Enhancing Willingness to Communicate
through Speaking Activities in the EFL Classroom
A small-scale classroom action research with four Polish Grade-2 learners across an eight-week, three-cycle intervention.
Ngoc Yen Nguyen
Author · MA Candidate
Sylvia Maciaszczyk, PhD
Supervisor
Track: Applied Linguistics · EFL · Young Learners
4
Polish Grade-2 learners
A1 · age 7–8
3
Action-research cycles
Plan → Act → Observe → Reflect
+345%
Mean WTC behaviour W1→W8
from 11 to 49 observed acts
5
Speaking activity types
PT · TT · IG · RP · FT
Background & Gap
Young EFL learners often know the language but do not speak it. MacIntyre et al. (1998) frame this gap with L2 Willingness to Communicate (WTC) — a learner's readiness to enter discourse, at a particular time, with a specific person, in L2.
Most WTC studies focus on adolescents and adults. Very few examine 7-to-8-year-old learners with age-adapted instruments — the gap this study addresses.
Research Questions
- RQ1 What changes in observed WTC behaviour emerge across three AR cycles?
- RQ2 Which activities improved WTC, and how do patterns reflect pre/post SPCC & FLCA?
- RQ3 Which activities do learners like most/least, and how does preference relate to behaviour and self-report?
Theoretical Frame — MacIntyre's Pyramid
Top three layers are situational state; the intervention targets L2-L4.
Design & Method
4
Learners
Grade 2 · A1
8
Weeks
Feb – Apr 2026
3
AR cycles
Plan → Reflect
4
Data sources
SPCC · FLCA · Obs · Feedback
Qualitative-leaning classroom action research with mixed-methods support. Triangulation across SPCC (self-report competence), FLCA (anxiety), 4-indicator observation, and child-friendly activity feedback.
Three Action-Research Cycles
W1–W3 · Building safety
Activities: Show-and-tell, picture cards
Outcome: Baseline; quiet starts to warm
W4–W6 · Pushing output
Activities: Information gap, role-play
Outcome: W4 spike → W5 dip on language load
W7–W8 · Playful consolidation
Activities: Board game, free talk
Outcome: Recovery and W8 peak — strongest WTC
Behavioural Trajectory across 8 weeks
Non-linear pattern: steady growth in Cycle 1, peak at W4 (role-play), W5 dip (heavier language load + absence), recovery through the board game in Cycle 3, closing at the eight-week high.
Pre vs Post — Self-Report (Group Mean)
SPCC ↓ 3.29 → 2.92 and FLCA ↑ 1.20 → 1.70, yet observed behaviour rose — children grew more aware of what proficiency really means.
Indicator Growth — W1 vs W8
Three indicators grew sharply; Long answer remained the weakest — production length is the hardest gain.
Activity Preference (Form 4)
PT & TT were most liked; IG was harder but produced the strongest peer interaction.
Key Findings
- 1 WTC participation is dynamic, not linear — shaped by task, peers, interruption and language load.
- 2 Speaking first, asking questions and peer talk grew clearly; longer answers remained the weakest area.
- 3 Divergence: observed behaviour ↑ while SPCC ↓ and FLCA ↑ — consistent with MacIntyre's layered model and growing self-awareness.
- 4 Preference ≠ effectiveness — sequencing matters more than choosing one "best" activity.
Three Recommendations for Teachers
- AI-assisted worksheet design as a support for engagement — especially for hesitant learners (Students C & D).
- Combine structured + communicative speaking activities within the same lesson (evidence: strong-growth lesson on 25/02).
- Use interactive formats such as board games with young learners to rebuild participation (evidence: Cycle 3 recovery on 26/03).
Limitations & Future Work
n = 4 → transferable, not generalisable; teacher-researcher dual role; eight-week scope; child-adapted Likert scales; no control group (ethically unworkable in this setting).
Next: longer multi-class replication, richer audio coding of turn length, and a quasi-experimental contrast of activity sequencing strategies.