Understanding willingness to communicate in L2 between Korean and Taiwanese students

Abstract

This study examined Korean ( n = 143) and Taiwanese ( n = 261) EFL students’ willingness to communicate in a second language (L2 WTC) in in-class, out-of-class, and digital settings. Follow-up interviews ( n = 20) were also conducted to identify factors that might have influenced their L2 WTC. Results showed that Korean and Taiwanese participants scored lowest on L2 WTC inside the classroom. The qualitative data suggest that L2 speaking anxiety might have equally influenced both groups’ L2 WTC. Additionally, while Korean students scored higher on L2 WTC outside the classroom than Taiwanese students, the Taiwanese scored higher on L2 WTC in digital settings than did the Koreans. The qualitative data revealed that these discrepancies might have been influenced by English environment and teaching practice. These findings suggest that East Asian learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) can become more willing to communicate when sufficient opportunities for English use are provided through instructional and institutional support.

The role of Informal Digital Learning of English in Korean and Swedish EFL learners’ communication behaviour

“…The questionnaire used in the study consisted of three parts—(1) L2 WTC, (2) IDLE and (3) demographic data. The L2 WTC Scale, which had been employed in a comparative study of L2 WTC (Lee et al, 2019), is a five‐item questionnaire that was used to measure L2 WTC in the classroom (‘When you are given a chance to talk freely in an English class’; five items). All items were marked on 5‐point Likert scale (1 = definitely not willing; 5 = definitely willing).…”

“…Lee et al (2020) extended Lee et al’s (2019) comparative study by investigating L2 WTC between Korean and Swedish secondary school students (both groups aged 16–19 years). The researchers indicated that different educational (eg, test‐oriented vs. communicative‐oriented pedagogy), socio‐linguistic (eg, monolingual vs. multilingual residents) and socio‐cultural environments (eg, a homogeneous vs. an ethnically diverse society) might have uniquely influenced the Korean and Swedish cohorts’ level of L2 motivation and attitudes towards English accents, which, subsequently, might have led to different levels of L2 WTC in the classroom.…”

“…More recently, due to the critical role that culture plays in one's communication behaviour (Condit, 2000), researchers have begun undertaking comparative studies on L2 WTC. Lee et al (2019) conducted one of the first comparative studies between Korean and Taiwanese EFL students’ L2 WTC after ensuring ‘the measurement equivalence between the cultures compared’ (Hsu, 2007, p. 360). The researchers found that there was no significant difference in L2 WTC inside the classroom between both cohorts, which shared similar cultural (eg, group cohesiveness) and educational environments (eg, accuracy‐oriented teaching pedagogy).…”

The Predictability of Chinese English as a Foreign Language Students’ Willingness to Communicate Through Teachers’ Immediacy and Teacher–Student Rapport

“…Many studies investigated the relationship among teacher immediacy, teacher–student rapport, and learners’ motivation, learners’ engagement, satisfaction, and their learning outcomes ( Hsu, 2010 ). In recent years, some studies have focused on recognizing the teacher–student relationship as a contextual topic ( Lee et al, 2019 ). Burke-Smalley (2018) argued that culture and context might impact teacher immediacy and teacher–student rapport and their willingness to communicate in EFL contexts.…”

“…Psychological or moral actions include tasks, such as motivating, persuading, rewarding, punishing, and planning. In addition to logical and psychological actions, teachers also refer to ethical teaching actions in which the teachers demonstrate characteristics, such as honesty, courage, tolerance ( Pishghadam et al, 2021b ), compassion, respect, and fairness ( Lee et al, 2019 ). Communication with teachers and the quality of their acceptance improve students’ motivation in academic activities ( Fallah, 2014 ), and their emotional and social performance ( Henry and Thorsen, 2018 ).…”