Effect of emotional intelligence training on overcoming foreign language speaking anxiety
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Date
2016
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university of Oum El Bouaghi
Abstract
With the growing number of the learners who suffer from foreign language anxiety (FLA), it is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore its harmful outcomes on their learning, performance, achievement and success, especially in speaking classes. Different researches suggested different ways to minimize the negative effects of foreign Language speaking anxiety (FLSA). The present study sheds light on Emotional Intelligence (EI) which is still a new field of research and on emotional intelligence skills training as an effective strategy not only to influence public speaking success but also to help learners lessen their speaking anxiety and eventually to overcome it. A quasi-experiment is used in order to examine the research hypothesis which claims that undergoing EI training skills would relatively help EFL learners reduce their FLSA. We worked with two groups of 3rd year EFL students from the department of English at Larbi Ben Mhidi University. The Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) and the Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i) were used to collect data about the participants' FLSA and EI levels. In addition, some other statistical tests have been used to add tangible significance to our results. The analysis of the data has yielded the following findings: First, before receiving the treatment, the overall level of the population FLSA is high and their EI level is average. Second, the assumption that there is a negative correlation between EI and FLSA was statistically validated by the Pearson Correlation Test, concluding that, the more emotionally intelligent the individual is the less anxious he/she will be. In addition, the lack of amelioration in the results of the control group and the noteworthy improvement in the experimental group results led us to conclude that EI skills training was an effective strategy in minimizing the FLSA level and therefore, we confirmed our research hypothesis.
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Keywords
Teaching : english language : oral expression