Willingness to Communicate
Does willingness to communicate lead to language proficiency gains for those studying a new language? In a year-long case study that compared data from over 700 students at several universities, Brown found that those students who were willing to communicate more in the classroom had significantly higher achievement grades and language proficiency gains (as measured by TOEFL score increases). The research shows that socio-cultural and individual difference factors played a major role in the language proficiency gains.