Abstract
This study aimed to define the emotions that block Ecuadorian students from speaking English in the classroom. The population within the research consisted of 138 participants, 80 from elementary school and 58 from high school, aged between 11 and 18 years. Information was obtained through classroom observations, questionnaires, interviews, and visual narratives. The results revealed that different emotions hinder students from speaking English in class, such as the fear of making a mistake, 30.80%; fear of being judged by others, 21.88%; shyness, 18.30%; lack of confidence, 12.50%; and anxiety, 2.68%. Pearson’s correlation tests revealed that there is an influence of gender with respect to the type of emotion experienced, female students expressed greater susceptibility to negative emotions compared to male students. Findings suggest that Ecuadorian teachers should be more aware of their students’ emotions in order to find the possible approaches that may result in an improvement in their English language. The authors recommend carrying out more studies on the connection between emotions and speaking, or emotions and any other skills.
Highlights
English undoubtedly became the world’s lingua franca, the great majority of technological, scientific, academic, and social information is written in English
The results revealed that different emotions hinder students from speaking English in class, such as the fear of making a mistake, 30.80%; fear of being judged by others, 21.88%; shyness, 18.30%; lack of confidence, 12.50%; and anxiety, 2.68%
The research has shown, notwithstanding the English learners provided different opinions, that most of the students have negative emotions that block them when they have to speak in class
Summary
English undoubtedly became the world’s lingua franca, the great majority of technological, scientific, academic, and social information is written in English In this way, speaking more than one language is essential in order to interact and communicate in today’s globalized world (National Curriculum Guidelines, 2014, p.5). Santos & Barcelos (2018) found that the reasons some Brazilian students were not able to improve their English speaking in a university context were connected with the fear of making mistakes, being judged by others, and shyness This suggests the significant role that emotions play in the classroom and the learning of a foreign language. Some researches on this topic have shown how this skill is connected with social emotions (shyness, fears, anxiety, and low selfesteem)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
