Code-Switching vs. English-Only: A Study on the Effects of Task-Based Activities on Learners' Willingness to Communicate in English

The potentially beneficial role of Willingness to Communicate (WTC) in learning the English language is gradually becoming acknowledged in second language acquisition (SLA) research and communication. To this end, few interventional studies have attempted to investigate how to help language learners enhance their WTC in the English language. Drawing on the principles of task-based language teaching, this mixed-methods research primarily aimed to investigate the impact of task-based oral activities on Pakistani undergraduates' WTC in the English language by randomly recruiting three intact classes. By integrating English-only and code-switching practices into the intervention, this study sought to test the effectiveness of two distinct mediums of communication within task-based learning settings for constructing a framework related to learners' WTC. To analyze the quantitative data, Independent Samples t-test, Paired Samples t-test, One-way ANCOVA, and One-way MANCOVA were performed in SPSS (version 24). The findings of the study showed that the mean WTC scores of both experimental groups significantly improved after participating in task-based activities compared to the mean WTC score of the control group. However, the results also showed that the task group with code-switching exhibited greater improvement in their WTC than the task group with English-only. Thus, task-based activities with code-switching exerted a greater impact on learners' WTC than those who participated in task-based oral activities with English-only. Based on the results of this study, Pakistani English language teachers are recommended to adapt or integrate task-based language teaching with existing teaching methods in Pakistan to cultivate learners' WTC