Over the past three decades, applying L1 WTC studies, second language acquisition (SLA) research has attempted to probe into why some L2 learners are willing to speak L2 while others are not, and established the L2 WTC arena. Previous influential L2 WTC research has viewed WTC as personality-based and enduring, situational, or dynamic, and explored the reasons behind the willingness or unwillingness to communicate in an L2 in a wide variety of language learning contexts. In this paper, reviewing such a historical overview of WTC research from the early sprouting stage to development, I attempt to discuss the current trends toward L2 WTC research and some research gaps that need to be filled by future research that will contribute practical pedagogical implications to L2 instruction.
Junko Toyoda (Thu,) studied this question.