Lost in Translation: Connectedness, Willingness to Communicate and Display of Agency in the Classroom

Abstract

This explanatory sequential method was used in this study to investigate the non-native English speakers’ extent of connectedness and willingness to communicate and their display of agency in the Filipino classroom. The participants of the study were foreign students whose first or second language is not English and who completed surveys on classrooms related to connectedness and willingness to communicate. They are currently enrolled in the University of Baguio during the school year 2019-2020. They have been in the Philippines for at least one year. Furthermore, these students are presently enrolled in at least one major subject of their field of specialization. The respondents often (M = 4.08; SD = 0.63) connect and are occasionally (M = 3.25; SD = 0.48) willing to communicate with their classmates in a classroom setting.  Moreover, purposive sampling was used in the selection of the research’s participants. Twenty (20) respondents participated in the study. An interview and focus-group discussion were used to determine their styles in displaying agency in the classroom. Outcomes show that foreign students connect with their classmates often. Further, they also occasionally demonstrate a willingness to communicate with their classmates. Thus, the study reflects a low, positive relationship between the foreign students’ connectedness and willingness to communicate within the classroom. The non-native English speakers exhibited agency in the classroom by initiating individual empowerment, participating in communicative interactions, and gaining social recognition.