The Effects of Explicit Communication Strategy Instruction on EFL Learners’ Willingness to Communicate and Perceived Communication Competence

This study investigated whether explicit instruction on communication strategies (CSs) increased the willingness to communicate (WTC) levels of tertiary-level English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students and their self-perceived communication competence (SPCC). Perspectives of students on the effects of such instruction were further examined. Employing a quasi-experimental design, 38 learners studying in the English Language Preparatory Program (ELPP) were divided into experimental and control groups. The control group followed the standard ELPP syllabus. Based on a prior needs analysis, the experimental group received seven weeks of CSs training focusing on six strategies: circumlocution, approximation, time-gaining strategies, appeal for help, clarification requests, and comprehension checks. Data were gathered through the L2 WTC scale, the SPCC self-report, and semi-structured interviews. Mixed ANOVA results showed a significant time (pretest and posttest) × group (experimental and control) interaction for WTC, indicating greater improvement in the experimental group. For SPCC, the time × group interaction was borderline, although the descriptive results favored the experimental group. The qualitative content analysis of the semi-structured interviews further indicated that participants perceived CSs instruction as useful for enhancing learner confidence and communicative engagement. The study contributes to the intervention-based L2 WTC literature by providing a needs-analysis-driven instructional model for explicit teaching of CSs and exploring how such instruction simultaneously influences learners’ WTC, SPCC, and their perceptions of the instructional process.