Researching language engagement; current trends and future directions

Svalberg, Agneta Marie-Louise

doi:10.1080/09658416.2017.1406490

Cited by 79 publications

(76 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Language learning is driven by social interaction and involves investments of the self (van Lier, 2013). Constructed around topics intended to be personally meaningful to students (Svalberg, 2017), and promoting interactions with others as a means to "scaffold, mediate and motivate" language development (Duff, 2017, p. 379), in language developing activities students engage in identity-work in spaces where real and imaginary identities are reflected and projected. Compared to learning activities in for example science or mathematics that do not require investments of identity in similar ways, in language developing activities manifestations of disaffection can take different forms.…”

Section: Study and Purposementioning

confidence: 99%

“…While engagement has significant potential to inform understandings of language learning (Mercer & Dörnyei, forthcoming;Philip & Duchesne, 2016;Svalberg, 2017), research is only beginning to take place. Although the construct domain of engagement in SLA has substantial overlap with the construct space of engagement in relation to other subjects (Philp & Duchesne, 2016), there are also aspects that may be specific to language developing activities.…”

Section: Study and Purposementioning

confidence: 99%

“…While demotivation (Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011) and non-participation (Norton, 2001) provide important insights into reasons why, at a more general level, learners can respond negatively to instructed language learning, they are of less value in providing insights into negative responses that arise within the context of a particular activity. In recent years research has begun to pay closer attention to learners’ situated responses at the activity level, and the concept of ‘language learner engagement’ is attracting increasing interest (Mercer & Dörnyei, in 2020; Philp and Duchesne, 2016; Svalberg, 2009, 2018). Research into engagement in language learning is however still at an early stage.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Disaffection and agentic engagement: ‘Redesigning’ activities to enable authentic self-expression

Henry

Thorsén

2018

Language Teaching Research

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Demotivation (Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011) and non-participation (Norton, 2001) characterize negative responses to classroom practice of a generally chronic nature. In this article, focus is directed to negativity that emerges within the context of a particular language developing activity, and which can be understood as a situated response to the activity’s demands. In conceptualizing negative responses at the activity level, disaffection – the negative face of engagement – is a construct of central importance. Drawing on data from a large-scale ethnographic project in secondary English classrooms in Sweden, in this exploratory case study disaffection (Skinner, 2016) is examined in the context of two language developing activities. Analyses reveal that disaffection can transform into active engagement, and that when called upon to perform an inauthentic identity, students can ‘redesign’ activities in ways that enable them to act authentically.

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Section: Study and Purposementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study and Purposementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Disaffection and agentic engagement: ‘Redesigning’ activities to enable authentic self-expression

Henry

Thorsén

2018

Language Teaching Research

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“…Learner engagement was associated with various indicators, including the amount of language production (Dörnyei and Kormos, 2000); level of attention, that is, their meta-talk about language features (Storch, 2008); or effort to work with peers to communicate successfully and fulfil task goals (Bygate and Dao, P., Nguyen, M. & Iwashita (in press, 2019 , 2009). Recently, L2 research has recognised the multidimensional characteristics of learner engagement (Dao, 2019;Philp and Duchesne, 2016;Svalberg, 2009;Svalberg 2017).…”

Section: Learner Engagement In Task-based Interactionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Teachers’ perceptions of learner engagement in L2 classroom task-based interaction

Dao

Nguyen

Iwashita

2019

The Language Learning Journal

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This study explored teachers' perceptions of learner engagement in L2 task-based interaction. Fifty-four pre-and in-service ESL/EFL teachers with different L1 backgrounds and L2 teaching experiences were asked to define and rate learner engagement in two learnerlearner interactions. The results revealed three major indicators that the teachers relied on in order to evaluate learner engagement. They included learners' level of deep thinking and attention to their partner's ideas, amount of content production, and level of interactiveness (e.g., amount of interaction and assistance). Only a small number of participants relied on learners' enthusiasm and positive attitudes in interaction, perceived as emotional engagement, to judge the learner engagement level. The results are discussed in terms of similarities and differences between L2 teachers and researchers in conceptualising the construct of learner engagement. The study also provides pedagogical implications regarding assessing learner engagement when implementing classroom peer interaction and suggests guidelines for promoting teachers' generation of L2 theories in teacher education courses.

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“…When task goals are not perceived to be meaningful, the learners might not feel encouraged, thus invested less in doing the task (Egbert, 2003;Lambert & Minn, 2007;Maehr, 1984), and failed to use all available resources to complete the task (Bygate & Samuda, 2009). Therefore, the learners' negative perception toward the meaning of the task goal orientation in the divergent opinion-exchange task might have affected the degree of their willingness to interact with the partners (Baralt et al, 2016;Svalberg, 2017), suggesting the low mutuality (Author, XXXX; Galaczi, 2008) and the mechanic interaction in which learners passively received information/ideas from their partners (Reeve, 2012).…”

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confidence: 99%

Effects of task goal orientation on learner engagement in task performance

Dao

2019

International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching

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The study investigated the potential impact of task goal orientation on cognitive, social and emotional aspects of task performance through the lens of learner engagement. Sixteen EFL learner dyads completed a convergent decision-making task and a divergent opinion-exchange task. Their audio-recorded interactions were transcribed and coded for evidence of engagement, including idea units and language-related-episodes (cognitive engagement), instances of explicit task enjoyment, reported emotions (emotional engagement), and responsiveness (social engagement). To determine the effects of task goal orientation on learner engagement, scores for engagement types were compared between two tasks. To understand learners’ perception about their engagement, posttask exit questionnaire responses were analyzed using content-analysis approach. Findings showed that learners showed greater cognitive and social engagement in the convergent than divergent tasks. No differences were observed in learners’ emotional engagement. Results are discussed in terms of the role of task goal orientation in promoting learners’ cognitive and social engagement.

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Researching language engagement; current trends and future directions

Cited by 79 publications

References 43 publications

Disaffection and agentic engagement: ‘Redesigning’ activities to enable authentic self-expression

Disaffection and agentic engagement: ‘Redesigning’ activities to enable authentic self-expression

Teachers’ perceptions of learner engagement in L2 classroom task-based interaction

Effects of task goal orientation on learner engagement in task performance

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