Investigating Willingness to Communicate of Participants in Tiktok English Chat Room

Abstract

This study investigates the willingness to communicate (WTC) among English learners in TikTok English chat rooms, a rapidly growing informal digital learning platform. As social media platforms like TikTok transform language learning by offering flexible, immersive, and low-anxiety environments, understanding the factors that influence learners' WTC in these settings is crucial. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study combines quantitative data from 579 participants and qualitative insights from semi-structured interviews with six TikTok users. The findings reveal that participants generally exhibit a high level of WTC, driven by key factors such as communication confidence, perceived communicative competence, motivation to learn English, and the learning environment. Motivation emerged as the strongest predictor of WTC, with learners reporting that TikTok’s informal, engaging environment significantly enhances their communication confidence and reduces anxiety. Correlation analyses confirm strong positive relationships between WTC and these influencing factors. Qualitative interviews further support these findings, highlighting that the quality of the live broadcast room and the attitudes of fellow participants also affect learners' WTC. This research contributes to the growing body of literature on WTC in digital contexts and offers practical insights for language educators seeking to leverage social media platforms to improve learners' communicative skills. The study underscores the potential of TikTok English chat rooms as effective informal learning spaces, fostering intercultural exchange and linguistic competence.