interplay of spiritual intelligence and foreign language enjoyment in willingness to communicate: a case of high school efl students

Language learning is a multifaceted process influenced by a range of cognitive, emotional, and psychological factors. this study explores the relationships among spiritual intelligence (si), foreign language enjoyment (fle), and willingness to communicate (wtc) among iranian high school learners of english as a foreign language (efl). a quantitative approach was employed, utilizing structural equation modeling (sem) to analyze data collected from 280 high school students in kerman province, iran. the participants, selected through convenience sampling, included 78 males and 202 females, with ages ranging from 16 to 19 years. data were gathered using three validated instruments, i.e., a wtc questionnaire, an si scale, and an fle scale. the findings reveal robust positive correlations among the three constructs, with both si and fle emerging as significant predictors of wtc. additionally, a strong interdependence was observed between si and fle, highlighting their mutually reinforcing roles in shaping learners’ communicative tendencies. these results underscore the importance of integrating psychological and emotional dimensions into language education, offering valuable insights for educators seeking to enhance learners’ willingness to engage in communication.