In the light of Dynamic Systems Theory, which defines language development as an interaction of various factors in a system, a quantitative research was executed to examine the effects of physical movement in classrooms on students’ self-confidence (SC) and willingness to communicate (WTC) in English. | VNU JOURNAL OF FOREIGN STUDIES VOL. 37 NO. 4 2021 70 THE EFFECTS OF PHYSICAL MOVEMENT ON LANGUAGE LEARNERS SELF-CONFIDENCE AND WILLINGNESS TO COMMUNICATE Thu-Nguyet Huynh1 Long V. Nguyen2 1. National Taiwan Normal University Taipei Taiwan 2. University of Foreign Language Studies The University of Danang Danang Vietnam Received 19 March 2021 Revised 11 May 2021 Accepted 21 July 2021 Abstract In the light of Dynamic Systems Theory which defines language development as an interaction of various factors in a system a quantitative research was executed to examine the effects of physical movement in classrooms on students self-confidence SC and willingness to communicate WTC in English. Four groups of English-majored freshmen from a university in Vietnam were selected as participants for this study. In their English course on communication skills namely listening and speaking they were regularly encouraged to move within their classroom or the classroom s vicinity to do oral tasks in pairs or groups. A survey was conducted to measure the difference in their SC and WTC. Findings revealed a positive correlation between SC and WTC. Besides it recorded positive effects of level and scale of mindful physical movement on SC and WTC s improvement. This is a preliminary study to propose a pedagogical method to solve the issue of crowded FL classrooms. Keywords Dynamic Systems Theory physical movement willingness to communicate confidence 1. Introduction In Vietnam Communicative Language Teaching CLT has also been put Interaction and communication have to the foreground in language education in been the epicentres of foreign language recent years as it aligns with the educational classroom as they are believed to be crucial reform Nguyen 2010 . In particular since factors for language development Loewen English has increasingly drawn much amp Sato 2018 2019 Sato amp Storch 2020 . attention from the government the As such educators and practitioners have Vietnamese Ministry of .
