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

Abstract

Abstract: The most challenging skills to achieve in learning English are the ones related to oral communication: Reading and Writing have always been a priority for teaching English, sometimes even neglecting the learning and practice of listening and speaking. This study focuses on describing the factors that affect students' oral production in a face-to-face learning environment. The research was carried out in a public school on the outskirts of Quito, Province of Pichincha. The participants of this study were senior high school students from two classes of 2nd Grade of BGU (Bachillerato General Unificado) and one teacher. The research used mixed methods designs. The techniques used for collecting the information were surveys, interviews, and class observations. After the due process of the study and the data analysis, it was concluded that emotional factors, mainly anxiety, and fear were the most common difficulties for students when speaking in English. Besides, it was determined that even if students have enough knowledge of the linguistic factors of the language, the emotional factors have a strong and direct influence on the students oral communication outcome.