Affective Factors and Oral Productions

Affective Factors and Oral Productions

Daniel Fernando Gélvez Capacho

1094270952

Práctica Integral y Sistematización

Licenciatura en Lenguas Extranjeras Inglés Francés

Facultad de Educación
Universidad de Pamplona

2019
 Affective Factors and Oral Productions

Affective Factors and Oral Productions

Daniel Fernando Gélvez Capacho

1094270952

Presented to:

Clara Noelia Villamizar

Práctica Integral y Sistematización

Licenciatura en Lenguas Extranjeras Inglés Francés

Facultad de Educación
Universidad de Pamplona

2019
 Affective Factors and Oral Productions

Affective factors and oral productions

In the following paragraphs, a study concerning the affective factors that influence
oral activities will be assessed, based on its use of the APA format and its pertinence in the
practicum proposal of the author of this critique.

Generally, the study “Affective Factors That Influence Advanced Level Foreign
Languages Learners’ Oral Activities” conducted by Daniel Leonardo Cárdenas Moreno
follows the parameters of the APA format in a very rigorous way. In the first place, the
aspects related to the presentation of the page are in order, that is to say: the margins of the
whole document correspond to 2.54 cm each one, the pages contain a running head, which
indicates that title of the study, and every page is numbered on the upper right side.
Considering how elusive these elements can be, it is fair to state that this study succeeds in
first stage of the assessment related to the APA standards.

Moving onto aspects related to the presentation of the sections of the study, it is
imperative to say that, the rigorousness that was observed in the first stage of the
assessment, was significantly reduced in this second stage. One factor, which confirms this
statement, concerns the rules when quoting authors. For instance, when defining affective
factors, Cárdenas quoted: “Smith (1971) argued that an attitude is a “relatively enduring
organization of beliefs around an object or a situation, predisposing one to respond in some
preferential manner””. It is imperative to highlight that when quoting in APA format, the
number of the page needs to be added at the end of the quote; this mistake abounds in some
sections of the study.

Continuing with the titles and subtitles, Cárdenas applied several types of headings,
which emphasizes his knowledge of the APA format. The presentation of the titles and
subtitles corresponded to the standards provided by the APA criteria. For instance, when
describing the methodology, Cárdenas used a heading level 3 (indented, boldface,
lowercase paragraph heading) and then, for the subsections of the methodology, he used a
heading level 4 (indented, boldface, italicized, lowercase paragraph heading).

Finally, as for the reference list, Cárdenas carried out a satisfactory task, since he
applied all the elements required to describe the information of an author or a publication.
 Affective Factors and Oral Productions

For the rigorousness observed in the use of the APA format, Cárdenas deserves a 4.5.

Regarding the assessment of the pertinence of this study in the practicum proposal of
the author of this critique, it is crucial to mention that, the research conducted by Cárdenas,
is focused on four main categories, namely, the influence of motivation, attitude and
anxiety during the students’ oral performance, and the use of strategies while using the
target language orally. Cardenas (2018) stated:

The findings of this study show that the affective factors under investigation can be
manageable and for this reason, they depend on the way each learner confront the
different situations that emerge when carrying out the process of foreign language
learning (p. 20).

In other words, the study carried out by Cárdenas, attempted to analyze several
psychological factors that remain present when students express themselves orally in the
target language, and how these factors can be managed to promote and effective oral
performance.

Regarding the practicum proposal of the author of this critique, it is worth mentioning
that it might be linked to the study conducted by Cárdenas, since this proposal is related to
the use of TV series as a tool to develop critical thinking and oral production among fourth-
semester students. By understanding how to increase students’ motivation when working
on oral productions, the researcher can overcome several obstacles such as shyness,
insecurity and low participation. Similarly, it is imperative to discover key strategies that
can be applied to reduce students’ anxiety when they communicate in the target language.
Generally, teachers strive to make foreign language learners communicate fluently in the
second language; however, they disregard the affective factors inherent to this process since
they ignore the strategies useful to tackle these factors. Hence, when working on oral
productions that require students to think critically and to come up with subjective ideas
and comments, it will be essential to, firstly, motivate the students to create a more
engaging environment, and secondly, to study strategies that might reduce the level of
anxiety of the students when speaking in the target language.
 Affective Factors and Oral Productions

References

Cárdenas, D. (2018). Affective Factors That Influence Advanced Level Foreign Languages

Learners’ Oral Activities. University of Pamplona, 1 – 23