An Investigation Into EFL Learners’ Willingness To Communicate In A Chinese College

In the past few decades, willingness to communicate (WTC) in a second language (L2) has attracted much attention from researchers in the field of second language acquisition. Researchers argue that language learning should lay emphasis on practical language usage rather than on exam-orientated skills, and that students should be willing to communicate with others by using the target language. However, Chinese English learners are thought to have better performance in language tests than in oral communications. Wen (2003) claimed that the fundamental issue of L2 research in China was to provoke students’L2 WTC in order to enhance the effectiveness of English teaching.This study mainly focuses on investigating:(1) the general tendency and characteristics of Chinese EFL college students’WTC in English; (2) the differences of WTC in English between high proficiency students and low proficiency students; (3) the relationship between Chinese college students’self-perceived communication competence and their WTC. By obtaining an objective and overall understanding of college English learners’WTC and its relationship to their language proficiency level, the study is expected to help language teachers to find ways for students to foster their WTC in L2 learning.130 participants were randomly selected from students range from sophomore to senior in Jiangxi Normal University in this study. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used in the study. In the quantitative study, three scales were adopted: Participant Background Information Questionnaire, Willingness to Communicate in English Scale (WTCE) and Self-Perceived Communication Competence Scale (SPCC). For the analysis of data, SPSS 19.0 was used for Descriptive Statistics, Independent Sample T-test and Pearson Correlation Analyses. In the qualitative study, eight interviewees were selected for the semi-structured interview, so as to provide some supplements for the findings in the quantitative study.The major findings in this study can be summed up as follows:(1) the participants in this study have relatively low level of WTC in English; (2) the participants are more willing to communicate in some situations than in others. WTC are higher with two kinds of receivers (Friend, Acquaintance) and in two communication context (Public, Meeting); (3) the participants of high English proficiency level have relatively higher WTC than their counterparts of low proficiency group; (4) the participants have relatively low level of self-perceived communication competence, and their SPCC appears to be a predictor of WTC.On the basis of the findings above, some implications for English language teaching and learning can be offered in three aspects:(1) teachers should attach more importance to foster and enhance students’WTC in college English teaching; (2) teachers should create relaxing and harmonious communication atmospheres for students in class, and they should choose some interesting topics for the communication activities; (3) teachers should set up friendly and intimate images to their students and give more positive feedback to their students, so that their students can build up their confidence in communicating by using English.