This dissertation investigates the impact of specific dynamic situations of topic, interlocutors, conversational contexts, personal motives, and familiarity of the situation on adult English as a second language (ESL) learners' psychological antecedents of security, responsibility, and excitement as well as their level of situational Willingness to Communicate (WTC) outcome. The basis for this research originated from Kang's (2005) Preliminary Model of Situational WTC among other researchers (MacDonald, Clement, & MacIntyre, 2003; MacIntyre, 2007) from which an instrument, Situational Variables Scale in the Context of Situational WTC, to quantitatively gather data regarding the factors involved in situational WTC, was created. Two hundred seventy-four participants of adult ESL learners of various cultural backgrounds from a private English language company completed the instrument. Data were collected through online surveys. Results revealed situational variables of conducive topics and interlocutors, inhibiting interlocutors, promotive personal motives, and inactivating situations are significant in the context of understanding the situational WTC phenomenon. Additionally, lack of excitement and responsibility were found to be essential psychological antecedents in the consideration of situational WTC among adult ESL learners. Furthermore, conducive topics and interlocutors, inhibiting interlocutors, and inactivating situations were involved in increasing adult ESL learners' lack of excitement to speak. Moreover, Conducive Topics and Interlocutors was found to increase adult ESL learners' sense of Responsibility to communicate.
展开▼
