Relationship between Willingness to Communicate in English and Classroom Environment

Abstract

Under a hybrid theoretical perspective involving positive psychology (PosPsy) and ecological paradigm, this research attempts to explore the interrelationship between classroom environment and willingness to communicate (WTC) in English among EFL (English as a foreign language) learners in the normal universities in Shandong province, China. A survey method is used engaging a questionnaire comprised of demographic information and items on classroom environment and L2 WTC. The statistical analysis was conducted based on 128 returned questionnaires. The findings confirmed that the EFL students in Shandong normal universities perceived themselves as having a high level of L2 WTC and classroom environment. What's more, a statistically significant positive relationship that is moderately strong between L2 WTC and classroom environment was found. Moreover, the multiple regression analysis identified that teacher support is the classroom environment dimension that is a statistically significant predictor of L2 WTC. The fitness indexes of the proposed structural model achieved the fitness required for Ratio Chisq/df (Chi-square/ Degrees of Freedom), CFI (Comparative Fit Index), and RMSEA (Root Mean Square of Error Approximation) at an acceptable level. Hence, the proposed structural model was established for this research.

A Model of Willingness to Communicate in English in Iranian EFL Classroom Context

“…To understand the relationships among various variables and willingness to communicate, MacIntyre et al (1998) proposed the most comprehensive willingness to communicate model, which identified two groups of variables, namely trait-like variables and situational context variables. The original model has been tested in several second language teaching contexts, for example, in China (Kun et al, 2020), Iran (Aliakbari et al, 2016), Japan (Aoyama & Takahashi, 2020), Pakistan (Bukhari et al, 2015), Poland (Mystkowska-Wiertelak, 2016), Taiwan (Lin, 2019), Thailand (Jongsermtrakoon & Vibulphol, 2010;Pattapong, 2015), and Turkey (Basöz & Erten, 2019). Recent development of the willingness to communicate model was influenced by the study of positive psychology which focused on positive internal and external variables such as emotion, grit, flow experience, and enjoyment (Dewaele & Dewaele, 2018;Dewaele & Pavelescu, 2021;Lee, 2020;Lee & Drajati, 2019;Lee & Hsieh, 2019;MacIntyre et al, 2019).…”

A model of willingness to communicate in English in Iranian EFL classroom context

“…Their heuristic WTC model identifies two groups of variables, namely trait-like variables and situational context variables (MacIntyre et al, 1998). Since then, the model has been tested in several second language teaching contexts including Iran (Alemi & Pahmforoosh, 2012), Thailand (Jongsermtrakoon & Vibulphol, 2010;Pattapong, 2015), Pakistan (Bukhari et al, 2015), Turkey (Basöz & Erten, 2019;Cetinkaya, 2005), Poland (Mystkowska-Wiertelak, 2016), Taiwan (Lin, 2019), and Japan (Aoyama & Takahashi, 2020), China (Kun et al, 2020). The findings from these studies suggested the dynamic relationship among the variables in different contexts.…”