The study of the relationship between willingness to communicate and self-regulation with the mediating role of self-efficacy among English foreign language learners: structural equation modelling approach

This investigation scrutinized the relationship between Willingness to communicate (WTC) and Self-regulation (SR), while Self-efficacy (SE) was considered a mediator. Up to now, still, there has been little debate about this issue. English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners were the group from which the study's participants were chosen. The entire list of institutions was 6, then using one-stage cluster sampling, participants were selected. Two classes were randomly designated from each institute. The number of learners was 30 in each classroom. The entire group of participants was 360 EFL learners taking English courses. Participants' age range was 16-24. Based on the institution's placement tests, they were at the intermediate level. Nevertheless, the Oxford Placement Test (OPT) was conducted to confirm learner homogeneity. Three questionnaires were used to pile up data: the WTC scale, the foreign language SE scale, and the English SR questionnaire. AMOS software was utilized to evaluate the gathered data from questionnaires. To scrutinize the correlation among variables, inferential, descriptive, and structural covariance matrix (SEM) statistics were performed. The results confirmed the connection between WTC and SR; WTC and SE; SR and SE, and WTC and SR with the mediation of SE. Overall, it can be determined that both SR and SE are predictors of EFL learners' WTC. This finding might benefit language teachers, instructors, and syllabus designers in applying SR applying SE techniques to improve learners' WTC.