japanese-efl
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- PaperRELC Journal6 Jul 2026
Between silence and speaking: Willingness to communicate and global competence in Japanese EFL classrooms
Fern Sakamoto, Peter Roger
Japanese university EFL students view active English participation as essential for global competence but perceive it as socially risky in class, causing silence not from lack of motivation but from a dilemma between global expectations and local norms. Willingness to communicate (WTC) is better understood as a latent, context-dependent capacity rather than mere verbal output. The study calls for EFL pedagogy to move beyond speech-centric models and create spaces for context-sensitive engagement.
Original 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.