Between silence and speaking: Willingness to communicate and global competence in Japanese EFL classrooms

Abstract

Global competence-oriented English as a foreign language (EFL) education in Asia increasingly emphasizes communicative participation in English, yet classroom silence continues to characterize university EFL classes. This study examines data collected from a focus group, questionnaire and Delphi study to explore Japanese university students’ perceptions of willingness to communicate (WTC) in relation to EFL education and global competence. Findings reveal that while students view active English use as essential for global competence, they simultaneously perceive such behavior as socially risky within the Japanese classroom context. Rather than reflecting a lack of motivation, confidence or engagement, low levels of classroom verbal participation emerge as a socially situated dilemma between global communication expectations and locally embedded interactional norms. The study further demonstrates that WTC cannot be equated with verbal output, but is better understood as a latent, context-dependent capacity that may or may not be enacted through speech. From a global competence perspective, effective communication entails the ability to interpret and adapt to interactional conditions, rather than simply frequency of speech. Implications are discussed for EFL pedagogy in Asia, highlighting the need to move beyond speech-centric models of participation and create interactional spaces that enable context-sensitive engagement in English.