Emotional factors and their influence on speaking performance in university students.

Abstract

In the learning process, emotions play a fundamental role, and this dynamic becomes particularly strong when learning English, where factors such as motivation and self-confidence significantly impact speaking skills. The present research aims to analyze the influence of emotional factors, such as anxiety, fear, nervousness, and stress, on the performance of speaking skills in university students enrolled in a foreign language teacher training program in Manta, Ecuador. The study is framed within an interpretative paradigm and adopts a mixed-methods approach. For data collection, two surveys were administered to both students and professors to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon under study, and lessons observations. The sample consists of 25 people 17 students and 8 teachers from the English Language major at an Ecuadorian University. The results show Students used strategies to cope with these emotional factors; the most valued were early preparation, deep breathing, the use of mobile applications, positive thinking, and collaborative practice with peers. Similarly, professors acknowledge the presence of language anxiety among their students and report implementing different pedagogical strategies aimed at reducing it. It concludes that persists a high incidence of anxiety in students during their English language speaking activities.