Abstract
This quantitative study investigates sources of English-speaking anxiety (ESA) and perceptions of high-stakes summative oral assessments among Thai university students. A 30-item survey indicated that affective factors—particularly fear of negative evaluation—contribute primarily to anxiety, which leads to task avoidance and silence. Traditional graded summative speaking activities were perceived as the predominant anxiety trigger. This study substantiates alternative, evidence-based assessment strategies, advocating a practical shift toward low-stakes formative oral assessments to replace high-stakes evaluations, thereby enhancing learner engagement and speaking performance.