The Relationship Between EI (Emotional Intelligence) and Speaking Proficiency in e-Learning

ELearning is permeating every corner of today's education, language learning in particular. ELearning offers a favorable environment for learning the skill of speaking as well. It furnishes learners with facilities to practice a wide range of speaking activities and a variety of feedback on them. The significance of Emotional Intelligence (EI or EQ), in any type of learning, is undeniable and proved by many. As Darwin posited that emotional expression was essential for survival, it is crucial to consider EI in any stage of the design for the survival of e-Learning. Relatively little has been done to highlight the importance of emotional aspects in designing e-Learning courses in language learning. Teachers and e-Learning course designers need to take into account, among other factors involved, their students' emotional intelligence, which easily can be ignored. Hence, the present study intended to find if there is a significant relationship between EI and Speaking Proficiency of Iranian English Language Learners in e-Learning and if such a relationship exists, which of the subcategories of EQ might provide us with a better prediction for SP success. Among 500 volunteered university students wishing to take TOEFL iBT, by administrating Nelson English test, 150 homogeneous participants were randomly selected for the purpose of the study. Participants' ages were between 19 and 22 years old, including both males and females. Firstly, participants' EQ was assessed using Bar-On questionnaire administered on-line. Students then enrolled in a three-month eLearning TEOFL iBT course for speaking on www. elearne.com. At the end of the course, students have participated in TOEFL iBT and informed the researcher of their speaking scores. To analyze the data, Pearson Product Moment correlation coefficient and Multiple Regression have been applied. The results revealed that the correlation between EI and SP is positively significant and among the subgroups of emotional intelligence, the interpersonal aspect provides us with the best prediction for speaking proficiency success in an e-Learning course.