This study aims to identify the fear levels Nursing students encounter while
studying English at Ratchathani University in order to find solutions for the problem.
The sample consisted of 158 Nursing students who had been studying English 1 in
the first semester of the academic year 2013 and studying English 2 in the second
semester of the academic year 2013. The researcher used quantitative research
method which is questionnaire with the students. The study results show that the
greatest cause of fear amongst students speaking English was “Lack of sufficient
amount of vocabulary to start an English conversation”(75.79%) The study also
found that the highest rated improvement activity to be “Practice English with
foreigners often and continuous” (67.09%) Additionally, an effective lesson plan
technique which rated the highest was “Listen for the main idea” (79.75%) Moreover,
the researcher found that efficient teaching methods include inspiring the students
to understand what they heard, encouraging them to recognize the necessity of
English communication skills. Educators must also be aware that students will
develop their English communication skills when being under the lowest degree of
fear, so they must provide an accommodating learning environment.