TikTok Usage Intensity and Impact on Multilingual International Graduate Students’ Anxiety in Oral Communication Skills

• In Event: Research In Progress Roundtable Session 5
  In Invited Roundtable: Insights in the Student Experience in Higher Education: First-Year Retention, Speaking Anxiety, and Social Justice Commitments (Table 15)

Abstract

This mixed-methods study investigates the relationship between TikTok usage intensity and English-speaking anxiety among multilingual international graduate students in U.S. universities. Using a sequential explanatory design, the research combines quantitative surveys measuring TikTok usage patterns and foreign language speaking anxiety with qualitative focus group discussions. The study draws on Foreign Language Anxiety Theory to examine how digital platforms influence language learning anxiety. By adapting the Facebook Intensity Scale and Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety Scale, this research explores TikTok's potential role in reducing communication apprehension in both academic and general settings. The findings aim to contribute to understanding how social media platforms can be leveraged to support language development and reduce speaking anxiety among international graduate students.

Authors

• Yimeng Zhu, Oklahoma State University

• Marcia Sun, Oklahoma State University

• Congzhi Ma, University of Florida

• Sidra Zaheer, Oklahoma State University