Improving learners’ oral fluency through computer-mediated emotional intelligence activities

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that emotional intelligence (henceforth, EI) has a significant impact on important life outcomes (e.g., mental and physical health, academic achievement, work performance, and social relationships). This study aimed to see whether there is any relationship between EI and English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ oral fluency and investigated the possibility of enhancing EI through computer-mediated emotional activities. The participants were 63 students on the Interchange 2 course in a language center in Iran. Participants in the experimental group received EI training using movies with highly emotional content, with the express purpose of inducing them to talk about their emotions and raising their emotional intelligence. Movies shown to the control group did not place any emphasis on emotional content. The results showed a significant increase in EI scores in the experimental group, but no significant change was observed in the control group’s EI scores. Moreover, emotional intelligence correlated positively with the students’ levels of oral fluency.