The Importance of Teacher’s Sociability in Enhancing EFL Learners’ Engagement in Oral Performance

Abstract

The present extended essay attempts at investigating the relationship between EFL learners’ oral engagement and the teacher’s sociability. In other words, it aims at stressing the teacher’s sociability as an effective factor to enhance students’ engagement in oral performance. The current study is based on the hypothesis that if there is a less threatening learning environment that can be provided by the teacher, more elaborate oral involvement from the part of the students would be shown. The descriptive method was followed in this study in order to stress the relationship between the three variables. Attempting to validate the hypothesis put earlier, three means of investigation were conducted; a classroom observation of second year secondary school classes at Terkhoucch Ahmed and Belhouchet Cherif Secondary Schools(one hour devoted for each of the four classes) , a questionnaire addressed to second year students at these two secondary schools (sixty pupils), and an interview conducted with six teachers from the previously mentioned schools. The analysis of these means of investigation resulted in the conclusion that the teachers’ sociability has a prevailing role in enhancing their students’ oral participation and engagement. The findings showed also that sociable behaviours displayed by teachers dramatically boost their learners’ involvement while performing orally in English. The results of the analysis confirmed that social and emotional programs foster the learners’ willingness to express their minds and ideas using the English language in hand without feeling enchained by some psychological factors like fear, low self-esteem, low self-confidence or shyness. Additionally, engaging learners in interesting topics is really supportive and motivating. Thus, teachers’ sociable behaviours in the class as well as their good choice of topics can noticeably affect positively the engagement of their pupils in oral performance.