EFL Students’ Cultural Intelligence and Their Performance in Speaking Skill: A Correlational Study

Tareq Jawad Ramadhan Mohammad, Dr. Shoaib Saied Abdulfattah Al-Fahady

Vol. 16, Jul-Dec 2023

Abstract:

Effective command of speaking skill is essential. Mastery of speaking skill, however, is best polished by having a good level of cultural intelligence. Therefore, the present study investigates the correlational relationship between these two important aspects, namely, cultural intelligence and speaking skill of Iraqi EFL learners. The study aims to better understand the correlation between these variables. It asks the question of whether or not there is any correlation between cultural intelligence and speaking skill. To achieve this aim, the null hypothesis is set, which hypothesizes that there will be no statistically significant difference in the correlation of the two variables. To test the hypotheses and attain the study aims, a sample of 60 undergraduate third-year students at the College of Education, Department of English for the academic year 2022-2023, in the morning study, were randomly chosen. A quantitative approach is followed within the correlational design. To collect the data from this sample, two research instruments were employed in this study. These instruments were an adopted Cultural Intelligence Scale (Self-Report Questionnaire) and an Oral Interview Test. The collected data were statistically analyzed using suitable statistical tests. The findings of the statistical analysis demonstrated that there is a positive correlation between the sample’s cultural intelligence level and their performance in speaking skill. However, the results showed no statistically significant difference in the correlation between the male and female participants’ performance on the tests.

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