An Investigation into the Relationship between Learners’ Emotional Intelligence and Willingness to Communicate in terms of gender in the Turkish EFL Classroom

Abstract

Emotional intelligence is effective in foreign language learning as well as in all areas of life. For this reason, this study was carried out to examine the relationship between the willingness to communicate and emotional intelligence of 120 students at the English Preparatory School of a foundation university in terms of gender. The Bar-On Emotional Intelligence Inventory (Bar-On, 2003) and the L2 Willingness to Communicate Scale (MacIntyre, et al., 2001) were used to collect data in the study. Statistical Package Software for Social Sciences (SPSS v.22) was utilized for data analysis, and independent sample t-tests and Pearson Correlation Analysis were used. According to the results, it was analyzed that female students outscored males in interpersonal skills and the subscales except willingness to speak in L2 differed between genders. According to the correlation analysis, although there was no negative correlation between any of the subscales of female students' emotional intelligence and willingness to communicate in a foreign language, (1) willingness to communicate and general mood, (2) willingness to speak and adaptability, (3) willingness to write and general mood, (4) a positive significant relationship was found between willingness to grasp and general mood. In terms of early learners, there was a negative correlation between (1) willingness to communicate and intrapersonal intelligence, (2) willingness to read and interpersonal intelligence, (3) willingness to write and EQ/interpersonal intelligence. In addition, positive correlations were found between several different subscales.