THE IMPACT OF EMOTIONS ON WILLINGNESS TO COMMUNICATE IN THE SECOND LANGUAGE OF THE STUDENTS IN PAKISTAN: SELF-PERCEIVED COMMUNICATION COMPETENCE AS A MODERATOR

Abstract

Willingness to communicate (WTC) in a second language (L2) is one of the key concepts in L2 communication and learning. Previously, research practice in this area is more concerned about investigating the relationship between individual negative emotions and WTC. However, insufficient attention has been given to a wide range of positive and negative emotions in contributing to WTC. This study aims to address the impact of emotions (positive and negative) and self-perceived communication competence (SPCC) on WTC in L2 in the context of Pakistan. The theoretical reasoning has been driven from broad and build theory of positive emotions. Higher education students (N=401) were considered as the participants of this study and approached conveniently. Data were processed and analyzed in SPSS. The findings revealed that positive emotions and SPCC is having a positive influence on WTC in L2. On the contrary, negative emotion is having a negative impact on WTC in L2. On the other side, SPCC appeared a significant moderator among the relationship between emotions (positive and negative) and WTC in L2. The study’s findings have major practical implications for the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan in drafting and implementing policies to enhance students’ WTC within higher education classrooms.