Are Polish CLIL learners more willing to communicate in English than non-CLIL learners?

Abstract

Willingness to communicate (WTC) is the probability that one will choose to initiate communication given the opportunity to do so. We investigated the second language (L2) WTC (L2WTC) in Polish teenagers aged 16-19 (N = 177) attending bilingual Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) and general English classes in the same Polish school. Using a tailor-made WTC questionnaire, we gathered data twice, before and after the summer holidays, assuming that WTC would depend on the time of testing. The results did not reveal high WTC in English in both groups, and the time of testing did not influence the results. Students’ age, but not gender, influenced the L2WTC, with older students being more willing to communicate than the younger ones. Contrary to expectations, L2WTC in the bilingual CLIL and non-CLIL groups did not differ. The findings suggest that the bilingual programmes in Polish secondary schools may not increase students’ WTC in English.