Language Ego & Willingness to Communicate

References

1 of 10

Compton, Lily. 2007. The impact of content and context on international teaching assistants' willingness to communicate in the language classroom. TESL-EJ: Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language 10. [np].

Abstract
This study compared the experiences of small groups of female Japanese
university students communicating in English to solve tasks using
online chat with those who solved the same tasks in face-to-face
settings using spoken language. The groups were compared using a
counterbalanced research design so that the nine groups consisting of
four participants each took part in solving tasks in both the online
mode and the traditional face-to-face setting. Data gathered from
questionnaires, along with an analysis of the discourse produced by
students, led to the conclusion that under the conditions in the
study, online chatting provided a more comfortable environment,
enhancing students' willingness to communicate. Regarding benefits to
the language teacher, online chat provides another fruitful tool to
enhance interaction in the target language. Tables, Figures,
References. Adapted from the source document

2 of 10

Ekkens, Kristin, and Paula Winke. 2009. Evaluating workplace english language programs. Language Assessment Quarterly 6. 265-87.

Abstract
Companies across the United States provide workplace English classes
to non-native-English-speaking employees to increase productivity,
retention, and on-the-job safety. Institutions that financially
support the programs often require evidence of learning through
standardized tests as a prerequisite for continued funding. However,
the tests present challenges. It is often hard to find accepted tests
that match the highly customized content and level of the classes. It
is not clear if the learners can adequately demonstrate their learning
as measured by standardized assessments, or if alternative assessments
could contribute more meaningfully to their estimations of learning.
In this study, 21 learners in a 10-week workplace English course took
standardized pre- and posttests of listening and reading proficiency.
The participants' learning was also measured qualitatively by learning
journals. Paired correlations and a paired samples t test applied to
the learners' scores on the standardized tests demonstrate that the
learners did not perform significantly better after 30 hours of
instruction. However, the learning journals demonstrated considerable
learning gains, especially in terms of increased motivation,
confidence, willingness to communicate, and job satisfaction.
Discussed are reasons behind the discrepancies between the two forms
of testing and implications for funding agencies and workplace English
language programs alike. Adapted from the source document

3 of 10

Freiermuth, Mark, and Douglas Jarrell. 2006. Willingness to communicate: Can online chat help? International Journal of Applied Linguistics 16. 189-212.

Abstract
This study compared the experiences of small groups of female Japanese
university students communicating in English to solve tasks using
online chat with those who solved the same tasks in face-to-face
settings using spoken language. The groups were compared using a
counterbalanced research design so that the nine groups consisting of
four participants each took part in solving tasks in both the online
mode and the traditional face-to-face setting. Data gathered from
questionnaires, along with an analysis of the discourse produced by
students, led to the conclusion that under the conditions in the
study, online chatting provided a more comfortable environment,
enhancing students' willingness to communicate. Regarding benefits to
the language teacher, online chat provides another fruitful tool to
enhance interaction in the target language. Tables, Figures,
References. Adapted from the source document


4 of 10

Herbert, Jeannie. 2006. Indigenous learners, language and identity: Implications for educators. TESOL in Context 16. 72-85.

Abstract
Anecdotes from the life experiences of Herbert & other Indigenous
people of Australia are recounted to clarify the tension in which
teachers of Aboriginal students must operate, as accountability to
students involves both (1) the insistence of educational authorities
on achievement of benchmarks, including proficiency in Standard
Australian English, & (2) the needs of students from families that
have suffered for generations from maximally intrusive government
practices, isolating family members from one another & creating
language diversity within families as different members learn to speak
creoles, varieties of Aboriginal English, or Standard Australian
English. To enable Indigenous students to empower themselves, schools
must be open to the community, engaging with it to engender mutual
trust & respect & integrating Indigenous community
perspectives into every part of the educational structure. In this
context of "equality of regard," language teaching must
reflect respect for the language abilities of students & their
communities & willingness to engage with the community in
curriculum development as a reciprocal process. References. J.
Hitchcock

5 of 10

Ives, Debra. 2004. The influence of task design and delivery on linguistic performance. TESOL in Context 14. 3-9.

Abstract
Drawn from a larger study focused on exploring the task-based dialogic
interactions of three pairs each consisting of a native speaker of
English (NS) & a non-native speaker of English (NNS), this article
uses a case study approach to describe the linguistic performance of
one Year Six ESL student as he worked with a partner on two widely
used language-based activities, namely information gap &
dictogloss. In classroom activities & discussions, ESL students
not only present the content of their contributions for appraisal,
they also hold up their use of language itself. Mariani (1997)
proposes that language learners' willingness to take linguistic risks
varies according to the balance of challenge & support experienced
by an individual at a specific point in time. He suggests that
language learning only occurs when students are exposed to activities
that carefully balance high levels of challenge with high levels of
support (Mariani, 1997). This article reveals that one ESL student's
linguistic performance differed markedly across two tasks. The
influence of the design & delivery of the two activities is
discussed as are the pedagogical implications. 7 References. Adapted
from the source document

6 of 10

Kobayashi, Yoko. 2009. Accessibility of the sojourn experience and its impact on second language study, education, and research. JALT Journal 31. 251-9.

Abstract
Although opting to study abroad individually or collectively is one of
the decisions potential study abroad (SA) students have to make, the
choice faced by students is not adequately researched in the extant
SLA literature. I report a small-scale statistical comparison between
participants of custom-designed programs and those who study abroad on
their own. The comparison is conducted in terms of students' perceived
English, sociability willingness to use English, and sense of
fulfillment with the SA experience. The study revealed that students
participating in collective programs rate their English lower and are
less willing to communicate in English. There were no group
differences in sociability or level of satisfaction. The findings are
discussed in relation to the current SA phenomenon characterized by
convenient and diverse modes of access to the SA experience and by the
sometimes nonlinguistic motivation for seeking such experiences.
Adapted from the source document

7 of 10

Paiva,Vera Lucia Menezes de Oliveira e. 2007. Oral skills in english language learning narratives. Trabalhos em Linguistica Aplicada 46. 165-79.

Abstract
This paper, having as support the chaos theory, analyses foreign
language learners' reports on their wishes, frustrations, &
strategies to overcome obstacles during their learning processes. The
corpus of foreign language learning narratives, collected by
researchers in the AMP ALE2 project, reveals learners' willingness to
develop oral skills & their frustrations associated with their
past learning experiences in formal contexts where listening &
speaking activities were not emphasized. References. Adapted from the
source document

8 of 10

Shin, Sarah J. 2009. Negotiating grammatical choices: Academic language learning by secondary ESL students. System 37. 391-402.

Abstract
This paper reports on a part of a year-long investigation into high
school ESL students' academic language development. Eight participants
were pulled out of their intermediate ESL class for weekly 50-minute
sessions with the author for a year. While the main focus of the
sessions was reading news magazine articles for meaning, the author
purposely drew students' attention to potentially difficult
grammatical forms. Four sessions were on sentence-combining strategies
in which the participants practiced rewriting sentences and discussed
their justifications for their grammatical and rhetorical choices.
Multiple solutions were encouraged and the participants negotiated
meaning derived from the various ways of rewriting the sentences.
These sessions were audio-recorded and transcribed, and each
participant's written responses were analyzed for grammatical
accuracy, clarity, and completeness in meaning, and compared with
his/her oral justification. The stronger students in the group
exhibited greater willingness to experiment with different ways of
rewriting sentences and had an 'ear' for what academic English sounded
like. In contrast, the weaker students stumbled on individual words
and had considerable difficulty when presented with multiple
sentences. This paper discusses the critical role of the teacher in
drawing students' attention to form within a meaning-driven,
interactive discussion of academic English. [Copyright Elsevier Ltd.]

9 of 10

Tercanlioglu, Leyla. 2004. Achievement goal theory: A perspective on foreign-language-learners' motivation. TESL Canada Journal/Revue TESL du Canada 21. 34-49.

Abstract
It has long been recognized that varying achievement goals elicit
varying motivational patterns with varying behavioral consequences.
Several sets of contrasting goal orientations have been proposed to
explain differences in language students' achievement behaviors. A
total of 135 3rd-year (N = 54 male; N = 81 female) students in a
preservice English teacher education program participated in this
study of goal orientation. The proposed goal orientations were
measured by adapting the Goal Orientation Scale developed by Skaalvik
(1997) for the L2 learning domain, & students' language
achievement was measured by a TOEFL test. Results indicated that
students placed most emphasis on task mastery goals & that this
was related to language achievement. Task mastery goals are negatively
correlated with work-avoidance. Self-defeating ego orientation is
positively correlated with both work-avoidance & self-enhancing
ego orientation. The analysis also suggested that male students had a
stronger tendency to avoid work. 5 Tables, 1 Figure, 38 References.
Adapted from the source document

10 of 10

Yashima, Tomoko, Lori Zenuk-Nishide, and Kazuaki Shimizu. 2004. The influence of attitudes and affect on willingness to communicate and second language communication. Language Learning 54. 119-52.

Abstract
This article investigates the results & antecedents of willingness
to communicate (WTC) in a second language (L2) through two separate
investigations conducted with Japanese adolescent learners of English.
In the first investigation, involving 160 students, a model was
created based on the hypothesis that WTC results in more frequent
communication in the L2 & that the attitudinal construct
international posture leads to WTC & communication behavior. This
model was tested with structural equation modeling & was found to
fit the data well. The second investigation with 60 students who
participated in a study-abroad program in the United States confirmed
the results of the first. Finally, frequency of communication was
shown to correlate with satisfaction in interpersonal relationships
during the sojourn. 3 Tables, 2 Figures, 2 Appendixes, 49 References.
Adapted from the source document