Exploring EFL Learners' Willingness to Communicate in Multimodal Videoconferences

Abstract

The current study explored how the participation in multimodal videoconferencing sessions affected one of the affective factors: willingness to communicate (WTC) in second language learning. Participants from the experimental group took part in three 30-minute communication tasks via videoconferencing that included interactions in textual, audio, and visual modes while their counterparts completed the same tasks face-to-face. Instruments included an adapted WTC scale, semi-structured interviews, and learner reflections. The results showed that learners in the experimental group exhibited significantly higher levels of WTC than those in the control group, suggesting that multimodal videoconferencing increased learners' WTC. Next, qualitative findings indicated that learners' WTC in multimodal videoconferences was influenced by the support from multimodal texts and the affordances of multimodal interaction. EFL professionals are recommended to create multimodal environments to not merely foster learners' negotiation of meaning but also promote WTC through diverse patterns of interaction.