The Effects of Teacher Immediacy, Emotional Intelligence, and Attitudes on Korean College Students’ Willingness to Communicate in English

This paper investigates the impact of teacher immediacy, emotional intelligence and attitudes on the willingness to communicate (WTC) in English among 130 Korean college students. Data were collected through an online survey questionnaire encompassing demographic information, WTC in English, perceptions of teacher immediacy behaviors, emotional intelligence, and attitudes toward English learning. The data were then analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, correlation analysis, and multiple regression. Significantly different means of teacher immediacy, emotional intelligence and attitudes were identified based on the levels of WTC in English. Strong correlations emerged among teacher immediacy, emotional intelligence, attitudes, and WTC in English. Furthermore, multiple regression analysis revealed that attitudes, teacher nonverbal immediacy, and emotion management significantly predicted WTC in English. These findings highlight the interplay between teacher behaviors, emotional intelligence, attitudes, and Korean students' willingness to communicate in English. Practical implications for English language teaching are suggested.