Classroom environment and willingness to communicate in English: The mediating role of emotions experienced by university students in China

• Published in: Language teaching research : LTR Vol. 29; no. 5; pp. 2140 - 2160
• Main Authors: Li, Chengchen, Dewaele, Jean-Marc, Pawlak, Mirosław, Kruk, Mariusz
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.07.2025; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Anxiety; Classroom Environment; College students; Emotions; English (Second Language); English as a second language learning; Learning environment; Motivation; Second Languages; Willingness to communicate; boredom; anxiety; willingness to communicate; foreign language enjoyment; classroom environment
• ISSN: 1362-1688; 1477-0954
• DOI: 10.1177/13621688221111623

The present study examines the direct and indirect relationships between classroom environment (CE), L2 (second/foreign language) learner emotions (i.e. enjoyment, anxiety and boredom), and their willingness to communicate (WTC) in classes for English as a foreign language (EFL). Participants were 2,268 university students in China. Pearson correlation analyses showed significant correlations between CE, L2 emotions, and WTC, with effect sizes ranging from small to large. In addition, the three L2 emotions were found to mediate the relationship between CE and WTC in parallel, with enjoyment having the largest mediating effect, followed by anxiety and boredom. The findings offer insights into how to improve students’ WTC in an L2.