A Chinese Conceptualisation of Willingness to Communicate in ESL

Abstract

MacIntyre et al.'s (1998) heuristic model of willingness to communicate (WTC) is based on research principally conducted in the western world. The goal of this paper is to amend the WTC model so as to reflect more closely the situation found in English language Chinese classrooms. We try to extend MacIntyre et al.'s model in two ways: by changing some structural relationships between constructs included in the model and by reinterpreting some of the variables from a Chinese perspective. An examination of the basic concept of Confucianism and the teaching of Confucian Classics reveals that cultural values are the dominant force shaping the individual's perception and way of learning, which is manifested in L2 communication. We give an account of the linguistic, communicative and social psychological variables that might affect students' willingness to communicate in a Chinese setting. Potential relations between these variables and Chinese cultural values are exemplified.