Exploring Factors Influencing Willingness to Communicate (WTC) in English among Rural Malaysian Students: A Case Study of Rural and Urban Contexts

Abstract

English is considered the second language (L2) in Malaysia; however, many Malaysian rural students face shortcomings in making use of this language in their daily life, and this can impact their Willingness to Communicate (WTC) in English. Besides, these students may encounter difficulties in their academic life when they move to cities to pursue their undergraduate studies as the mode of delivery in several universities is English. Numbers of studies demonstrated that high WTC is required for facilitating English communication skills among learners. Using a qualitative case study approach with nine participants, this paper investigates the factors that shaped the trait-like WTC of rural Malaysian students prior to and after their enrolment at a private university in Selangor. The themes that emerged from the first research question are limited exposure to English, cultural values impacting English use, and low self-confidence in English. From the second research question, the findings are gaining awareness on the importance of English, sociocultural background inhibiting English oral communication, personality factors hindering English use, and experiencing English in the new context. By focusing on the pre-university context, this paper contributes to a deeper understanding of WTC among rural ESL learners and highlights the need for targeted language programmes to enhance communicative competence in rural areas. Practical implications for early interventions in language learning are also discussed to better support rural students before they transition to higher education.