek help and guidance from the lecturer. For an example, they can arrange many programs or activities that can improve their level of confidence in speaking in English language in front of people. They also can polish their confidence levels by having more practices in the classes. This study is crucial for students to know the skills that they need to improve because they might need to present something important for their careers and for their future employers. Besides, the university administration and lecturers can sit down together and help each other and create a program that can help students to lower their level of speaking anxiety and at the same time to boost their confidence level. This effort is to help the students to be well prepared to survive and be independent in the real world. Parents also can encourage students to communicate in English among one another and parents can also share their experiences in working life. Hence, these are a few significant reasons in having this research.

1.7 Scope and Limitation of the Study In this study, the researcher used the survey as the method in order to answer the research questions and to prove the objectives of the research. The research questions are derived from research objectives. They are to identify Law students level of speaking anxiety, to identify law students level of confidence when speaking, to determine if there is any significant difference in Law students level of speaking anxiety based on their demographic details to determine if there is any significant difference in Law students level of confidence when

speaking based on their demographic details and to examine the relationship between Law students level of speaking anxiety and Law students level of confidence when speaking. Thus, the limitations of the present study, namely the sample, procedure and field of the study have to be acknowledged. The scope of the study is limited to the respondents of the survey. The sample will be chosen from the population of Law students from two IPTA and two IPTS. They will be chosen randomly from Faculty of Law from each university respectively. Therefore, the findings of this study could not be generalized to all students in other universities in Malaysia. It might not have external validity as students from other universities might respond differently to the survey as other factors might influence the findings of such a study. These factors could be the students locality, either urban or rural , the location of universities, parental involvement, economic status and the social environment. The last limitation of this study is the fact that this study only concerned Law students level of speaking anxiety, Law students level of confidence when speaking, the difference in Law students level of speaking anxiety based on their demographic details, the difference in Law students level of confidence when speaking based on their demographic details and the relationship between Law students level of speaking anxiety and Law students level of confidence when speaking. However, it is hoped that this study would be able to enlighten those with the same area of the study, namely Law students level of speaking anxiety and Law students level of confidence when speaking.

1.8 Conclusion