Factors that influence high school students' English oral communication skills in Ecuadorian face-to-face learning environments

Abstract

Abstract: There are linguistic and emotional factors that affect learning English as a Foreign Language, especially the oral communication skills, so the purpose of this research is to investigate which linguistic (vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, fluency/accuracy, and mother tongue interference) or emotional factors (anxiety, fear, lack of confidence, willingness, and motivation) influence the most to high school students' English oral communication skills in time of face-to-face learning. This research is approached through the mixed method, with a sample of 49 senior high school students, and an English teacher at a public high school in the south of Quito. Data was collected through the use of questionnaires, interviews, and observations. The findings showed that linguistic factors are the ones that most influence the oral communication skills in English of high school students, with grammar being the main problem of students. Meanwhile, the fear of making mistakes was one of the emotional factors that affect the most EFL students' speaking performance.