Classroom Versus Societal Willingness to Communicate: Investigating French as a Second Language in Flanders

Abstract

This study investigates willingness to communicate (WTC) and its determinants through structural equation modelling (SEM). Building on models by MacIntyre and Charos (1996) and Yashima (2002), it addresses 3 apparent gaps in the current knowledge base: It is the first SEM‐based WTC study in a Western European context, investigating French as a second language in a representative sample of over 1,000 grade 12 students in Flanders, the Dutch‐speaking part of Belgium; it is among the few studies that compare classroom WTC with WTC outside the classroom; and it investigates the underexplored relationship between WTC and language proficiency through extensive standardized listening tests. Among the study's findings are that classroom WTC is a strong predictor of WTC outside the classroom; however, in naturalistic settings the role of integrativeness decreases while anxiety levels play a larger role. The study provides new support for several existing suggestions for L2 pedagogy.