The predictive effects of foreign language anxiety and boredom on willingness to communicate among Chinese struggling EFL learners

Abstract

Language learners' willingness to communicate (WTC) plays a critical role in learning English as a foreign language (EFL), and affects the learning outcome. However, the WTC of struggling EFL learners remains largely uninvestigated. Thus, the present study aimed to scrutinize the correlation between foreign language anxiety (FLA), foreign language boredom (FLB) and WTC, and the predictor role of FLA and FLB in WTC in the context of Chinese struggling EFL learners. A total of 662 participants majoring in music, physical education and fine arts from four universities in China attended this study. Pearson correlation and a Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were used to substantiate that these struggling students' FLA was highly and positively correlated with their FLB, while both their FLA and FLB were negatively linked to WTC and significantly predicted their WTC. In discussion and conclusion, the consistency between the current study and related studies, some limitations as well as further implications are presented for avid researchers in future EFL study of those who have difficulty in learning English.