La influencia de los factores emocionales en el desarrollo de las habilidades de expresión oral en niños

Authors

Gema Lisseth Vélez Vargas
Miguel Macías Loor

Abstract

Oral expression in the English language implies the coordination of linguistic, cognitive, and emotional capacities; therefore, anxiety, worries about committing errors, motivation, and confidence, among other things, might play a role in students’ expression. Aim: To study emotional factors manifesting in the process of development of oral speaking skills in young English learners in ordinary classroom interaction in Ecuador, Chone. Materials and Methods: A study of qualitative-descriptive cross-sectional design was conducted in a private institution in Ecuador, Chone involving 37 students at Grade 7 and 3 teachers of English selected by means of convenience sampling. Data collection techniques employed were classroom observations and semi-structured interviews, with data analysis performed in thematic categories employing data source triangulation. Results: Feelings of nervousness, fear of making mistakes, and communication insecurity were correlated with hesitation, short answers, silence, and avoidance of individual speech tasks. Pair and group activities, interactive methods, games, visuals, and constructive feedback contribute to increased ability to communicate and spontaneous speaking. The findings corroborate prior research on language anxiety, willingness to communicate, and pleasure in language acquisition, indicating that speaking ability differs based on the context's pressure and safety perceived by participants. Deliberations: Growing oral speaking skills in young students relates to emotional climate ratings made during the teaching process, so it might be reasonable to develop progressive speaking experiences that facilitate learning mistakes and minimize stress and increase self-esteem.

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