The Effects of Shyness on Pre-service Teachers’ Speaking Skills

Resumen

Speaking is one of the essential skills for the professional development of pre-service teachers, as oral communication is indispensable for teaching practice. However, emotional barriers such as shyness can hinder the development of these skills. Therefore, this study aims to explore the effects of shyness on the speaking skills of pre-service teachers. A qualitative study was conducted with 11 freshmen students in the Pedagogy of National and Foreign Languages program at a university in Ecuador. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and field notes. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns among the participants’ answers. The results show that shyness negatively affects the participants’ speaking performance by reducing their confidence, classroom participation, and interaction with their teachers. The participants also reported experiencing nervousness, fear of negative evaluation, and difficulty expressing their ideas during speaking activities. Similarly, they perceive that shyness also causes social anxiety and reduces their confidence when speaking. These results highlight the importance of addressing emotional barriers in the classroom (especially in education-related degree programs) and fostering classroom environments that build confidence and encourage active participation.