Willingness to Communicate in English: Insights from Kurdish Tertiary Students

Abstract: WTC can be conceptualized as the readiness and intention of a language learner to enter a communicative situation. Although previous studies have acknowledged learners’ willingness to communicate (henceforth, WTC) in English in diverse educational settings, very few studies have examined the issue in the Kurdish setting. This study will investigate the level of Kurdish undergraduate students’ communication willingness in English and explore the ranking order of the components of the WTC construct. It further aims to identify the communication context in which and the category of interlocutor with whom Kurdish students are more likely to communicate. It also shows the impact of gender and study year on WTC and the correlation between WTC in Kurdish and English. Utilizing a quantitative design, data were collected from a total of 151 undergraduate students through a structured questionnaire applied online. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and inferential tests, including the Independent Samples T-test, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson Correlation Coefficient tests. The data revealed that most Kurdish students experienced a moderate amount of WTC in English. Additionally, the gender and study year variables did not significantly influence WTC in English. The study concluded with the implication that teachers should prioritize the provision of supportive, low-anxiety learning environments and prepare interactive, small-group activities to raise students' moderate WTC in English, particularly by retaining stronger listening skills and addressing weaker reading skills. Thus, the present study contributed to and confirmed the literature by conceptualising the WTC construct beyond spoken interaction, including not only speaking, but also the other language skills.