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

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to identify the students’ perception on the factors that motivate their willingness to communicate orally in class. The research was carried out in the public high school Julio Isaac Espinosa Ochoa in the Canton of Puyango, where one hundred students between the age of twelve and sixteen were surveyed. An observation sheet and a questionnaire were filled out during classes in five different classrooms belonging to eighth, ninth and tenth grade in General Basic Education, first and third year of junior high school. The investigation focused on factors such as motivation, proficiency, and personality and how these influence students’ willingness to orally communicate. To obtain the required answers, the participants selected for the study were asked to answer the questionnaire in their native language. The results were analyzed using qualitative and quantitative methods. The qualitative method was applied to analyze and interpret the results. The quantitative method served for the statistical and numerical data. As a general conclusion, it was established that factors, such as a low level of English language knowledge and lack of confidence affected the student’s willingness to speak in the target language