Classroom willingness to communicate among EFL secondary school students in Poland and Spain

Authors

Keywords:

in-class Willingness to Communicate, English as a Foreign Language, secondary school students, Poland, Spain

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to analyze the classroom Willingness to Communicate (WTC) of EFL learners in secondary schools in Poland and Spain, and to identify the factors that predict this type of WTC in both settings. The study found limited practical significance in the differences between the two groups’ WTC, with more similarities than differences emerging in the circumstances that encouraged or inhibited communication. The study examined several potential predictors of WTC, including gender, age, socioeconomic status (SES), relative standing among peers in oral production and interaction, Foreign Language Enjoyment (FLE), Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety (FLCA), and intercultural sensitivity. Of these factors, five (relative standing among peers in oral production and interaction, FLE, FLCA, extroversion and intercultural sensitivity) were found to predict classroom WTC in both settings. The study concludes by discussing some practical implications of these findings for EFL teaching at the secondary level.

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Author Biographies

Marta Napiórkowska, University of Málaga

Marta Napiórkowska is a Secondary School Teacher at Beatriz Galindo Secondary School (Motril, Spain) and a Ph.D. Student in Linguistics, Literature and Translation Degree (University of Malaga, Spain). She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Translation and Interpreting (University of Málaga, Spain), a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish Studies (Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland) a Master’s Degree in Teaching Compulsory Secondary Education (University of Málaga, Spain) and a Master's Degree in English Studies (University of Málaga, Spain).

Elvira Barrios, University of Málaga

Elvira Barrios is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Education of the University of Málaga (Spain). She is a specialist in foreign language teaching and teacher education. Her research interests include willingness to communicate, foreign language enjoyment, language anxiety, bilingual education, and language learning beliefs. She has published in leading academic journals such as Language Teaching Research, or Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development.

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Published

2024-06-28

How to Cite

Napiórkowska, M., & Barrios, E. (2024). Classroom willingness to communicate among EFL secondary school students in Poland and Spain. Porta Linguarum An International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching and Learning, (42). Retrieved from https://revistaseug.ugr.es/index.php/portalin/article/view/28741

Issue

No. 42 (2024): June [Tentative version]

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Articles

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