The affective filter and the speaking skill

Abstract

Speaking skill is one of the most desired ones to achieve among language learners. The factors that may boost a competent or inadequate enhancement of it are several. Within them, it can be found the Affective Filter which has been gaining more attention due to the importance of attitudes for language learning. The goal of this research was to identify the relationship between the affective filter and the speaking skill. The research conducted at the Technical University of Ambato has a qualitative-quantitative nature and a descriptive, bibliographic, field, and correlational modality. The data were obtained from 34 students from the third semester at “Pedagogía de los Idiomas Nacionales y Extranjeros” using a survey and a PET speaking test. The results were statistically analyzed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient formula. In the end, the results demonstrated that there was a relationship between the Affective filter and the Speaking skill showing a strong negative correlation. The Pearson coefficient resulted in rxy= -0,70. This means that if EFL students show low levels of Affective filter, their speaking skill competences will tend to be better than those from students with high filter levels