Tibetan College Students’Willingness To Communicate In English Class:from A Cultural Perspective

The concept of willingness to communicate (WTC) was originally proposed by McCroskey&Baer (1985) with reference to first or native language (L1) communication in the attempt to describe the diversity in language behaviors. MacIntyre&Charos (1996) applied LI WTC construct for L2studies. MacIntyre et al.(1998) viewed WTC as the "primary goal" of language instruction. L2WTC, as a latent construct of individual difference, has been attached great importance and extensively studied abroad. However, domestic researches started not long ago and so there are few empirical studies on L2WTC, to say nothing of Tibetan region where only Li Shuhua (2010) made a preliminary exploration on Tibetan students’WTC in English as foreign language.The present study investigated the levels of Tibetan college students’WTC in English in class and relevant determinants displayed in the class, analyzed the difference in WTC between Tibetan male and female students, and probed into traditional Tibetan cultural factors influencing Tibetan students’WTC.Subjects of this study included175first-and second-year English majors from Tibetan University, with56pure Tibetans and96pure Han-nationalities. A questionnaire consisting of two parts was adopted. Part one concerns basic information of subjects such as nationality, sex, age, years of learning English, and self-perceived English proficiency. Part two is made up of eight scales adapted from previous studies to measure Tibetan students’L2WTC in English in class and determinants of L2WTC:self-perceived communication competence, communication apprehension, motivation and attitude, language class risk-taking, learner beliefs, teacher immediacy, and group cohesiveness. Data collected from the questionnaire were processed using SPSS for Windows Version13. Cronbach’s alpha for each of the scales was computed separately to examine the internal consistency of the items of each scale. Descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test and correlation analyses were conducted.Major results and findings of the present study can be summarized as follows. Firstly, Tibetan students’WTC in English in class, risk-taking, self-perceived communication competence, self-perceived English listening, reading, writing and overall proficiency are all significantly lower than those of Han students, but their self-perceived English speaking proficiency indicates no significant difference from that of Han students. Secondly, Tibetan students are significantly more apprehensive than Han students while communicating in English in class and they are more negative in learner beliefs. Thirdly, no statistical significances were revealed in motivation and attitude, teacher immediacy, or class cohesiveness between Tibetan and Han students. Fourthly, all determinants but risk-taking and teacher immediacy demonstrate significant correlations to Tibetan students’WTC in English in class. Fifthly, there is no significant difference between Tibetan males and females in their WTC or any of WTC determinants. Finally, traditional cultural factors influencing Tibetan students’WTC in English in class and determinants of WTC are perception of right-speech, belief of self-completion, obedience to Buddha, group consciousness, traditional monastery education model, and conflicts among Tibetan culture, English culture and mainstream Han culture.The findings of this study suggest some implications for teachers. They should fully realize the impact of traditional Tibetan culture and culture conflict on students’WTC in English in class, help students understand English culture, change their intrinsic perceptions and attitudes, improve learning methods and strategies, reduce apprehension and alter learner beliefs, develop communication confidence and become more risk-taking. Only in this way can teachers create a relaxing and harmonious atmosphere in class to enhance Tibetan students’willingness to communicate in English.