The incidence of anxiety in the development of the speaking skill in the foreign language classroom

Abstract

The learning of a foreign language involves affective factors that affect the cognitive abilities of the students. In our teaching practice, we daily see students who feel speaking in the foreign language is a real challenge, usually associated with a nervousness that prevents them from demonstrating their abilities. The purpose of this study is to obtain information regarding the effect of anxiety on the ability of students to express themselves orally in the foreign language class. This qualitative research was carried out during the semester April-July 2017 in the foreign language proficiency program, with students from first to fifth level, at Universidad Técnica del Norte, in Ibarra, province of Imbabura, Ecuador. Surveys were applied to a sample of 517 students and the information obtained was processed. Based on the results, the adverse effect of anxiety was observed in the various processes that involve oral expression in the foreign language class.