Teacher support, task design, and ICT integration: Unraveling the mediating role of communication anxiety in second language students' willingness to communicate

The influence of communication anxiety on English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' willingness to communicate (WTC) is well-documented. However, the role of teachers, including task design, teacher support, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) integration on L2 WTC in the context of digital transformation of education remains underexplored. This study investigates how these teacher-related factors affect learners' L2 WTC by considering the mediating effect of communication anxiety. An online survey was administered to 620 EFL learners from three universities in eastern China, yielding 607 valid responses. Structural Equation Modeling was applied for data analysis. Key findings reveal that: task design significantly influences both communication anxiety and learners' L2 WTC. Interestingly, while the integration of ICT significantly mitigates communication anxiety, it does not translate into an enhanced L2 WTC. Furthermore, teacher support, despite its acknowledged importance, does not significantly alter the levels of communication anxiety or L2 WTC among learners. This null effect warrants further exploration and suggests that the influence of teacher support may be more nuanced than previously thought. Most notably, communication anxiety mediates the relationship between task design and ICT use with L2 WTC, emphasizing the centrality of affective factors in language acquisition and highlights the need to address communication anxiety as a key component in the design of language learning interventions. This study contributes valuable knowledge to the field of language learning and instruction, offering practical implications for educators and learners.