Communicating in a second language: Investigating the effect of teacher on learners' willingness to communicate

Previous research on willingness to communicate (WTC) has shown that teachers' attitude, support, and teaching style can influence learners' WTC. This paper reports on a qualitative study that utilized a focused essay technique to explore how teachers can affect learners' tendency to talk in class. Study participants were asked to describe those situations in which teachers influenced their willingness to communicate in English. A total of 97 entries were received for situations in which the students were most willing to communicate and 84 entries for situations in which the students were least willing to communicate. The findings indicate that teachers' wait time, error correction, decision on the topic, and support exert influence on learners' WTC. The possible implications of the study for language teachers are discussed in this paper.