Motivational Intensity, Enjoyment, and Shyness as Predictors of L2 Willingness to Communicate: Evidence from a South Asian Multilingual Context

This study investigated the intricate relationships among motivational intensity, foreign language enjoyment, boredom, shyness, and second-language (L2) willingness to communicate (WTC) in Pakistani university students. Using a quantitative cross-sectional de-sign, data were collected from 1050 English language learners via validated surveys. Partial Least-Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to test a moderated-mediation model examining how psychological variables influence L2 communication behavior. Results revealed that motivational intensity was significantly associated with L2 WTC via both a direct pathway (β = 0.251, p < 0.001) and a statistical indirect pathway involving foreign language enjoyment (β = 0.410 from motivational intensity to enjoyment and β = 0.339 from enjoyment to WTC; specific indirect effect, β = 0.139, both p < 0.001). Shyness demonstrated a complex dual moderating role: while it significantly constrained the enjoyment–WTC pathway (β = −0.140, p < 0.001) and showed a strong adverse direct effect on WTC (β = −0.232, p < 0.001), it also strengthened the direct motivational intensity–WTC relationship, consistent with (β = 0.110, p < 0.001). Contrary to previous research conducted primarily in East Asian contexts, boredom showed no significant effects as either a direct predictor or moderator in the Pakistani context. The model explained 34.2% of the variance in L2 WTC. These findings extend the theoretical understanding of psychological mechanisms in L2 communication by revealing culturally specific patterns in a South Asian context, suggesting that multilingual environments may produce different psychological dynamics. Pedagogical implications stress the need to increase motivation alongside an understanding of the complex nature of personality variables within a particular cultural setting.