A comparative study of Lebanese foreign language learners’ willingness to communicate -

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the perceived willingness to communicate (WTC) of Lebanese grade 11 students in their Second Foreign Language (FL2). The study compares students’ perceptions of their willingness to communicate in English as FL2 and French as FL2. It investigated the impact of motivation, attitude, self perceived communicative competence, and communication apprehension on these similarities and differences. More specifically, the study investigated whether factors that are associated with WTC are similar or different for English and French. In an attempt to identify and analyze these factors, quantitative data was collected through a modified questionnaire adopting some parts of instruments used for this purpose in other studies carried out in different contexts. The scales include McCroskey’s (1992) WTC Measurement Scale, Horwitz et al.‘s (1986) Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale, McCroskey and McCroskey’s Self Perceived Communicative Competence Scale (1988), and The Attitude-Motivation Test Battery by Gardner (1985). The questionnaire was distributed to grade 10 and 11 students at two different schools; one of the schools caters to learners of English as First Foreign Language (FL1) and French as FL2, and the second school caters to learners of French as FL1 and English as a FL2. While the two schools selected have different languages of instructions, they are otherwise similar. A total of 300 students were given the questionnaire, 150 participants from each school. The data collected was compared to detect any differences in learners’ WTC in French as FL2 and English as FL2. For purposes of comparing WTC in the two groups, the independent t-test was calculated. For identifying the factors affecting WTC correlation coefficients, along with independent tests, and chi-square was utilized. Finally, a multivariate regression model was used to explain the predictors of WTC and the similarities and differences between students’ WTC, namely between the 2