http://revistas.utm.edu.ec/index.php/Recus
e-ISSN 2528-8075/ VOL 5/No. 1/ENERO – ABRIL/2020/pp. 11-18
Unidad de Cooperación Universitaria. Universidad Técnica de Manabí. Portoviejo. Ecuador
English Majors’ Perceptions on Factors Influencing the Development of their Oral
Fluency
Percepción de los Estudiantes de la Carrera de Inglés acerca de Factores con Incidencia en el
Desarrollo de su Fluidez Oral
“Sandra Guevara-Betancourt”
1
*
“Fernando Flores Albuja”
2
Abstract
There are several implications about oral fluency development of the English language that involve communication from a bilingual
perspective, which require a further analysis in the field of teaching-learning English as a foreign language in Ecuador. This research
project will determine the factors that influence the development of the oral skill and fluency in undergraduate English major students who
are in an intermediate level, at Universidad Técnica del Norte. At this aim, a quantitative approach was applied to identify and measure
the factors influencing the oral skill development of the English language, and with this to understand positive and negative aspects that
influence fluency during the communication process in the target language. In determining and categorizing factors, a descriptive research
along with an inductive method were also applied. To this effect, 5th level English majors were surveyed. The results identified influential
factors such as the language exposure mainly fostered by teachers, and the role of interaction inside and outside of the classroom. Finally,
this study leaves a new question about oral fluency open for a further research work.
Resumen
Existen varias consideraciones acerca del desarrollo de fluidez en la destreza oral del idioma inglés que involucran a la comunicación
desde una perspectiva bilingüe, las cuales requieren de un análisis profundo en el campo de la enseñanza-aprendizaje del inglés como
una lengua extranjera en Ecuador. Este trabajo determinará los factores que tienen influencia en el desarrollo de la destreza oral y la
fluidez de los estudiantes de la Carrera de Inglés, quienes están en un nivel intermedio en la Universidad Técnica del Norte. Para este
estudio se aplicó un enfoque cuantitativo orientado a identificar y medir los factores que tienen influencia en el desarrollo de la destreza
oral del idioma inglés, y con ello entender los aspectos positivos y negativos y su influencia durante el proceso de comunicación en la
lengua objeto de estudio. A fin de determinar y categorizar los factores, se aplicó la investigación descriptiva con un método inductivo.
Para el efecto, estudiantes de 5to nivel de la carrera de Inglés fueron encuestados. Los resultados evidenciaron factores con influencia
tales como la exposición al idioma inglés fomentado principalmente por los profesores, y el rol de la interacción dentro y fuera de las
aulas. Finalmente, este estudio deja una nueva interrogante abierta acerca de la fluidez oral para realizar futuras investigaciones.
Keywords/ Palabras clave
Oral fluency; English majors; speaking; teaching-learning process; error correction/Fluidez oral; estudiantes de la carrera de Inglés;
hablar; proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje; corrección de errores
*Dirección para correspondencia: smguevara@utn.edu.ec
Artículo recibido el 29 - 10 - 2019 Artículo aceptado el 29 - 07 - 2020 Artículo publicado el 29 - 07 - 2020
Conflicto de intereses no declarado.
Fundada 2016 Unidad de Cooperación Universitaria de la Universidad Técnica de Manabí, Ecuador.
1
Universidad Técnica del Norte, Máster, Ibarra, Imbabura-Ecuador smguevara@utn.edu.ec, https://orcid.org/ 0000-0002-7784-4071
2
Universidad Técnica del Norte, Magister, Ibarra, Imbabura-Ecuador dfflores@utn.edu.ec, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8842-0779
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English Majors’ Perceptions on Factors Influencing the Development of their Oral Fluency
Guevara-Betancourt, Flores Albuja
Unidad de Cooperación Universitaria. Universidad Técnica de Manabí. Portoviejo. Ecuador
1. Introduction
Throughout time, linguists and experts in the field of English language
teaching, have been searching for new ways to improve the teaching-
learning process of this language around the world, and consequently it
has been determined that every context lives a different reality. In a recent
analysis conducted by Leong and Masoumeh (2017), emphasis is placed
on the fact that humans are programmed to speak before they are
predisposed to read and write. Thus, much more time is spent in their oral
interaction than in their written production. When it comes to learning
another language, the communicative approach seems to be the same;
however, it demands diverse interaction contexts that expose the learner
to the necessary use of the language, within real situations that promote a
meaningful learning (Wang, 2014).
The advances in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) have been far-
reaching and have had a great impact on its teaching methods in every part
of the world. At different educational levels, the teaching-learning of
English has shown positive and gradually noticeable changes (Boonkit,
2010). However, one of the greater demands of this knowledge area is a
more efficient result in what comes to apprentices’ level in academic and
social fields. Under these considerations, this study targets English major
students from a university located in Ibarra, the capital of the Imbabura
province. Even when this university receives students from different parts
of Ecuador, it has a high percentage of students coming from the northern
part of the country.
Evaluations applied by the Ecuadorian Ministry of Education during
the last decade to teachers and students of the English area in primary and
secondary schools determined a low level of English, therefore, the
government implemented trainings and different strategies as scholarships
for English teachers to travel to North American universities. Still, this
initiative was not entirely fruitful. Based on the evaluations applied in
2017, this low English level reality had not changed in schools (Ministerio
de Educación del Ecuador, 2017). Hence, it is necessary to generate
research projects from the university where the English majors are being
trained in order to investigate academic issues that for decades have been
of concern to Ecuadorian teachers in this area, and define factors that
contribute to change a reality that can be improved in benefit of the
students who will be in-service English teachers.
The main objective of this study is to determine the factors that
incidence on the development of oral fluency, based on the direct learning
receptors- English major students at Universidad Técnica del Norte in
Ecuador. Some investigations have been carried out in this field, but none
that specifically tackles this topic from the real life situation of English
major students in this university where English majors end up with a B2
proficiency level within the Common European Framework of Reference
for Languages (CEFR), which is an international standard for describing
language ability. It describes language ability on a six-point scale, from
A1 for beginners, up to C2 for those who have mastered a language. This
English major curriculum encompasses ninth levels; therefore, fifth level
students are part of this study who can provide a general view from
English majors’ intermediate level.
This study attempts to find out the aspects that positively and
negatively influence the oral fluency development of the fifth level
undergraduate students in the English Major at Universidad Técnica del
Norte, who pursue a bachelor’s degree. The research results have been
enhanced with learners’ perception towards this issue and the updated
findings from the literature that underlies this study.
1.1. Literature Review
The core language function is to communicate meaningfully, being the
speaking skill the first means to convey all kinds of information. This
criterion implies that speaking, long before reading or writing, is the first
stage when learning a first, when it comes to a second or foreign language
(Namaziandost et al., 2019). Specifically referring to the English as
Foreign Language (EFL) field, the speaking skill has become a hurdle to
overcome by both teachers and students (Bouzar, 2019). For this reason,
the EFL teachers have the responsibility to research the factors
influencing an effective speaking instruction based on the students’ needs,
interest, and teaching context, according to Derakhshan et al. (2016) this
will gradually help learners speak English fluently. Hence, Castro and
Villafuerte (2019), from an Ecuadorian perspective, point out that a
continuous professional development of English teachers in Ecuador is a
current challenge in the country which requires motivated educators to
energize their teaching activities, and thus support the improvement of the
EFL teaching-learning process in Ecuador.
English language learners (ELLs) are the fastest-growing group of
students across the nation, not only in large urban districts, but,
increasingly, in small urban districts and suburbs. Much is known
about how best to educate ELLs from academic research. However,
the research-practice gap is wide, and resources and political will
are too low for promising practices to be systematically
implemented in teacher preparation and development programs.
(Tung et al., 2013, p.2)
This increase number of English learners has taken place throughout
the world, consequently, the demand for ESL and EFL teachers has
become evident during recent years as well. Leib-Sutcher and Desiree-
Carver (2019) mention that “over the last several years, headlines across
the country broadcasted severe teacher shortages” (p.3), and it is a fact
that ESL and EFL learners cause as a consequence of their proliferation.
Broughton et al. (2003) state that of the 4,000 to 5,000 living languages,
English is the most widely used. Thus, English becomes a lingua franca
because its use goes across linguistic and cultural boundaries and brings
people closer (Jenkins, Baker & Dewey, 2017). By summarizing all these
points, the conclusion is that English language learning is a current need
around the world, and to fulfill it English teachers are required to teach
effectively, and English learners develop a communicative competence.
1.2. Oral Fluency in EFL
An oral fluency definition is related to proficiency, which implies a
high grasp of vocabulary and grammar, and in this regard, Rossiter et al.
(2010) describes fluency as a performance event related to flow,
continuity, automaticity, or smoothness of speech. Also, De Jong (2018)
sees oral fluency as a construct that goes hand in hand with pronunciation,
complexity, accuracy, which cannot be seen separately from coherence.
In the same line, Zhang (2009) defines oral fluency as an indicator of L2
proficiency, pointing out that it implies the ability to express thoughts
easily. Oral fluency is also characterized as a specific feature that
determines the learner's ability to speak freely, without unnecessary
pausing and with the prosody of speech, syntax and vocabulary range
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English Majors’ Perceptions on Factors Influencing the Development of their Oral Fluency
Guevara-Betancourt, Flores Albuja
Unidad de Cooperación Universitaria. Universidad Técnica de Manabí. Portoviejo. Ecuador
comparable with those characteristic of the speech of a native speaker
(Gorkaltseva et al., 2015).
Oral fluency has become one of the main goal set by English teachers
and learners, in other words a goal for every EFL user. To enhance oral
fluency is a challenge that must be addressed through building a close
connection between theory and practice (Thornbury, 2005). In this regard
Bhattacharya (2017) states that using a language is more important than
just knowing about it, due to the fact it is not worthy to know a lot about
a language that you are not using being hard to acquire for most EFL
learners (Karimy & Pishkar, 2017). Therefore, identifying and analyzing
working mechanisms that influence fluency is significant for the
understanding of speaking complexity. Also, they mention that it is one
of the most important qualities of speech which contributes to examiners’
intuitive and technical assessment of proficiency of learners’ oral
performance.
1.3. Factors Influencing the Development of
Oral Fluency in EFL
Studies on language proficiency, especially on oral proficiency
conducted in the past, are still unclear about the factors that contribute
with its development because the factors already identified would differ
from young learners to adult learners (Pangket, 2019). Though, the most
important factors affecting oral proficiency across levels as it was
identified by several studies are vocabulary and grammar (Iwashita,
2010). On the other hand, pronunciation is also a dramatic factor which is
present at all the levels. Mantilla and Guevara (2018), in the same line,
state that anxiety influences the development of oral fluency in EFL but
at a lower percentage in the last levels of their proficiency, due to the fact
learners become more active, participative, and autonomous. The
teachers’ linguistic and methodological profile plays an important role
because they have to use correction of mistakes strategies to foster the
development of the speaking skill without affecting the students’ affective
factors.
According to Aicha (2016), the teacher can assume different kinds of
roles to motivate the speaking improvement: motivator, corrector, source,
and controller, considering the teacher’s oral feedback as a form of
assessment because motivates learners to produce sentences without
hesitation or anxiety, and relies on teachers’ advice and correction either
in public or private. Based on the idea aforementioned regarding to
teacher’s role from a positive influence in the classroom, Tuan and Mai
(2015) cited in Abugohar et al. (2017) point out the teachers’ negative role
modelling at using their native language in English classrooms, which
makes students think it is okay to use their first language and hinders their
full development of oral fluency. Finally, to teach speaking is a challenge
because students need to use the new language they are learning, it is
advisable to reinforce the learning of functional language and diagnose
learners’ strengths and weaknesses (Imane, 2016).
1.4. The Role of Error Correction
Sinem (2014) asserts that some EFL teachers have the concern of not
disrupting the flow of communication and therefore they avoid providing
corrective feedback for spoken errors. Also, he mentions the fact that
some other EFL teachers recasts as a good option to correct spoken
errors because in this way there is a less threaten for the communicative
flow on one hand, and on the other a preventing fossilization of spoken
errors at not receiving immediate attention and feedback.
Abeer and Ajloun (2016), in their deep analysis on the teacher´s error
correction strategies point out that:
When deciding whether an error should be corrected, teacher
should have into account many factors such as the type of error
(e.g., pronunciation, word choice, sentence structure), if the error s
interfere with the meaning of the text, the objectives of the
activities, the complexity of the message in relationship to the
student’s variables such as their attitudes, level of proficiency, and
their level of confidence. It is very essential to convey the message
that positive oral correction plays an important role in encouraging
students’ learning and is considered an effective tool for facilitating
the process of acquisition and learning language. (p.157)
In this regard, Ebrahimi and Hajmalek (2016) based on the results of
their study about corrective feedback and its influence on the anxiety level
of students state that at the end, the sources of anxiety were not clearly
identified but the learners did not show that a change in the corrective
feedback caused a different level of anxiety. They highlight the fact that a
change in the error correction strategy can potentially affect the negative
attitude of the learners on one side and on the other, the teachers’ constant
interruption to correct errors can stop or end with the main purpose of the
speaking activity. Observing, in this way, the need for error correction but
under the criteria that the goal is to develop fluency and language
acquisition. If an error is ignored, it can be fossilized and if the correction
is done at every stage of communication, it can hinder the development of
communicative goals. The challenge here for every teacher is to define
when the right time to correct is and how to provide positive and
encouraging feedback.
1.5. Students’ Perceived Self-efficacy
Mastura, Khatiba and Maarofb (2014) state that oral fluency has to do
with speaking at a real-time, and it demands learner’s abilities to plan,
process and produce the language. They mention it is a difficult task for
students attempting to become fluent in the target language, and they also
emphasizes a study which revealed that students who are more confident
in their speaking ability perform better than those with low efficacy
beliefs. Tria (2017) states that “self-efficacy in academic setting is a part
of Bandura’s theory which defines self-efficacy as individuals’ belief
about their ability to execute something related to their selves” (p.123).
This author mentions that students who have high levels of self-efficacy
have a great curiosity, confidence and take learning as a challenge; self-
efficacy includes self-control and affects the learning achievement
without depending on others because it generates student’s independence.
In this specific case, a student with high level of self-efficacy will perform
confidently and will convey the message with less errors in grammar and
pronunciation than a person who does not believe is good enough to
produce the language orally.
1.6. Teachers’ Incidence on Learner’s English
Oral Fluency
Qayoom (2018) affirms that students at learning a foreign language
are more influenced by teachers unlike any other subject. This author
emphasis on the fact that to become a good English teacher it is not
necessary to be a native speaker because one of the main requirements is
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English Majors’ Perceptions on Factors Influencing the Development of their Oral Fluency
Guevara-Betancourt, Flores Albuja
Unidad de Cooperación Universitaria. Universidad Técnica de Manabí. Portoviejo. Ecuador
to possess a language learning experience. Learners can be better
understood when their difficulties and mistakes are just associated with a
required stage of a learning-teaching process. This is because when an
individual has gone through a process can determine and make up the
appropriate strategies to achieve the desired goals which in this case is to
become proficient in the language. There has been a debate about the
influence teachers’ fluency in the language has on student´s fluency
development.
Karimy and Pishkar (2017) in their study provided a comparison of
the effects of teacher's speaking accuracy vs. fluency on EFL learners' oral
skill, considering their temporal and linguistic measures. us, as a result
EFL students' speaking fluency increased based on the teacher’s
performance in class. It was proved because those teachers were role
models for accuracy and fluency of the students' oral skills. Hence, not
only English teachers at different educational levels have the great
challenge of being good role models for their students, but also English
majors who are in the process of becoming proficient in English and will
be sooner or later pre-service and then in-service teachers.
2. Methods and Materials
The main purpose of this work is to determine the factors that
influence on the development of oral fluency in the English language
taking into consideration learners’ perceptions, so this study employed a
quantitative approach. A quantitative approach is applied to gather
feedback and insights from a relatively small sample where they express
their point of view to be measured and analyzed, in this case English major
students of an intermediate level. This approach was also used because
there is little information about this topic within this specific context:
Ecuadorian English majors. At categorizing and determining factors a
descriptive research was applied. Also, an inductive method when
individual experiences and theoretical criteria was examined, to support
new elements generated while determining the factors influencing the
development of oral fluency in the foreign language.
2.1. Research Technique
Regarding the technique used to collect data and determine accurate
results, a survey was elaborated by the authors in consideration to the
findings of the literature review, and it was a 12 questions-questionnaire.
This was carefully elaborated to facilitate the analysis and data tabulation.
To this effect, the rating scale of Likert scale was used as a tool to measure
English majors’ thoughts and opinions about the oral fluency development
in 7 questions. They were 4 balanced domains for students to choose from
with a neutral midpoint. The other 4 questions were open-ended questions
because the purpose was to collect detailed individual contributions on
this issue, and at the end they were incorporated in the analysis and
discussion of the findings.
2.2. Participants
The target population was 26 undergraduate English major students
from Universidad Técnica del Norte who were in fifth level, pursuing a
bachelor’s degree in Teaching English. Due to the fact they have to
complete ninth levels, it is an intermediate group that was made up for 14
female students corresponding to the 54%, and 12 male students that is
the 46% of the population, having a well-balanced group regarding to
gender. All the participants are Ecuadorians, the 97% of the students are
mestizos and their native language is Spanish and the 3% is indigenous
whose native language is Kichwa, being Spanish their second language.
This study was carried out during the semester April – September 2019
and the respondents’ age range was from 20 to 23 years old.
2.3. Procedure
The questionnaire was elaborated prior to its validation and then a
pilot test was carried out. Afterwards it was modified in a way that the
respondents understand every single question without the existence of
difficulties. Consequently, the reliability of the results be more accurate.
Then, the online survey was conducted for data collection, which was
active for one week within the range of the dates as aforementioned. This
had two sections focused on student´s perceptions about the development
of oral fluency. The survey encompassed aspects about the language use
for instruction, the language used for interaction between teacher-students
and students-students inside and outside the classroom, error correction,
self-perception about oral fluency, and individual strategies applied to
develop oral fluency in the target language. At the end, all the data were
collected and analyzed through a content-analysis quantitative method.
3. Results
Data obtained from the online survey questionnaire was analyzed
quantitatively by means of a descriptive approach where a thematic
approach connects and integrates the general and specific ideas from the
topic and every piece of information is taken holistically. Also, this study
was designed to address the following two main questions: 1. What are
the factors that incidence on the development of oral fluency of the
English language? 2. What are the English learner’s perceptions about
positive and negative factors influencing on their oral fluency
development? Therefore, the analysis focuses on the answers for these two
research questions.
The data is given a descriptive analysis. First of all, all the answer
under every category are put into the Excel Form and the frequency of the
answers is counted, and finally the percentage of those English majors’
responses is figured out.
Table 1
English Language as a Means of Instruction
Source: The authors (2019).
Scale of
frequency
Your teachers use English language
as a means of instruction
Your teachers use Spanish language as
a means of instruction
Always 48.1% 3.7 %
Most of the
time
51.9 % 0
Sometimes 0 37%
Rarely 0 48.1%
Never 0 3.7%
Other 0 3,7 to clarify instruction
3,7 to solve teaching-learning problems
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English Majors’ Perceptions on Factors Influencing the Development of their Oral Fluency
Guevara-Betancourt, Flores Albuja
Unidad de Cooperación Universitaria. Universidad Técnica de Manabí. Portoviejo. Ecuador
This table summarizes two questions where the second corroborates
the first in relation to the language used for instruction, as it can be seen
the target language is used always and most of the time, being Spanish the
last source when there is a need to clarify doubts or to solve academic
problems. Wijayatunga (2018) points out a study about English as a means
of instruction within a context of a non-English speaking country where
can always be challenging for both teachers and students inside and
outside of the class. Based on the results of the current study it is observed
that teachers from the English majors at Universidad Técnica del Norte
face this challenge in a professional way. This requires that teachers
manage a high spoken English proficiency “in order to guide a learning
ecology that fosters communication and oral interaction” (Xu, 2010, p.
161). Now, on the side of students, the next question has to do with how
learners deal with this challenge.
Table 2
Interaction Using the Target Language
Source: The authors (2019).
Table 2 shows that student-student interaction is greater inside the
classroom than outside of it even though teachers promote this interaction
in a high percentage: first being a role model at interacting using the
language and secondly thorough academic activities. At referring to the
challenge mentioned in the analysis of Table 1, it can be observed that
students need to put more effort to use the target language. Herazo (2010)
alludes to the great value of student-student interaction for the
development of EFL proficiency focused on communicative language
focused on the theories of learning that emphasize the social nature of
first, second and foreign language acquisition. This author affirms that
students can learn from and among themselves if they interact
meaningfully. The results show that teachers are effectively contributing
and fostering chances for learners to interact, but English majors need to
increase their interaction opportunities because they are not just learning
a subject; they are learning a language whose essence is communication.
Table 3
Error Correction
Source: The authors (2019).
Table 3 shows that error correction is an essential part of English
majors’ language performance. At reviewing the strategies students
mention in one of the further questions being part of this survey, it
evidences learners are willing to receive error correction while speaking
because they believe correction of their spoken errors is necessary.
Tajeddin and Sadat (2017) consider methods of instruction and feedback
play an important role in the acquisition of the language, and they can
affect fossilization among language learners. The results show that there
is a constant error correction by professors in this university and as Abeer
and Ajloun (2016) indicate that an indicator of error correction is when
those errors interfere the meaning of the message; however it is
highlighted that at the end, the teacher is who decides when to use this
effective tool to avoid fossilization and to facilitate the English language
oral fluency.
Table 4
Students’ Perceived Self-efficacy on English Oral Fluency
Source: The authors (2019).
As it can be observed in Table 4, there are divided opinions on the
issue, first, at deeply analyzed the Satisfied percentage which is 55.6%
shows that their perceived self-efficacy on their oral fluency is high and
Tria (2017) states that these learners have a great sense of curiosity and
confidence who become independent learners and take learning English
as a challenge. On the other hand, there is a 37% percent of learners who
are Unsatisfied, who come along with a small percentage 7.4% of learners
who a Need Improvement criterion. These are learners’ perceptions that
according to Naing et al. (2011), it is noted that at having a positive
attitude towards English, it increases the learner's desire to learn the
language well on one side, and on the other, they point out that attitude is
not the single factor influencing the success of the English language
acquisition or fluency development, specifically. Other factors such as
motivation play an important role as well and this is undergraduate group
of students whose desire and main goal is to graduate, and it can be that
those self-efficacy perceptions encourage them to work harder and
develop their oral fluency.
Scale of
frequency
You interact
with your peers
in English
outside the
classroom
Your teachers
interact in
English
Your teachers
promote
student-student
interaction in
English outside
and inside the
classroom
Always 22.3 % 0 44.5 % 29.6 %
Most of the
time
40.7 % 3.7 % 22.2 % 63%
Sometimes 29.6 % 48.1 % 22.2 % 7.4 %
Rarely 7.4 % 44.5 % 7.4 % 0
Never 0 3.7 % 0 0
Other
3.7 %
I do not know
Scale of frequency
Your teachers correct
your oral English
language mistakes
Always 37%
Most of the time 40.7 %
Sometimes 22.3 %
Rarely 0
Never 0
Other 0
Scale
What is your self-efficacy perception on
your oral fluency in the English language?
Satisfied 55.6 %
Unsatisfied 37%
Need improvement 7.4 %
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English Majors’ Perceptions on Factors Influencing the Development of their Oral Fluency
Guevara-Betancourt, Flores Albuja
Unidad de Cooperación Universitaria. Universidad Técnica de Manabí. Portoviejo. Ecuador
Table 5
Common Difficulties to Develop Oral Fluency
Source: The authors (2019).
Table 5 evidences the most common unified difficulties listed by the
English majors, and they refer to the fact they are learning in an EFL
context where their exposure to the target language is limited, and as
Bhattacharya (2017), to use the language is not enough you have to use it,
not only in class with academic English but outside of it with expressions
and English for real life situations. In the same like Karimy and Pishkar
(2017) make reference to the fact that to develop oral fluency is even
harder for EFL learners, they point out the importance of identifying
difficulties and working on possible mechanisms that have an incidence
on the oral fluency, which is a complex task. In this question learners refer
to the lack of interaction and according to Guevara-Betancourt (2015)
interaction have benefits underlying the constructivist theory which
ensures the student learn by doing; consequently if students want to
become fluent in the language they have to produce it, in a way that his
brain get to the point of thinking in the target language without the need
of translating. At the same time doubts and hesitations about unknown
words and its correct pronunciation will not be an issue either.
Derakhshan and Karimi (2015) state that there are previous studies which
evidence a positive transfer on second language, and in this specific case
English has Latin roots as well as Spanish does; therefore, first language
can facilitate the acquisition of the second language.
Table 6
Strategies Used to Develop Oral Fluency outside the Classroom
Source: The authors (2019).
In Table 6 the English several aspects are evidenced as important to
keep in mind from a teachers’ and learners’ perspective due to its
effectiveness, and they are language exposure, interaction, pronunciation
practice, error correction, and fluency development instruction. There are
many experts in the EFL teaching and learning, a variety of studies and
some research done in this field but coming from EFL learners who
consider them as effective, they imply the core findings of this research.
Imane (2016) points out that teaching speaking, in other words developing
oral fluency, is a challenge beyond this goal it is the learners’ need to use
the new language in context and not in an isolated way. Finally, Dormer
(2013) states that the oral fluency in the language becomes an achievable
goal for students when the teacher is the one who promotes it permanently.
4. Discussion
This quantitative study on the English majors’ perceptions about
factors influencing the development of their oral fluency provides the
answer for the first research question which is language exposure that at
the same time facilitates the pronunciation practice and builds self-
confidence and a sense of self-efficacy. This can be possible at not being
afraid of making pronunciation mistakes because learners get used to
interacting inside and outside the classroom using the target language, and
it is reachable if teachers foster oral fluency in a permanent way.
The answer for the second research question has to do with positive
and negative factors, the first negative is the lack of interaction inside, but
especially outside the classroom, due to the fact not all the peers are
willing to use the target language to reply or to ask questions, and not even
to hold an informal conversation where daily common expressions can be
shared and learned. Regarding the second negative factor is the language
exposure because in an EFL context the learner is surrounded by the
native language, aspect that can be overcome by means of the use of
different strategies which in most of the cases are part of the language
instruction, and at following the tips, steps, and different stages to develop
oral fluency in English this obstacle can be turned into something positive.
The positive aspects are the opportunity to get language exposure by
means of activities assigned by the teacher or self-study habits such as
watching movies where a good pronunciation can be enhanced.
Consequently, learners will considerably increase the level of self-
efficacy regarding the oral fluency in the language. Also the insights
presented in this study about the preferences of students for correction of
spoken errors may help teachers to implement more effective instruction,
with the premise that the main decisions teachers have to take are about
when and how to correct spoken errors in order to prevent fossilization
due to the lack of feedback.
This study arose the next research question which is what the causes
are why some leaners become more fluent than others even though they
have similar educational backgrounds and are exposed to the same
language instruction, study habits, and language interaction. This is an
issue that needs a deep analysis in a further research work.
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What do you think are the most common difficulties that English learners face
while developing their oral fluency?
Not a permanent English language exposure
Application of connectors to link sentences
Not everybody is willing to talk in English all the time
Lack of vocabulary and practice
Ignore the correct pronunciation of some words
Fear to talk due to a lack of self-confidence
English is not used for daily common situations but only for academic purposes
Spanish language interference in pronunciation
Lack of English language interaction outside and inside the classroom
Self-practice habits outside the classroom
Think in Spanish
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Listen to English music and watch videos in English to practice pronunciation
Have the main idea clear and look for vocabulary before speaking
Talk to native speakers
Interact with friends not only about academic topics but about personal things in
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Read and practice orally the new vocabulary learned with friends
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Film videos about myself talking and then look for my mistakes and correct them
Apply the teachers’ suggestions when an oral assignment has to be performed
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