Emotional intelligence and metacognitive awareness in predicting foreign language speaking self-efficacy

Foreign language speaking proficiency is closely linked to cognitive strategies and self-regulatory processes; however, it remains unclear which aspects of individual awareness most strongly predict speaking self-efficacy. This study examines the relationship between emotional intelligence and metacognitive awareness and foreign language speaking self-efficacy. It aims to determine whether students' metacognitive awareness and emotional intelligence affect their speaking self-efficacy. The study designed using an explanatory research design, a type of correlational research method, employed a purposive sampling method, a non-random sampling method. The study aimed to reach students who were learning Turkish as a foreign language at university, knew enough Turkish to provide the necessary data, and were continuing their education to become fluent in Turkish. 113 students studying at B1 level at Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University in the 2024-2025 academic year participated in the study. The Emotional Intelligence Scale, Metacognitive Awareness Inventory, and Speaking Self-Efficacy Scale for Turkish as a Foreign Language Learners were administered to the participants, and multiple regression analyses were conducted on the collected data. The analysis results showed a significant and positive relationship between the students' speaking self-efficacy and metacognitive awareness, while no statistically significant relationship was found between emotional intelligence and speaking self-efficacy. These findings highlight the crucial role of metacognitive awareness in enhancing foreign language speaking self-efficacy and provide insights for designing instructional practices that foster learners' self-regulation in language learning contexts.