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

Abstract

Abstract: This research aimed to investigate the linguistic and emotional factors that affect oral communication skills of high school students in face-to-face learning environments. The participants of this study were an English teacher and 45 students attending the second year of high school in a private school in Guayaquil, Ecuador. A mixed approach, combining qualitative and quantitative methods, was used. The instruments for data collection included a survey for both the teacher and students, an observation sheet, and interviews. The study revealed that the emotional factors that most significantly influence students speaking skills the most are fear of making mistakes or being laughed at, anxiety, and lack of self-confidence. These findings highlight the importance of creating a supportive and encouraging classroom environment to help students overcome emotional barriers and foster their oral communication abilities. Regarding the linguistic elements that hinder learners communicative competence, the main limiting aspects identified were lack of vocabulary, pronunciation difficulties and mother tongue interference.