The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Foreign Language Learning Anxiety and theiir effect on the development of speaking skills Among Turkish Persian Learners

This study explores the relationship between emotional intelligence, language learning anxiety, and speaking proficiency among Turkish-speaking Persian learners. Focusing on the importance of speaking skills in second language acquisition, the research investigates how emotional intelligence and anxiety affect learners' speaking abilities. Data were collected using the Bar-On Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire, the Horwitz Foreign Language Anxiety Scale, and an oral proficiency test. The sample included 32 beginner-level Turkish-speaking Persian learners, aged 32-36, enrolled in Persian language institutes. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted, including Pearson correlation and univariate regression. Results revealed a significant positive correlation between emotional intelligence and speaking proficiency, with learners having higher emotional intelligence showing better speaking skills. In contrast, a negative correlation was found between language learning anxiety and speaking proficiency, indicating that greater anxiety leads to poorer performance. Additionally, a significant inverse relationship between emotional intelligence and language anxiety was found, suggesting that emotionally intelligent learners experience lower anxiety. The study highlights the importance of fostering emotional intelligence to reduce anxiety and improve speaking skills in second language learners, recommending its integration into language education programs.