My Drive to Communicate: A Mixed-Methods Case Study on Pre-Service Bilingual Teachers’ Willingness to Communicate

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 9:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Raciolinguistics and Intersectionality in Language Education

Abstract

This mixed-methods case study explores factors influencing the Willingness to Communicate (WTC) in Spanish among bilingual pre-service teachers at a southwestern U.S. public university. Drawing on MacIntyre et al.’s (1998) WTC model, the study examines how emotional and social dynamics affect language use in academic and extracurricular contexts. Data were collected through surveys, interviews, journals, and classroom observations. Participants (N = 10–30) are heritage Spanish speakers preparing to become bilingual educators. Early trends indicate that WTC depends more on emotional safety, self-perception, and supportive environments than on language proficiency. Final results, expected in October 2025, will guide the design of bilingual education programs that better support future teachers’ communicative confidence, agency, and professional growth.

Author

• Paulina Chapa, University of Texas at Austin