Outlining Chinese EFL Learners’ Willingness to Communicate in Synchronous Online Learning

To understand the willingness of Chinese EFL learners to communicate in synchronous online learning, it is essential to examine which variables affect and determine learners’ readiness to do so. Specifically, this study aims to examine Chinese EFL learners’ willingness to communicate in the English language in synchronous online learning by developing a questionnaire and an interview protocol based on the model of MacIntyre, Clément, Dörnyei & Noels (1998). Statistical analysis indicated that the most significant variables affecting learners’ willingness to communicate were self-confidence, contextual factors, and internal attributes and motivation. These results were further explained by the qualitative results showing that culture ‐ particularly ‘face’ (respect) ‐ was a key reason for reserved behaviour, a behaviour which preserves harmony, dignity and prestige. Furthermore, an inability to proficiently speak standard English decreases learners’ willingness to communicate in English, i.e., they tend to do so only if they have strong confidence in their language accuracy and are able to communicate with the right interlocutors at a desirable time and context.