Impacts of Interventionist and Interactionist Dynamic Assessment Models on EFL Learners’ Willingness to Communicate

In recent years, the importance of willingness to communicate (WTC) in second language acquisition has gained considerable attention, as it is a crucial factor influencing learners' language use and overall communicative competence. Understanding how various instructional methods can enhance WTC is vital for improving EFL education. This study investigated the comparative impacts of interventionist and interactionist dynamic assessment models on the WTC among 75 Iranian intermediate EFL learners. Participants were divided into two experimental groups (EG1 and EG2) and one control group (CG), with a total of 16 treatment sessions delivered over a semester. Both experimental groups received dynamic assessment interventions, with EG1 utilizing the interventionist model and EG2 employing the interactionist model. The results revealed that both EGs significantly outperformed the CG in enhancing WTC; however, no statistically significant differences were found between the two experimental groups. This study contributes to the understanding of how different dynamic assessment approaches can effectively foster learners' WTC in English. The findings suggest that educators can adopt either dynamic assessment model to improve WTC among EFL learners, emphasizing the need for ongoing research into optimal assessment strategies in language education.