EXPLORING THE CORRELATION BETWEEN SELF-CONFIDENCE AND SPEAKING PRACTICES AMONG BACCALAUREATE STUDENTS IN MOROCCO: A CASE STUDY OF BENI MELLAL AND KASBA TADLA HIGH SCHOOLS

Authors

  • Inass Elfari Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Sultan Moulay Slimane University, Beni Mellal, Morocco
  • Yassine Oualla Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Sultan Moulay Slimane University, Beni Mellal, Morocco

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejel.v11i3.6846

Keywords:

EFL learners, self-confidence, speaking skills, affective factors, English language learning

Abstract

The research paper aims to investigate the relationship between self-confidence and speaking skills among EFL learners. It seeks to examine the extent to which various emotional and psychological aspects contribute to improvements in baccalaureate students’ oral performance. Employing a quantitative approach, the study depends on an e-questionnaire administered to forty-eight EFL students from different high schools and educational backgrounds. The participants, who vary in terms of gender, include students from high schools in Beni Mellal and Kasbah Tadla. The findings demonstrate that EFL students who experience fear when speaking in the classroom tend to suffer from lower levels of self-confidence. The latter springs from various affective factors that hinder students’ oral proficiency and the learning process. The results also show that feelings of shyness and uneasiness stand as the main obstacles that disrupt the development of self-confidence in speaking activities. The study, besides, reveals that the fear of giving incorrect answers represents another major factor that discourages students from engaging in oral classroom interaction. Based on the findings, the paper suggests that enhancing learners’ self-confidence fosters communicative competence in English language teaching.

Author Biographies

  • Inass Elfari, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Sultan Moulay Slimane University, Beni Mellal, Morocco

    Inass Elfari is a PhD researcher in language studies and applied linguistics at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, USMS, Beni Mellal. She is also an English teacher at the Regional Academy for Education and Training (AREF) in Beni Mellal-Khenifra. Her research interests mainly include English language teaching, emotional intelligence, learner development and intercultural communication. She has participated in several training programs and international conferences related to education.

  • Yassine Oualla, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Sultan Moulay Slimane University, Beni Mellal, Morocco

    Yassine Oualla is a PhD researcher in literary and cultural studies at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, USMS, Beni Mellal. He is also an English teacher at the Regional Academy for Education and Training (AREF) in Beni Mellal-Khenifra. He previously served as an adjunct instructor in higher education. His research interests mainly revolve around postcolonial studies, African literature, cultural theory, and English language teaching. He has participated in several training programs and international conferences. Besides, he has published scholarly articles on the representation of race, identity, otherness, and body in postcolonial African fiction.

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Published

2026-07-10

Issue

Vol. 11 No. 3 (2026)

Section

Articles

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