The Interplay Between Oral Communication Strategies and Willingness to Communicate in Impulsive and Reflective EFL Learners

This descriptive quantitative study scrutinized the relationship between impulsive and reflective EFL learners’ oral communication strategies (OCS) and willingness to communicate (WTC). To this end, ۱۱۴ impulsive and reflective graduate-level EFL learners (۶۷% female; ۳۳% male), within the age range of ۲۳ to ۴۰, were selected employing convenience sampling. The data collection instruments were the impulsiveness sub-scale of Eysenck’s impulsivity inventory (Eysenck & Eysenck, ۱۹۷۸), the OCS inventory (Nakatani, ۲۰۰۶), and the WTC scale (McCroskey, ۱۹۹۲). Subsequent to checking and verifying the pertinent assumptions, using Pearson’s correlation coefficient indicated that there existed a positive yet insignificant correlation between impulsive EFL learners’ OCS and their WTC; however, a positive and significant correlation between reflective EFL learners’ OCS and their WTC was observed. In addition, the results of linear regression analyses and comparing the β values revealed that impulsive EFL learners’ OCS cannot significantly predict their WTC whereas reflective EFL learners’ OCS can significantly predict their WTC. In general, the obtained results confirmed that OCS can positively affect EFL learners’ WTC, although attention should be paid to learners’ impulsivity o reflectivity prior to planning the pedagogical practice.          

Keywords:

impulsivity , Oral communication strategies , reflectivity , Willingness to communicate