Students´perceptions on the factors that influence their willingness to orally communicate in the EFL classroom in Ecuadorian high schools

Abstract

The present study aims to investigate the perception that students of English secondary schools of Ecuador have about factors that influence their desire to communicate verbally using the language in the classroom. For this purpose, considering the city of Guayaquil as population, a sample of English learners hundred five classrooms of two schools were chosen. With a qualitative and quantitative method for the analysis approach, survey techniques, direct observation and note-taking were applied to the study that focused on investigating the influence motivation, fluency level and personality type have the desire to communicate verbally in this language students. The survey was applied to students who must complete a seven-item questionnaire that explored the motivation in class, the level of fluency, personality and strategies for teaching English. Direct observation and notes taken in classes allowed to demonstrate the interaction of students and their response to the strategies used by teachers. While data is collected and in the process of qualitative and quantitative analysis emerged that the responses of students in some survey questions did not match what was observed in class. Upon completion of the analysis concludes that although motivation, personality type and level of fluency influence the desire to communicate verbally in English, are the strategies used by the teacher to create attractive opportunities for using language what caused the interaction more students.