A Study of Chinese EFL Students' and Teachers' Perceptions on Willingness to Communicate

This study examines students' and teachers' perceptions of Chinese EFL students' willingness to communicate (WTC) in class, as well as the impact of societal context and personality factors on WTC. Although WTC has been frequently studied in Western contexts, its dynamics within the Chinese educational setting remain unclear. This study captures the complexity of WTC using a mixed-methods approach. A thorough questionnaire was used to gather quantitative results from 350 university students. After that, three experienced teachers and four students participated in semi-structured interviews, qualitative data was collected then. The findings indicate that WTC is influenced by a combination of societal context, including group cohesiveness and teacher support, and personality factors, such as tolerance of ambiguity and risk-taking. Supportive and friendly class environments significantly enhanced students' WTC. Furthermore, students with higher tolerance for ambiguity and moderate risk-taking tendencies were more likely to engage in English communication in class. However, fear of losing face led many students to remain silent despite their language proficiency. Teachers who incorporated group activities, positive feedback, and low-stress communication opportunities effectively promoted students' WTC. This study provides new insights into WTC in Chinese EFL contexts and offers valuable implications for language teaching practices.