Pichaporn Puntularb. Willingness to communicate in English among undergraduate students in Bangkok. Master's Degree(Language and Culture for Communication and Development). Mahidol University. Mahidol University Library and Knowledge Center. : Mahidol University, 2017.
Willingness to communicate in English among undergraduate students in Bangkok
Abstract:
This study aimed to investigate the level of willingness to communicate in English among undergraduate students and to examine the psychosocial factors (gender, communication apprehension, self-perceived communication competence, motivation, personality, and content and familiarity) that affect their willingness to communicate in English. A mixed method was used in this study. The participants comprised of 450 fourth year undergraduate students majoring in the fields associated with AEC professions mobility including medical and dental services, nursing, accounting, surveying, engineering, architecture, and tourism. The research instruments employed were a questionnaire and a focused group interview. The findings revealed that undergraduate students in Bangkok are willing to communicate in English language at a moderate level. They seemed to have a higher level of willingness to communicate in English with friends rather than strangers and acquaintances, which was consistent with the focused group interview. The selfperceived communication competence and motivation factors correlated significantly with the willingness to communicate in English at p = 0.01 and p = 0.05 levels, respectively. The results from this study revealed factors which affect Thai students willingness to communicate in English and would help educators to develop more effective ways in teaching English speaking skills.
Mahidol University. Mahidol University Library and Knowledge Center