The Interplay Between Emotional Intelligence, Oral Communication Skills and Second Language Speaking Anxiety: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Ali Alghorbany,Hilmi Hamzah

doi:10.17576/3l-2020-2601-04

Abstract

The study aimed at identifying the association between Goleman’s emotional intelligence and second language speaking anxiety by employing oral communication skills as the mediating variable. A correlational research design was used. A total of 209 first and second-year Malaysian undergraduate ESL students were selected from one public university in Malaysia. The study employed the proportionate stratified random sampling. In order to collect data, three questionnaires including ‘ Emotional Competence Inventory (ECI)’, ‘Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS)’ , and ‘Oral Communication Skills Scale’ were used. Testing the hypotheses required correlational analysis done via Smart PLS 3.0. Results provided support for the proposed conceptual framework, disclosing that emotional intelligence was significantly associated with oral communication skills. Also, oral communication skills were significantly associated with second language speaking anxiety. Lastly, oral communication skills mediated the association between emotional intelligence and second language speaking anxiety. The current study offered ESL students, educator and policymakers several theoretical and practical implications. Keywords: Emotional intelligence; second language speaking anxiety; oral communication skills; structural equation modeling; Malaysian ESL students

Highlights

Language learning in the academic setting is believed to vary based on mastering language skills which are prone to deteriorate due to several psychological factors, second language anxiety (Cheng, 2017; Dewaele, MacIntyre, Boudreau, & Dewaele, 2016; Horwitz, 2016; Horwitz, Horwitz & Cope, 1986; Hwang, Hsu, Lai, & Hsueh, 2017; MacIntyre & Gardner, 1988; Teimouri, Goetze, & Plonsky, 2019; Young, 1991, 1992)
The finding of the first research objective indicated that Emotional intelligence (EI) was significantly and positively associated with oral communication skills
The present study’s findings are in tandem with the social cognitive theory’ (SCT) which affirms that personal cognitive trait, which is EI in this study, is reciprocally associated with environmental abilities, which are oral communication skills in this study

Summary

Introduction

Language learning in the academic setting is believed to vary based on mastering language skills which are prone to deteriorate due to several psychological factors, second language anxiety (Cheng, 2017; Dewaele, MacIntyre, Boudreau, & Dewaele, 2016; Horwitz, 2016; Horwitz, Horwitz & Cope, 1986; Hwang, Hsu, Lai, & Hsueh, 2017; MacIntyre & Gardner, 1988; Teimouri, Goetze, & Plonsky, 2019; Young, 1991, 1992). Language anxiety is believed to cause academic failure in English as second language (ESL) countries, including Malaysia (Miskam & Saidalvi, 2019). Research indicates that students speak confidently if they practice a sufficient amount of oral skills through oral interactions in their classrooms (Lee, 2016; Melchor-Couto, 2017; Villalba & Luz, 2017). It has been established in ‘social cognitive theory’ (SCT) that an individual’s environment relatively affects their own behaviour which play a significant role in their achievements or failures (Bandura 1986).

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion