Learner-internal and learner-external predictors of Willingness to Communicate in the FL Classroom

Abstract

Willingness to Communicate (WTC), defined as “a readiness to enter into discourse at a particular time with a specific person or persons, using a L2” (MacIntyre, Dörnyei, Clément & Noels, 1998, p. 547), is influenced by a complex interplay of interacting learner-internal variables (including sociobiographical, emotional and macro intergroup variables) and learner-external variables (i.e. teacher-centred) in the foreign language (FL) classroom. The present study attempts to identify the strongest predictors of WTC from 189 British pupils in two high-achieving London secondary schools studying mostly French, German and Spanish as FLs. Correlation analyses followed by multiple regression analyses showed that the strongest predictors of WTC were FL classroom anxiety, frequent FL use by the teacher, a positive attitude towards the FL (a neglected macro intergroup dimension in recent research), followed by high levels of social FL Enjoyment and age. The pedagogical implication is that FL teachers can boost learners’ WTC by creating a positive emotional classroom climate where pupils can overcome their anxiety. Moreover, by generating a genuine interest in the FL and using the FL a lot, teachers can increase their pupils’ levels of WTC.