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

Abstract

This research is about students’ perceptions on the factors that influence their willingness to orally communicate in the EFL classroom in Ecuadorian high schools. The main purpose of this research is to know why students are not willing to orally communicate in the EFL classroom. The general approach of this study was qualitative and quantitative. The principal sources of data collection were students’ questionnaires and observation sheets. The field research took place in the city of Sucúa. One hundred students from public high schools were surveyed and observed. This research shows important opinions and students’ points of view based on this research topic, which has been presented in quantitative data obtaining a high positive percentage of motivated students who are willing to participate in oral skills. The reality of the present study demonstrates that students’ willingness to orally communicate depends on factors such as, motivation, proficiency, personality, and the type of activities that English teacher propose in the EFL classrooms.