How Teachers’ Perceptions of Learners’ Willingness to Communicate Affect Frequency and Method of Turn Allocation

Abstract

Previous research on willingness to communicate (Henceforth WTC) has shown that several teacher factors can affect learners’ WTC. However, the effect of teachers’ perceptions of learners’ WTC on teachers’ communicative and instructional behavior has remained understudied. This study aimed to examine how teachers’ perceptions of learners’ WTC affected the frequency and method of their turn allocations. The in-depth study was conducted with three teachers in Iran over a period of one semester. Qualitative data were obtained from observations, audio and video recordings of classroom interaction, and interviews with teachers. Analysis revealed that teachers gave more voluntary turns to those whom they perceived to have a higher level of WTC. Also, the method of turn allocation was different for such students. These findings are important because they can raise awareness among teachers and enable them to ensure all learners are given opportunities to participate.