Relationship between Chinese Speaking Efficacy and Speaking Ability: For Beginner Learners

This study aims to clarify the relationship between Chinese speaking efficacy and speaking ability for beginner learners. To this end, the constituent factors of learners' Chinese speaking efficacy were first analyzed. Next, the difference in Chinese speaking efficacy according to learner variables was examined. Finally, the relationship between speaking efficacy and speaking ability was investigated. As for results, first, it was extracted into three factors: 'self-direction' factor (54.646%), 'speaking skill' factor (10.487%), and 'negative evaluation' factor (6.473%), and the total variance explanatory power of the factors appeared to be 71.605%. Second, was found that 'self-direction' factor was statistically significantly higher than 'negative evaluation' factor. In other words, it was found that the 'self-direction' efficacy was higher than the 'negative evaluation' efficacy. And in 'negative evaluation' factor, men's efficacy score was statistically significantly higher than that of women. In other words, it was confirmed that female students felt more fear of making mistakes than male students and were more burdened when presenting in front of people. Third, as a result of confirming the relationship between speaking efficacy and speaking ability, there was a significant positive correlation between speaking efficacy and speaking ability in all factors. And there was a significant positive (+) correlation between questions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, and 11 of speaking ability and speaking efficacy. The results of this study are expected to provide basic information necessary to design Chinese speaking education for beginner learners.