FACTORS SHAPING CHINESE ENGLISH MAJORS’ WILLINGNESS TO COMMUNICATE IN EFL CLASSROOMS

Abstract

Willingness to communicate is an important concept in second language acquisition because it explains why learners may or may not enter classroom interaction when they have opportunities to use the target language. Although English majors in Chinese universities are often expected to possess relatively strong English knowledge, many still remain silent in speaking-oriented classes. This paper explores the factors shaping Chinese English majors’ willingness to communicate in English as a foreign language classrooms. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight third-year English-major students from a university in northern China. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns in the interview data. The findings show that students’ willingness to communicate was shaped by three interconnected dimensions: psychological barriers, classroom interactional conditions and sociocultural constraints. L2 anxiety and low self-perceived communicative competence limited students’ readiness to speak. Familiar peers, group discussion and familiar topics generally supported communication, but group work could also reduce willingness when dominant peers interrupted others. Face concern and teacher-centred learning norms further shaped students’ silence. The paper argues that classroom silence should not be interpreted simply as lack of motivation. Instead, it reflects a dynamic negotiation among emotion, perceived competence, classroom relations and cultural expectations.