EFL learners' willingness to communicate in task-specific context

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26580124
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Foreign language education
• Research Institution: Kansai Gaidai College
• Principal Investigator: Toyoda Junko 関西外国語大学短期大学部, 英米語学科, 准教授 (40618104)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: WTC / EFL / Task based learning / Task competence / Situational WTC

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study explores factors influencing EFL learners' situational Willingness to Communicate (WTC) and how this evolves in Task-based Instruction (TBI). The study first investigates individual differences in a linguistic variable (English proficiency) and non-linguistic variables (WTC, affect, attitudes, motivation, and socio-dynamics in the L2) among participants (N = 135) using a questionnaire and English proficiency tests. Then, a series of interaction-based tasks were implemented over six months, and a questionnaire administered after each task to measure the participants’ situational WTC during the task. Results indicate that rather than social variables, individual traits such as motivational, attitudinal, and affective disposition to learn the L2 as well as L2 ability and situational variables strongly correlate with EFL learners' WTC in task. It was revealed that situational perceived competence was key to increasing the learners' situational WTC in task interactions.

Free Research Field

応用言語学外国語教育分野