What is Self-Conscious

Willingness to communicate (WTC) inside the classroom has been vastly investigated. However, little research examines willingness to communicate in classes of English as a medium instruction. This ethnographic case study explored the reasons behind this phenomenon, through class observations and interviews. The findings showed that self-consciousness was the main barrier to their WTC in English as a second/ foreign language (L2WTC). The students were self-conscious of their own English proficiency and the risk of social rejection. Self-consciousness, which was initially found in only some students, gradually spread out and made up a Vietnamese-speaking classroom environment that deprived the whole class of the opportunities to speak English. An in-depth understanding of self-consciousness related to students' L2WTC will enable instructors and administrators to adopt proper measures to safeguard a classroom environment favorable for oral communication in English.