Exploring the effects of competitive and collaborative speaking activities in EFL students’ motivation and self-efficacy

Competition and collaboration are widely used strategies in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classes to increase meaningful learning and students’ engagement. In this sense, this study aimed to examine the effects of competitive and collaborative speaking activities on the motivation and self-efficacy of EFL learners. For this, a descriptive scope through a systematic review has been made, with research from 2020 to 2025. Initially, 120 articles were found through database searching. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 20 articles remained for study. The main findings were that research indicates notable differences in motivation and self-efficacy responses between students engaged in collaborative versus competitive activities in the EFL classroom, particularly regarding speaking tasks. Results show that in competitive settings, students may experience heightened motivation driven by the desire to outperform peers; however, this can sometimes lead to anxiety and fear of failure, which may negatively impact self-efficacy for some learners. On the contrary, students participating in collaborative activities often report higher levels of intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy. In conclusion, the literature showed a preference for collaborative learning, giving that it gives less anxiety to students than competitive strategies, increasing their benefits.