Willingness to Communicate in the Second Language: Proximal and Distal Influences Peter D. MacIntyre...

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Willingness to Communicate in the Second Language: Proximal and Distal Influences Peter D. MacIntyre University College of Cape Breton

Transcript of Willingness to Communicate in the Second Language: Proximal and Distal Influences Peter D. MacIntyre...

Willingness to Communicate in the Second Language: Proximal and Distal Influences

Peter D. MacIntyre

University College of Cape Breton

A view of “time”

Timeline

Arrive at a point in time

start finish

“Then”(distal influences) “Now”

(proximal influences)

Willingness to communicate

The probability that one will choose to initiate communication, given the opportunity to do so.

Decision point Intention to communicate One may be able but unwilling

WTC In The Second Language

Range of influences on WTC Constructs are presented in a pyramid-

shaped structure consisting of “layers” Immediate factors versus Distal factors Enduring influences versus Situational

influences Top three layers = situational influences on

WTC at a given moment in time Bottom three layers = enduring influences on

the process

Social and Individual Context

Affective-Cognitive Context

Motivational Propensities

Behavioural Intention

Communication Behaviour

Situated Antecedents

Layer I

Layer II

Layer III

Layer IV

Layer VI

Layer VSocial

SituationIntergroup Attitudes

Intergroup Climate Personality

Communicative Competence

L2 Self-Confidence

Interpersonal Motivation

State Communicative Self-Confidence

Desire to communicate with a specific person

L2 Use

Willingness to Communicate

Intergroup Motivation

1

2

3 4

5 6 7

8 9 10

11 12

Layer VI

Layer VI: The Societal And Individual Context Box 12. Personality

Personality patterns predict reactions to communication, other people, stress, etc.

Individual dispositions will affect whether one reacts positively or negatively to a different ethnic group

The ‘good language learner’ searched for a pattern of individual characteristics

Box 11. Intergroup Climate Climate is conditioned by ethnolinguistic vitality and

personal communication networks Languages with high ethnolinguistic vitality retain

greater prestige and attract more speakers

Layer VI: The Societal And Individual Context

Personal communication networks may moderate the effects of ethnolinguistic vitality.

Positive attitudes toward an ethnic group lead to positive interactions with that group

Negative attitudes will be associated with less positive interactions with that language group

Attitudes may also be mediated by the extent of contact between members of the two groups

Layer V

Social and Individual Context

Affective-Cognitive Context

Motivational Propensities

Behavioural Intention

Communication Behaviour

Situated Antecedents

Layer I

Layer II

Layer III

Layer IV

Layer VI

Layer VSocial

SituationIntergroup Attitudes

Intergroup Climate Personality

Communicative Competence

L2 Self-Confidence

Interpersonal Motivation

State Communicative Self-Confidence

Desire to communicate with a specific person

L2 Use

Willingness to Communicate

Intergroup Motivation

1

2

3 4

5 6 7

8 9 10

11 12

Layer V: The Affective And Cognitive Context Box 10. Communicative Competence

Five competencies making up communicative language abilities

Linguistic competence Discourse competence Actional competence Sociocultural competence Strategic competence

Layer V: The Affective And Cognitive Context

Box 9. Social Situation Factors that influence situational variation:

Participants Setting Purpose Topic Channel of communication

Layer V: The Affective And Cognitive Context

Box 8. Intergroup Attitudes 1. Integrativeness is related to increased

frequency and quality of contact with L2 community

2. Fear of assimilation predicts less contact with L2 community.

3. Attitudes toward L2 will influence motivation to learn.

Social and Individual Context

Affective-Cognitive Context

Motivational Propensities

Behavioural Intention

Communication Behaviour

Situated Antecedents

Layer I

Layer II

Layer III

Layer IV

Layer VI

Layer VSocial

SituationIntergroup Attitudes

Intergroup Climate Personality

Communicative Competence

L2 Self-

Confidence

Inter-personal

Motivation

State Communicative Self-Confidence

Desire to communicate with a specific person

L2 Use

Willingness to Communicate

Intergroup Motivation

1

2

3 4

5 6 7

8 9 10

11 12

Layer IV

Layer IV: Motivational Propensities

Box 7. L2 Self-Confidence Two components:

Self-evaluation of L2 skills Language anxiety

Anxiety and self-evaluation highly correlated in L2 Box 6. Intergroup Motivation

Basis for contact is the maintenance of power Basis for contact is the desire to establish or maintain

rapport Preceeded by attitudes and integrativeness

Layer IV: Motivational Propensities

Box 5. Interpersonal Motivation Control and affiliation explain the majority of

communication episodes Control aims at limiting the cognitive, affective,

and behavioral freedom of the communicators Affiliation prompted by attractiveness, physical

proximity, similarity, and repeated exposure Motivation to control and affiliate may occur

simultaneously Individual differences exist with respect to the

need for affiliation

Layer III

Social and Individual Context

Affective-Cognitive Context

Motivational Propensities

Behavioural Intention

Communication Behaviour

Situated Antecedents

Layer I

Layer II

Layer III

Layer IV

Layer VI

Layer VSocial

SituationIntergroup Attitudes

Intergroup Climate Personality

Communicative Competence

L2 Self-Confidence

Interpersonal Motivation

State Communicative Self-Confidence

Desire to communicate

specific person

L2 Use

Willingness to Communicate

Intergroup Motivation

1

2

3 4

5 6 7

8 9 10

11 12

Layer III: Situated Antecedents Of Communication Box 4. State Communicative Self-Confidence

Two components: State anxiety

Varies in intensity Fluctuates over time Reduces WTC

State perceived competence More certainty arises when a situation has been

encountered previously Increases WTC if person has developed language

knowledge and skills

Layer III: Situated Antecedents Of Communication Box 3. Desire to Communicate with a

Specific Person Affiliation and control motives foster a desire

to communicate Affiliation may be most important motive in an

informal situation

Layer II

Social and Individual Context

Affective-Cognitive Context

Motivational Propensities

Behavioural Intention

Communication Behaviour

Situated Antecedents

Layer I

Layer II

Layer III

Layer IV

Layer VI

Layer VSocial

SituationIntergroup Attitudes

Intergroup Climate Personality

Communicative Competence

L2 Self-Confidence

Interpersonal Motivation

State Communicative Self-Confidence

Desire to communicate with a specific person

L2 Use

Willingness to Communicate

Intergroup Motivation

1

2

3 4

5 6 7

8 9 10

11 12

Layer II: Willingness To Communicate

Box 2: WTC A readiness to enter into discourse at a

particular time with a specific person or persons, using a L2

Opportunity to communicate is not necessary for WTC to exist

WTC strongly implies a behavioral intention

Layer I

Social and Individual Context

Affective-Cognitive Context

Motivational Propensities

Behavioural Intention

Communication Behaviour

Situated Antecedents

Layer I

Layer II

Layer III

Layer IV

Layer VI

Layer VSocial

SituationIntergroup Attitudes

Intergroup Climate Personality

Communicative Competence

L2 Self-Confidence

Interpersonal Motivation

State Communicative Self-Confidence

Desire to communicate with a specific person

L2 Use

Willingness to Communicate

Intergroup Motivation

1

2

3 4

5 6 7

8 9 10

11 12

Layer I: Communication Behavior

Box 1: Communicating in the second language (L2)

Communication behavior entails a broad range of activities

Speaking up in class, reading L2 newspapers, and watching L2 television, to name a few examples of such activities

Ultimate goal of L2 learning process should be to create WTC

A program that fails to produce WTC among students is a failed program

A challenge for language pedagogy

Ultimate goal of L2 learning process should be to create WTC

A program that fails to produce WTC among students is a failed program

Let’s look at the research before returning to these questions