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

Abstract

Abstract: The present study "Factors influencing oral communication skills in English of secondary school students in Ecuadorian face-to-face educational environments" had as objective to explore the impact of linguistic and emotional factors that affect the oral communication in English of high school students. The research was carried out in a private Catholic school in Manta, Ecuador, involved forty first-year students of BGUs of two classes, distributed in parallel A and B. A mixed approach was used that integrated quantitative and qualitative methods, questionnaires were used for students and teachers, observation sheets and semi-structured interviews. The results highlight significant linguistic challenges, such as difficulties in complex structures and fluency, directly impacting students' ability to communicate in English. In addition, emotional problems were identified, such as fear of ridicule when speaking English and anxiety about making mistakes, which also affect Its performance. These findings highlight the complex relationship between linguistic factors and emotional aspects in the development of communicative competences in English in students of secondary school, providing valuable insight into improving these skills.