Global perspective and willingness to communicate in the Saudi EFL context: A correlational study

This study examines the relationship between global perspective (GP) and willingness to communicate (WTC) among Saudi EFL learners, with a particular focus on the influence of gender. An explanatory sequential mixed methods approach was employed in this research. The study involved administering questionnaires to a sample of 150 undergraduates (96 males, 54 females) and conducting semi-structured interviews with 8 participants (4 males, 4 females) to gain deeper insights. The quantitative results revealed an insignificant difference between GP and WTC in English overall. However, a moderate positive correlation was found between WTC and specific GP domains (cognitive, intrapersonal, and interpersonal). The qualitative interview analysis further highlighted that learners with a higher GP demonstrated greater WTC and were driven by factors such as intercultural awareness and openness to multiculturalism. This study contributes to the understanding of the complex interplay between GP and WTC in English, an area previously underexplored in the context of Saudi EFL learners. The results emphasize the nuanced role that GP plays in influencing learners' willingness to communicate. The findings suggest that educational strategies aimed at enhancing global perspectives among learners could foster a greater willingness to communicate in English. This highlights the importance of integrating elements of intercultural awareness and multicultural openness into EFL curricula to better support student engagement and communication.