In the second in a short series of posts, Prof. Hayo Reinders continues to explore the concept of Willingness to Communicate.
Gauging levels of Willingness to Communicate
If increasing learners’ WTC is an important goal in language teaching, then it is important for teachers to be able to determine their students’ current level of WTC as well as any changes therein. To start with, how is WTC different from actual L2 communication? Although the amount a learner interacts in the target language is an important measure in and of itself, learners who are willing to speak sometimes do not (for example, because they are not given the chance), and learners who do speak may sometimes do so even when they are not ready for it (for example, when they are called on by the teacher), which may result in anxiety and even an antipathy toward communicating in the target language. WTC is a bit more subtle, as it refers not to the act of speaking only, but the learner’s readiness and willingness to speak and listen.
It therefore reflects the learner’s state of mind and attitude toward communicating. WTC is related to motivation, but also separate from it. A learner can be motivated to speak but not feel ready to actually do so in class.
One measure of WTC that is easy for teachers to use is a questionnaire with items that ask learners about different aspects of communicating in English. An example of such a questionnaire can be found online at the Digital Culture & Education journal.
Such questionnaires usually include questions relating to learners’ feelings and anxiety about, and self-confidence in, using English, as well as questions about their self-perceived use of English for different purposes. Teachers who have used instruments such as this report they are particularly useful when comparing the results with actual classroom interaction, and when looking at the impact of new teaching methods or materials on students’ WTC (see below).
Ways of encouraging Willingness to Communicate
Research on language teaching has identified several teaching strategies and specific classroom environments that help increase learners’ WTC. Aubrey (2011), for example, found that the most successful teachers were those who
• cultivated group cohesiveness;
• actively lowered students’ anxiety;
• made the lesson topic interesting and relevant to the students;
• facilitated student acceptance of the communicative approach;
• encouraged positive attitudes toward the cultural aspect of language learning.
In addition to these, Cao and Philip (2006), in a study in New Zealand, further identified familiarity with interlocutors (“Do the learners know each other?”), topical familiarity (“How well do the learners understand the topic of conversation?”), and self-confidence (“Are the learners given encouragement and positive feedback that helps them to feel secure and confident?”) as important factors. Other studies have shown the benefits of the use of technology. For example, Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) has been shown to play a role in developing WTC (Compton 2004), as has the use of digital games (Reinders 2012).
It is clear from the above that some of the factors contributing to WTC are related to the teacher and some are related to the environment and the materials and activities provided therein. In my next post, I will look briefly at each of these and give some examples of how they can be achieved in the language classroom.
Ensure to check out my previous post about understanding and encouraging willingness to communicate!
References
Cao, Y., and J. Philp. 2006. Interactional context and willingness to communicate: A comparison of behavior in whole class, group and dyadic interaction. System 34(4):480–93.
Reinders, H., ed. 2012. Digital games in language learning and teaching. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.