Communication Research in the EFL Context: Challenges and Directions

The purpose of this study is to explore the challenges of the existing research on learners’communication behaviors in the English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL), mainly Asian context, and identify the fields which need to be further explored. By reviewing the research investigating factors influencing EFL learners ’ willingness to communicate, this paper argues that though learners ’ use of English in communication has become the common interest in EFL education research and factors influencing their oral participation have been widely documented, there are limitations.This paper suggests that it is necessary to conceptualize the communication behaviors of EFL learners in English in terms of situational-specific practices, and to identify the underlying causes of student self-exclusion from oral tasks, by examining the context in which these students are located. In light of the review of the literature, this paper also identifies some variables which need to be taken into consideration in future research, such as identity negotiation, investment in English learning, international posture and imagined community.It is hoped that this paper will inform the development of L2 communication research. Key words:second language communication, EFL context, challenges and directions 1