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

Abstract

Abstract: The current research is aimed to identify the linguistic and emotional factors that affect high school students English oral speaking skills. The sample of this research consisted of forty-two anonymous students of first and second year of senior high school in the city of Machala, province of El Oro, Ecuador. A mixed approach of research was used combining the qualitative and quantitative research methods through the application of four instruments used to collect data, forty-two students questionnaires, two teachers questionnaires, five students semi-structured interviews and four students class observation sheets. The analysis was based on the students questionnaire, which had two tables regarding linguistic factors and emotional factors with a four-level Likert-scale for detailed statistical information. The results showed that there was a shared influence by both linguistic and emotional factors according to the remaining highest percentages obtained. However, the highest percentage persisted in the emotional factor of worry about using grammar correctly.