Fear and shyness in foreign language learning are common psychological barriers that EFL learners struggle with. This study explored the most critical-provoking factors that may lead to shame and fear when the learners participate in speaking tasks and activities in their language classes. The study population consisted of fifty-eight freshmen students of English literature, who were both genders and aged 21 to 27. Based on the test results, eight subjects were eliminated, and the other 50 were selected as the study sample. To capture and collect the required data, the researcher used three instruments: The Oxford Placement Test to homogenize the sample, the foreign language anxiety scale made and organized by Horvitz et al. (1986), and finally, a semi-structured interview to seek the learners’ attitudes on the sources of shyness. The questionnaire contained 23 items, all related to the degree of EFL speaking anxiety as well as possible causes attributed to it. Based on the participants’ responses, three primary sources of fear were identified: Test anxiety, negative evaluation, and communication apprehension. Moreover, the ANOVA Test results revealed a meaningful difference between the three variables. Besides, the participants in the interview referred to nine significant sources that could increase their shyness. Findings can be helpful for teachers to employ certain strategies to enhance confidence among their learners so as to overcome their students’ fear and shyness.