چکیده:
The study aims at investigating the influence of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students’ perfectionism and anxiety on their Willingness to Communicate (WTC) in EFL classes. To do so, a set of questionnaires, namely “Willingness To Communicate” (MacIntyre et al., 2001), “Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety” (Horwitz et al., 1986) and “Multidimensional Perfectionism Scales” (Hewitt & Flett, 1991) were distributed among 120 (50 males and 70 females) Iranian EFL university students. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was conducted to indicate the extent to which each independent variable (perfectionism and anxiety) could predict the dependent variable (WTC). The results showed that both EFL students’ anxiety (B=-.586, p<.0.05) and their perfectionism (B=-.224, P<.0.05), had a significantly negative influence on their WTC in language classes. These two independent variables could explain .456 percent of the variance in the dependent variable (WTC). The results of the study were discussed and the implications were made.
خلاصه ماشینی:
Uncovering the Influence of EFL Students’ Perfectionism and Anxiety on Their Willingness to Communicate in Language Classes Hossein Navidinia, Corresponding author, Associate Professor, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran, Email: navidinia@birjand.
ir Abstract The study aims at investigating the influence of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students’ perfectionism and anxiety on their Willingness to Communicate (WTC) in EFL classes.
However, one problem that teachers usually encounter is that some students in the class do not have the Willingness to Communicate (WTC), a concept which is believed to be so important in the process of language learning (Kang, 2005; MacIntyre, Dörnyei, Clément & Noels, 1998; Riasati, 2012; Yashima, 2002; Yashima, Zenuk-Nishide & Shimizu, 2004; Zarrinabadi & Abdi, 2011).
A number of studies in different contexts have verified the relationship between anxiety and language learning and performance (Aida, 1994; Cheng, Horwitz, & Schallert, 1999; Fariadian, Azizifar, & Gowhary, 2014; Gresgersen & Horwits, 2002; Lian & Budin, 2014; McIntyre & Gardner, 1989; Na, 2007; Rassaei, 2015; Saito & Samimy, 1996; Woodrow, 2006).
Another variable that is proved to be significant in language learning is students’ level of perfectionism (Alemi, Tajeddin, & Mesbah, 2013; Chen, Kuo, & Kao, 2016; Fahim & Noormohammadi, 2014; Gresgersen & Horwits, 2002; Pishghadam & Akhondpoor, 2011).
In a study with 194 EFL learners studying in private language institutes, Aliakbari, Kamangar, and Khany (2016) examined the effect of anxiety, self- confidence, communicative competence, and international posture on students’ WTC.