Factors affecting efl students oral communication skills.

Abstract

Abstract:English constitutes the main foreign language taught at public institutions in Ecuador. Sadly, throughout the years, it has been evident that even though this language is taught since primary school, most high school students lack communicative competence and are unable to produce in the target language. This study is focused on the Factors affecting EFL students; oral communication skills, the sample involved forty-three students of two public high schools and five EFL teachers from the provinces of Manabí and Guayas. A mixed-method, combining quantitative and qualitative research was used to carry out the study. It was necessary the use of instruments like interviews, questionaries, and class observations to gather the information that was analyzed and contrasted in order to answer the research questions associated with the pedagogical and student-related factors affecting the development of their oral skills. The results of the research show that there are pedagogical factors like the use of inadequate methods in class and motivational factors such as anxiety and motivation that have a powerful influence on the learners' achievement.