A Change in EFL Learners’ Unwillingness to Speak English: Focusing on Collaborative International Exchange Using ICT

Abstract

　　English has been recognized as a means of communication around the globe. However, students describing feelings of anxiety for speaking can be a common phenomenon owing to the lack of authentic situations to practice English. In this study, we examined the impact of an e-collaborative project using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) aimed at alleviating learners’ unwillingness to communicate in English. Two English-speaking programs were carried out using videoconferencing technology and an online video discussion platform that helps individual learner reflect and share the videoconferencing experience. A total of seventeen Japanese college students and thirteen Australian high school students participated in the study. Data were collected using a nine-item questionnaire before and after programs and free response item, and student reflections were analyzed using the co-occurrence network of words in the KH coder. Results showed that there was no statistically significant effect on reducing unwillingness to speak English, however, speaking anxiety statistically decreased. Additionally, it was observed that positive attitudes toward English changed after the intervention. These findings suggest that the e-collaborative project may have had an impact on decreasing speaking anxiety and enhancing motivation.