Enhancing willingness to communicate in the second language through technology: the effects of community of practice, enjoyment, and boredom in online classes

Advanced technology significantly impacts learners’ willingness to communicate in a second language (L2WTC) and emerges as a pivotal determinant, facilitating second language (L2) use and skill development. However, the intricate dynamics underpinning learners’ technology acceptance and L2WTC under the influence of learning community and emotional dimensions in online learning settings remains unexplored. To fill this gap, 471 participants learning Chinese as a second language were investigated based on the framework of the pyramid model of willingness to communicate. This study explores the parallel mediating effect of emotional factors, namely, enjoyment and boredom, and the community of practice, linking the technology acceptance model to L2WTC. The results of partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) illustrated that technology acceptance influenced L2WTC directly and indirectly through the mediation of learning enjoyment and the community of practice in online Chinese classes. Boredom did not predict L2WTC in the online learning context. These findings advance the understanding of the interplay between technology acceptance and communicative intention in the online L2 learning context, offering significant theoretical and pedagogical implications in an era dominated by digital mediation.