Psychological Factors Affecting Oral Participation in EFL Upper Basic Students: A Literature Review

The challenge that many EFL instructors encounter is how to get the learners to speak during English lessons. Despite the fact that adolescent students have adequate language competence, aspects such as their psycholo-gical state are what usually prevent them from speaking. The real issue is usually more personal. Several factors contribute to students’ reluctance to participate such as uncertainty about the reaction of their peers, lack of motivation, or simple nervousness while speaking, even though their statements are correct. Psychological ba-rriers have been studied for years, and the results show the impact of the psychological level on participation in the process of learning, particularly at schools. This paper aims to combine the facts extracted from empirical studies regarding psychological issues in oral speech of upper basic EFL students and explore the topics covered adequately and the areas that need investigation using the literature review of scientific databases and search on speaking anxiety, motivation, and participation in class. The goal is not only to present what already exists in the academic world but also to understand what makes some learners speak up while others keep silent.