The Essential Factors Affecting EFL Learners’ Speaking Skills: A Case Study of an EFL Speaker’s Speech Proficiency

The current study aims to investigate the essential factors affecting EFL learners’ speaking skills by analyzing an advanced Chinese EFL speaker’s speech proficiency. Drawing upon data from structured interviews and other data collection methods (e.g., the FLE questionnaire and the LAMMA aptitude test), the study summarizes the external and internal factors of the participant’s speech proficiency development. The findings of the study suggest that the amount of high-quality input, learners’ emotions and motivation, and interaction play a significant role in EFL learners’ speech development.