The Role of EFL Teachers’ Socio-affective Strategies in Learners’ Willingness to Communicate: Learners’ Perceptions

Journal of Language and Translation

دوره 13، شماره 4، بهمن 2023، صفحه 139-154   

نوع مقاله: Research Articles

شناسه دیجیتال (DOI): 10.30495/ttlt.2023.707371

نویسندگان

Nahid Zarei؛ Mahnaz Saeidi^* ؛ Saeide Ahangari

Department of English, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran

چکیده

The present study set out to develop a willingness to communicate (WTC) questionnaire addressing
teachers’ socio-affective strategies. It also aimed at exploring learners’ perceptions toward these
strategies affecting their WTC. Participants of the study, who were selected by a non-probability
convenience sampling method, were 153 English as a foreign language learner in three popular English
Institutes in Iran. A questionnaire including 45 items was designed by referring to a previously
conducted focus group interview of Iranian EFL teachers and the review of the literature. After
the questionnaire was administered to and completed by the learners, an exploratory factor analysis
(EFA) was performed. The analysis yielded 37 items and six factors: (a) creating a positive interaction
(8 items), (b) teachers’ enthusiasm (6 items), (c) teachers’ fairness (5 items), (d) teachers’ presence (6
items), (e) teachers’ immediacy (6 items), and (f) teaching skills and participation in group activities
(6 items). The reliability measures were also examined and the results were satisfactory. The six
factors were compared against each other and teachers’ enthusiasm and fairness were found to be the
most important factor in promoting learners’ WTC. Implications for teacher trainers and teachers are
discussed and suggestions for further research are offered.

کلیدواژه‌ها

Exploratory factor analysis؛ Reliability analysis؛ Socio-affective strategies؛ Validation؛ Willingness to communicate

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