Abstract
Willingness to communicate (WTC) has increasingly received the attention of second language researchers and practitioners in the past decades. WTC in a second/foreign language (L2) refers to L2 students' willingness to involve in conversation with a certain person or people at a specified time using a second language. Although students' communicative competence in the second language may be predicted by WTC, the role of WTC in L2 acquisition in Vietnamese situations is understudied. This chapter argues for the importance of relating aspects of L2 WTC to Vietnamese cultures, motivated by the author's wish to add to the literature on WTC. First, the chapter reviews the literature on WTC in a second language. Then, the roles of culture on WTC are discussed. Finally, the chapter presents suggestions for tackling elements of students' WTC in Vietnamese EFL classes.
Top2. Willingness To Communicate
WTC is a concept that describes the probability that a speaker will choose to participate in a conversation of their own volition. It was originally developed for first language acquisition, but it has also been applied to second language learning and teaching. The most influential model of WTC in second language is proposed by MacIntyre et al. (1998), who defined WTC as “a readiness to enter into discourse at a specific time with a specific person or persons’ using a L2” (p. 547). They argued WTC is a dynamic and situation-specific construct that depends on the interplay of various layers of variables, such as linguistic, psychological, communicative, and social factors. They also suggested that WTC is the outcome of a motivational process that involves the learners’ attitudes, beliefs, intentions, and self-perceptions.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Willingness to Communicate (WTC): Willingness to communicate (WTC) refers to the psychological readiness of an individual to initiate or engage in communication with other when the chance occurs.
Situational Factors: Situational factors are the environmental or contextual elements that affect one’s WTC, such as interlocutors, topics, tasks, and settings.
Personal Factors: Personal factors are the individual characteristics that influence one’s WTC, such as personality, motivation, self-confidence, and anxiety.
L2 Willingness to Communicate (L2 WTC): L2 Willingness to communicate (L2 WTC) refers to the psychological readiness of an individual to initiate or engage in a second/foreign language communication with other when the chance occurs.