What’s Harder: Reading, Writing, Listening or Speaking?: Ecuadorian Students’ Perceptions of the Four Macro-Skills

Resumen

This study sought to better understand the relationship between Ecuadorian university students’ high
school English learning experiences and their emotions regarding the four macro-skills. This built on previous
studies about affect in second language learning. The main study methods employed were surveys
with short answer sections, analysing the trends using t-tests, graphic representation and means, as well
as coding non-empirical responses. The study found a weak relationship between students’ high school
experiences and their perceptions for speaking and writing, and a very weak relationship for listening and
reading. Findings provide an important contribution to work on EFL in Latin American tertiary contexts,
as well as adding to the discussion of affect in second language learning. The study presents a meditation
upon the role of emotion in learning that would be valuable for all EFL and second language professional