VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES ********************* PHAN THI ̣ MAI HƢƠNG FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENTS’ WILLINGNESS TO COMMUNICATE IN ENGLISH IN CLASSROOM (NGHIÊN CỨU YẾU TỐ ẢNH HƯỞNG ĐẾN SỰ TỰ GIÁC GIAO TIẾP CỦA SINH VIÊN BẰNG TIẾNG ANH TRONG LỚP HỌC) M. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field : English Teaching Methodology Code : 60140111 HA NOI-2014 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES ******************** PHAN THI ̣ MAI HƢƠNG FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENTS’ WILLINGNESS TO COMMUNICATE IN ENGLISH IN CLASSROOM (NGHIÊN CỨU YẾU TỐ ẢNH HƯỞNG ĐẾN SỰ TỰ GIÁC GIAO TIẾP CỦA SINH VIÊN BẰNG TIẾNG ANH TRONG LỚP HỌ C) M. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field : English Teaching Methodology Code : 60140111 Supervisor : Dr Lê Văn Canh HA NOI-2014 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com DECLARATION I hereby, certify the thesis entitled “Factors affecting students’ willingness to communicate in English in classroom” is the result of my own research for the Degree of Master of Arts at University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. The thesis has not been submitted for any degree at any other universities or institutions.
I agree that the origin of my paper deposited in the library can be accessible for the purposes of study. Hanoi, 2014 Phan Thi Mai ̣ Hƣơng i TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am indebted to many whose warm support, cheerful encouragement, and genuine guidance have been deeply appreciated. First, I would like to express my immerse gratitude to Doctor Lê Văn Canh, my supervisor, who has patiently guided me through the research process for his insightful comments, invaluable guidance, thoughtful suggestions and inspiration. I am profoundly grateful to all those who participated, the wonderful students at Hai Phong Private University, who acted as subjects.
I would like to make special mention to my husband, who has given me an unending supply of all sorts of help and whose support has made it possible for me to complete this study. Thanks also go to family and friends for their encouragement. ii TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.11 ABSTRACT Willingness to communicate (WTC) has gained an increasing amount of attention in the area of second language acquisition (SLA). Despite the rich findings from previous researches, most of the previous studies have been conducted in Western countries.
Until recently, little research related to WTC has been conducted in a foreign language learning (EFL) context where there is usually no immediate linguistic need for learners to use English in their daily life. The present study aimed to examine the extent to which the students are willing to communicate in English in the classroom according to their self-report, and factors that might affect the students‟ willingness to communicate in an English as a foreign language context. A mixed-method approach design was employed in order to explore the different aspects of WTC construct. Data was collected through a questionnaire and interviews.
The participants, 120 Vietnamese tertiary students, completed the WTC questionnaire. Follow-up interview were then conducted with 12 participants. The findings of this study shows that students‟ WTC is a complex issue because it is affected by multiple factors related to the nature of classroom tasks, the students‟ proficiency level and other learner factors. A number of factors that appeared to affect their WTC in classroom were identified as: self-confidence, language attitude, self-perceived L2 proficiency, motivation and personality.
The results of this study contribute to the theoretical foundation and methodology of the WTC construct. This study also provided pedagogical implications for English language teachers. The limitations of this study and suggestions for future research were also identified. iii TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.11 TABLE OF CONTENT PART A: INTRODUCTION.
Aims and objectives of the study. Scope of the study. Design of the study. 4 CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW .1 Definition of Willingness to communicate (WTC) .2 Heuristic Model of WTC in L2 .3 Factors affecting students‟ WTC .4 Classroom WTC in L2.
12 CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH MOTHODOLOGY .2 Participants and context .2 Data collection procedures. 18 CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION. 19 iv TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.2 Qualitative data: Factors likely to influence L2 WTC. Limitations of the study and suggestions for further studies.
35 LIST OF REFERENCES. 37 APPENDIX A: WTC Questionnaire (English version). I v TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail. Rationale Among the four popular foreign languages in Vietnam: English, Chinese, Russian, and French, English has been the most popular since 1989 in political, economic, and socio-cultural aspects of Vietnam.
One reason for its popularity lies in Vietnam‟s establishment of diplomatic relationships with 174 countries, and economic and trade ties with almost all countries and territories in the world. Evidently, English competence enhances the presence of Vietnamese because English is used as a means of communication in these organizations. In addition, the current popularity of English in Vietnam arises from common demand because English is the key to science, technology and commerce. In terms of how the popularity of English has influenced common Vietnamese, the processes of modernization, industrialization, integration, and globalization provide the Vietnamese with more opportunity to improve their study, work, and living conditions.
However, these processes and opportunities also force them to work harder to be better prepared for social demands. In particular, Vietnamese more and more are required to be able to communicate in English and even be fluent in English for work and study in an international environment. Modern language pedagogy attaches a lot of importance to communication and training language learners who are able to communicate effectively in the target language. In a language classroom following communicative approach, language teachers are eager to have learners who are willing to use the language in class.
The reason is that researches have shown that a lack of willingness to use the language results in ineffective interaction and language production. So, it is true that the notion of Willingness to Communicate (WTC) plays a key role in learning a second/foreign language. MacIntyre et al. (1998) conceptualized a heuristic model of WTC in L2 in order to explain the interrelations among affective variables influencing the WTC in L2.
The heuristic model is associated with the perspective that “authentic communication in a L2 can be seen as the result of a complex system 1 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.11 of interrelated variables” (MacIntyre et al. The heuristic model is also associated with the perspective that the L2 student‟s intention to communicate (WTC) is significantly connected to his/her actual L2 communication. Despite the rich findings from previous researches, most of the previous studies have been conducted in Western countries. Until recently, little research related to WTC has been conducted in a foreign language learning (EFL) context where there is usually no immediate linguistic need for learners to use English in their daily life.
Therefore, understanding the variables that might increase or decrease language learners‟ opportunities and readiness to speak in language classrooms seems to be pertinent in today‟s context. Aims and objectives of the study This study aims at: (1) Exploring the extent to which students are willing to communicate in English classes; and (2) Identifying factors that might affect students‟ willingness to communicate in English classes. These two aims are specified into the following objectives: (1) Gaining understanding of how students participate in English speaking tasks in the classroom. (2) Finding out why students participate in classroom tasks and the way they do 3.
Research Questions In order to achieve the above aims and objectives, the study was designed to find out answers to the following research questions: 1. How willing are the students to communicate in English in the classroom according to their self-reports? 2. What factors likely affects the students‟ willingness to communicate in the classroom? 2 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail. Scope of the study The study limits itself to the investigation into how students in one private university participate in classroom speaking tasks and the factors affecting their participation.
Thus, the study itself is largely a survey study. Methods of the study A mixed-method approach was adopted in this study to achieve its aims and objectives. For the quantitative part of the study, which could find out the general level of the selected participants‟ WTC, the researcher randomly selected four level 3 classes (30 students each) of students to take part in the questionnaire survey. For the qualitative part of this study, which could help to find out factors influencing students‟ WTC, the researcher randomly selected 16 students from the 120 students who had completed the questionnaire to take part in the individual interviews (four from each class).
Design of the study This thesis consists of three chapters. Chapter One reviews previous literature and research relevant to the research questions addressed in this study. It also introduces the fundamental theoretical knowledge underlying WTC, and reviews some major findings from empirical research studies concerning L2 WTC. Previous researches are subsequently listed and as a consequence, two research questions are raised for investigation.
Chapter Two describes the methodological approach employed in the current study. A mixed-method design is adopted to enrich the data from different perspectives. The major research instruments, the WTC questionnaire and semi- structured interviews are identified. This chapter also describes procedures for collecting and analyzing data.
Chapter Three reports key findings from an analysis of the research data. These include results based on the use of both quantitative and qualitative research techniques. Results from a content analysis of the interview data are also considered. This chapter also summarizes the key findings of this study.
3 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.11 PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 1.1 Definition of Willingness to communicate (WTC) WTC is a relatively new variable in SLA. The notion of WTC was originally introduced with reference to first language communication, and it was considered to be a personality-based, trait-like predisposition that remained stable across different communication situations (McCroskey & Richmond, 1991). As such, WTC can be conceptualized as a goal of second language instruction, a variable that facilitates language learning itself, and an internal psychological event with socially meaningful consequences. Initiating communication represents the culmination of a network of processes at both the cultural and individual levels.
In essence, the notion entails an intention to initiate a communicative behaviour, and this behavioural intention is often predictive of actual behaviour (MacIntyre, 1994). WTC in L2, however, was reinterpreted as a situational variable, open to change across situations. It was defined as “a readiness to enter into discourse at a particular time with a specific person or persons, using a L2” (MacIntyre, Dörnyei, Clément, & Noels, 1998, p. Specific to a L2 classroom, WTC was defined by Oxford (1997) as “a student’s intention to interact with others in the target language, given the chance to do so” (p.
WTC is also defined as a learner‟s „„readiness to enter into discourse at a particular time with a specific person or persons, using a L2” (MacIntyre et al. As Dörnyei (2003) points out, competence in the L2 may not be enough. Learners need to be not only able to communicate but also willing to communicate in the L2. Research has shown that a learner‟s WTC influences how frequently the learner actively engages in communicating in the L2 (Cle´ment et al., 2003; Yashima et al.
Thus MacIntyre et al. (1998) propose that WTC in L2 should be 4 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.11 conceptualized as the primary goal of language instruction and as a comprehensive conceptual framework to describe, explain and predict L2 communication behavior.2 Heuristic Model of WTC in L2 MacIntyre et al. The level of conceptualisation, intergroup communication process, and the issue of time were all integrated in this pyramid model.