Cover not available
Part of
Individual Differences and Task-Based Language Teaching
Edited by Shaofeng Li
[Task-Based Language Teaching 16] 2024
► pp. 198–227

Chapter 7
A review of learner motivation and engagement research in task-based language teaching

| Georgia State University
| Georgia State University

This chapter presents a systematic review of 54 studies on learner motivation and engagement in the research domain of TBLT. The review focuses on various learner (e.g., first language), contextual (e.g., institution), and task (e.g., task modality) characteristics in previous research. The operationalizations of learner motivation and engagement in TBLT as well as the main themes of the findings in previous studies are investigated. The results of our analysis revealed that learner motivation and engagement research in TBLT have examined a limited scope of learner groups, contexts, and task features. Further, studies have adopted diverse operationalizations to capture the multi-componential nature of the two constructs. In terms of the tools used to investigate learner motivation in TBLT, research has heavily relied on questionnaires and verbal reports. The findings suggest a need for more longitudinal research and more research using a bottom-up approach to examine the two constructs.

Keywords: learner motivation, engagement, task-based language teaching, research review
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Learner motivation in task-based research
  • Task engagement
  • The relationship between learner motivation and engagement in TBLT
  • Methods
    • Inclusion criteria and search techniques
    • Data coding
  • Results
  • Research question 1: What are the characteristics of learners, contexts, and tasks in previous research on learner motivation and engagement in TBLT?
  • Research question 2: How has learner motivation and engagement been operationalized in previous TBLT research?
    • Operationalizations of learner motivation in TBLT
    • Operationalizations of task engagement
  • Research question 3: What are the main findings of previous learner motivation and engagement research in TBLT?
    • Main findings on learner motivation in task-based research
    • Main findings in task engagement research
  • Discussion
  • Conclusion
  • References
Published online: 6 June 2024
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/tblt.16.07nam
References (100)

(* indicates the studies that were included in the current review)

Ainley, M.
(2012) Students’ interest and engagement in classroom activities. In S. L. Christenson, A. L. Reschly, & C. Wylie (Eds.), Handbook of research on student engagement (pp. 283–302). Springer.Google Scholar
An, H., & Li, S.
(2024a) Anxiety in task-based language teaching: A state-of-the-art review. In S. Li (Ed.), Individual differences and task-based language teaching (pp. 52–86). John Benjamins.Google Scholar
(2024b) The effects of planning type, working memory, and anxiety on L2 writing performance. In S. Li (Ed.), Individual differences and task-based language teaching (pp. 166–201). John Benjamins.Google Scholar
Andringa, S., & Godfroid, A.
(2020) Sampling bias and the problem of generalizability in Applied Linguistics. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 40, 134–142. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
*Appel, C., & Gilabert, R. (2002) Motivation and task performance in a task-based web based tandem project. ReCALL, 14(1), 16–31. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
*Aubrey, S., King, J., & Almukhaild, H. (2020) Language learner engagement during speaking tasks: A longitudinal study. RELC Journal, 53(3), DOI logoGoogle Scholar
*Baralt, M., Gurzynski-Weiss, L., & Kim, Y. (2016) Engagement with language: How examining learners’ affective and social engagement explains successful learner-generated attention to form. In M. Sato & S. Ballinger (Eds.), Peer interaction and second language learning: Pedagogical potential and research agenda (pp. 209–240). John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Barnes, D.
(2008) Exploratory talk for learning. In N. Mercer & S. Hodgkinson (Eds.), Exploring talk in school (pp. 1–16). Sage.Google Scholar
Bygate, M., & Samuda, V.
(2009) Creating pressure in task-pedagogy: The joint roles of field, purpose, and engagement within the interaction approach. In A. Mackey & C. Polio (Eds.), Multiple perspectives on interaction: Second language research in honor of Susan M. Gass (pp. 90–116). Routledge.Google Scholar
Byrnes, H., & Manchón, R.
(Eds.) (2014) Task-based language learning – insights from and for L2 writing. John Benjamins..Google Scholar
*Carver, C., Jung, D., & Gurzynski-Weiss, L. (2021) In P. Hiver, A. H. Al-Hoorie, & S. Mercer (Eds.), Student engagement in the language classroom (pp. 120–142). Multilingual Matters.Google Scholar
*Chan, C. S. C. (2013) Investigating tasks in the context of business English: Sources of difficulty and motivation from the learner’s perspective. LSP Journal, 4(2), 38–63.Google Scholar
*Chen, J. C., & Kent, S. (2020) Task engagement, learner motivation and avatar identities of struggling English language learners in the 3D virtual world. System, 88. 102168. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
*Cho, M. (2019) The effects of prompts on L2 writing performance and engagement. Foreign Language Annals, 52(3), 576–594. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Csikszentmihalyi, M.
(1988) The flow experience and its significance for human psychology. In M. Csikszentmihalyi & I. S. Csikszentmihalyi (Eds.), Optimal experience: Psychological studies of flow in consciousness (pp. 15–35). Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Dao, P., Iwashita, N., Nguyen, M., & Arias-Contreras, C.
(2024) Teachers’ and learners’ beliefs about task-based language teaching: A systematic review. In S. Li (Ed.), Individual differences and task-based language teaching (pp. 235–268). John Benjamins.Google Scholar
*Dao, P., Nguyen, M. X. N. C., Duong, P. -T., & Tran-Thanh, V. (2021) Learners’ engagement in L2 computer-mediated interaction: Chat mode, interlocutor familiarity, and text quality. The Modern Language Journal, 105(4), 767–791. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Dao, P., Nguyen, M. X. N. C., & Iwashita, N.
(2019) Teachers’ perceptions of learner engagement in L2 classroom task-based interaction. The Language Learning Journal, 49(6), 711–724. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
*Dao, P., & McDonough, K. (2018) Effect of proficiency on Vietnamese EFL learners’ engagement in peer interaction. International Journal of Educational Research, 88, 60–72. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
*Dao, P., & Sato, M. (2021) Exploring fluctuations in the relationship between learners’ positive emotional engagement and their interactional behaviors. Language Teaching Research, 25(6), 972–994. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Donate, A., & Leow, R. P.
(2024) Task complexity, task features, task anxiety, and low L2 proficiency levels. In S. Li (Ed.), Individual differences and task-based language teaching (pp. 115–142). John Benjamins.Google Scholar
Dörnyei, Z.
(2001) New themes and approaches in second language motivation research. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 21, 43–59. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
*Dörnyei, Z. (2002) The motivational basis of language learning tasks. In P. Robinson (Ed.), Individual differences and instructed language learning (pp. 137–158). John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
(2005) The psychology of the language learner: Individual differences in second language acquisition. Routledge.Google Scholar
(2019) Task motivation: What makes an L2 task engaging? In Z. Wen & M. J. Ahmadian (Eds.), Researching L2 task performance and pedagogy: In honour of Peter Skehan (pp. 53–66). John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
*Dörnyei, Z., & Kormos, J. (2000) The role of individual and social variables in oral task performance. Language Teaching Research, 4(3), 275–300. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Ellis, R.
(2017) Moving task-based language teaching forward. Language Teaching, 50(4), 507–526. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
(2024) Conclusion: Some thoughts on investigating individual differences in task-based language teaching. In S. Li (Ed.), Individual differences and task-based language teaching (pp. 356–374). John Benjamins.Google Scholar
Ellis, R., Skehan, P., Li, S., Shintani, N., & Lambert, C.
(2020) Task-based language teaching: Theory and practice. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
*Freiermuth, M. R., & Huang, H. (2012) Bringing Japan and Taiwan closer electronically: A look at an intercultural online synchronic chat task and its effect on motivation. Language Teaching Research, 16(1), 61–88. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Gettinger, M., & Walter, M. J.
(2012) Classroom strategies to enhance academic engaged time. In S. L. Christenson, A. L. Reschly, & C. Wylie (Eds), Handbook of research on student engagement (pp. 653–673). Springer.Google Scholar
Gurzynski-Weiss, L., Bryfonski, L., & Reagan, D.
(2024) Teacher IDs and task adaptations: Making use of the TBLT language learning task bank. In S. Li (Ed.), Individual differences and task-based language teaching (pp. 324–255). John Benjamins.Google Scholar
*Han, Y., & McDonough, K. (2021) Motivation as individual differences and task conditions from a regulatory focus perspective: Their effects on L2 Korean speech performance. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 15(1), 1–12. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Helme, S., & Clarke, D.
(2001) Identifying cognitive engagement in the mathematics classroom. Mathematics Education Research Journal, 13, 133–153.Google Scholar
Hiver, P., Al-Hoorie, A. H., Vitta, J. P., & Wu, J.
(2021) Engagement in language learning: A systematic review of 20 years of research methods and definitions. Language Teaching Research, 1–30. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Julkunen, K.
(1989) Situation-and task-specific motivation in foreign-language learning and teaching. University of Joensuu.Google Scholar
Kauffman, S.
(1995) At home in the universe: The search for the laws of self-organization and complexity. Penguin.Google Scholar
Kim, Y.
(2015) The role of tasks as vehicles for learning in classroom interaction. In N. Markee (Ed.), Handbook of classroom discourse and interaction (pp. 163–181). Wiley-Blackwell.Google Scholar
*Kim, B., & Kim, H. (2016) Korean college EFL learners’ task motivation in written language production. International Education Studies, 9(2), 42–50. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Kim, Y., Choi, B., Kang, S., Kim, B., & Yun, H.
(2020) Comparing the effects of direct and indirect synchronous written corrective feedback: Learning outcomes and students’ perceptions. Foreign Language Annals. 53(1), 176–199. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
*Kopinska, M., & Azkari, A. (2020) Exploring young EFL learners’ motivation: Individual versus pair work on dictogloss tasks. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 10(3), 607–630.Google Scholar
*Korkealehto, K., & Leier, V. (2021) Facebook for engagement: Telecollaboration between Finland and New Zealand in German language learning. International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and Teaching, 11(1), 1–20. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
*Lambert, C., Philp, J., & Nakamura, S. (2017) Learner-generated content and engagement in second language task performance. Language Teaching Research, 21, 665–680. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
*Lambert, C., & Zhang, G. (2019) Engagement in the use of English and Chinese as foreign languages: The role of learner-generated content in instructional task design. The Modern Language Journal, 103(2), 391–411. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Larsen-Freeman, D.
(2015) Ten ‘lessons’ from complex dynamic systems theory: What is on offer. In Z. Dörnyei, P. D. MacIntyre, & A. Henry (Eds.), Motivational dynamics in language learning (pp. 11–19). Multilingual Matters.Google Scholar
Lee, H.
(2012) ESL learners’ motivation and task engagement in technology enhanced language learning contexts (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Washington State University.
Li, C., & Dewaele, J-M.
(2024) Understanding, measuring, and differentiating task enjoyment from foreign language enjoyment. In S. Li (Ed.), Individual differences and task-based language teaching (pp. 87–114). John Benjamins.Google Scholar
Li, S.
(2024) Individual differences and task-based language teaching: Theory, research, and practice. In S. Li (Ed.), Individual differences and task-based language teaching (pp. 10–50). John Benjamins.Google Scholar
Long, M.
(2016) In defense of tasks and TBLT: Nonissues and real issues. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 36, 5–33. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
*MacIntyre, P. D. & Serroul, A. (2015) Motivation on a per-second time scale: Examining approach-avoidance motivation during L2 task performance. In Z. Dörnyei, P. D. MacIntyre, & A. Henry (Eds.), Motivational dynamics in language learning (pp. 109–138). Multilingual Matters.Google Scholar
*Masrom, U. K., Alwi, N. A. N. M., & Daud, N. S. M. (2015) The role of task complexity and task motivation in language production. GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies, 15(2), 33–49.Google Scholar
Martin, A. J., Ginns, P., & Papworth, B.
(2017) Motivation and engagement: Same or different? Does it matter? Learning and Individual Differences, 55, 150–162. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Mercer, N., & Dawes, L.
(2008) The value of exploratory talk. In N. Mercer & S. Hodgkinson (Eds.), Exploring talk in school (pp. 55–72). Sage.Google Scholar
*Nakamura, S., Phung, L., & Reinders, H. (2020) The effect of learner choice on L2 task engagement. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 43(2), 428–441. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Oskoz, A., & Elola, I.
(2014) Promoting foreign language collaborative writing through the use of Web 2.0 tools and tasks. In M. González-Lloret & L. Ortega (Eds.), Technology-mediated TBLT: Researching technology and tasks (pp. 115–148). John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
*Papi, M. (2018) Motivation as quality: Regulatory fit effects on incidental vocabulary learning. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 40(4), 707–730. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Papi, M., & Hiver, P.
(2020) Language learning motivation as a complex dynamic system: A global perspective of truth, control, and value. The Modern Language Journal, 104(1), 209–232. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Pawlak, M.
(2012) The dynamic nature of motivation in language learning: A classroom perspective. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 2(2), 249–278.Google Scholar
Pekrun, R., & Linnenbrink-Garcia, L.
(2012) Academic emotions and student engagement. In S. L. Christenson, A. L. Reschly, & C. Wylie (Eds.), Handbook of research on student engagement (pp. 259–282). Springer.Google Scholar
*Pérez, N. P. (2016) Effects of tasks on spoken interaction and motivation in English language learners. GIST Education and Learning Research Journal, 13, 34–55.Google Scholar
Philp, J., & Duchesne, S.
(2016) Exploring engagement in tasks in the language classroom. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 36, 50–72. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
*Phung, L. (2017) Task preference, affective response, and engagement in L2 use in a US university context. Language Teaching Research, 21(6), 751–766. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
*Phung, L., Nakamura, S., & Reinders, H. (2021) The effect of choice on affective engagement. In P. Hiver, A. H. Al-Hoorie, & S. Mercer (Eds.), Student engagement in the language classroom (pp. 163–181). Multilingual Matters.Google Scholar
*Platt, E., & Brooks, F. (2002) Task engagement: A turning point in foreign language development. Language Learning, 52(2), 365–400. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Plonsky, L., & Kim, Y.
(2016) Task-based learner production: A substantive and methodological review. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 36, 73–97. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
*Poupore, G. (2013) Task motivation in process: A complex systems perspective. The Canadian Modern Language Review, 69(1), 91–116. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
*Poupore, G. (2014) The influence of content on adult L2 learners’ task motivation: An interest theory perspective. The Canadian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 17(2), 69–90.Google Scholar
*Poupore, G. (2016) Measuring group work dynamics and its relation with L2 learners’ task motivation and language production. Language Teaching Research, 20(6), 719–740. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
*Qiu, X., & Lo, Y. Y. (2017) Content familiarity, task repetition and Chinese EFL learners’ engagement in second language use. Language Teaching Research, 21(6), 681–698. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Reeve, J.
(2012) A self-determination theory perspective on student engagement. In S. L. Christenson, A. L. Reschly, & C. Wylie (Eds.), Handbook of research on student engagement (pp. 149–172). Springer.Google Scholar
Renninger, K. A., Bachrach, J. E., & Posey, S. K. E.
(2008) Learner interest and achievement motivation. In M. L. Maehr, S. A. Karabenick, & T. C. Urdan (Eds.), Advances in motivation and achievement, 15: Social psychological perspectives (pp. 461–491). Emerald.Google Scholar
Reschly, A. L., & Christenson, S. L.
(2012) Jingle, jangle, and conceptual haziness: Evolution and future directions of the engagement construct. In S. L. Christenson, A. L. Reschly, & C. Wylie (Eds.), Handbook of research on student engagement (pp. 3–19). Springer.Google Scholar
Robinson, P.
(2001) Task complexity, task difficulty, and task production: Exploring interactions in a componential framework. Applied Linguistics, 22(1), 27–57. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
*Ruan, Y., Duan, X., & Du, X. Y. (2015) Tasks and learner motivation in learning Chinese as a foreign language. Language, Culture, and Curriculum, 28(2), 170–190. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
*Sabet, M. K., Tahriri, A., & Haghi, E. B. (2014) The impact of task-based approach on Iranian EFL learners’ motivation in writing research abstract. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 5(4), 953–962.Google Scholar
Sang, Y., & Hiver, P.
(2021) Engagement and companion constructs in language learning: Conceptualizing learners’ involvement in the L2 classroom. In P. Hiver, A. H. Al-Hoorie, & S. Mercer (Eds.), Student engagement in the language classroom (pp. 17–37). Multilingual Matters.Google Scholar
Sato, M., & Loewen, S.
(2022) The research-practice dialogue in second language learning and teaching: Past, present, and future. The Modern Language Journal, 106(3), 509–527. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
*Sato, M., & Storch, N. (2020) Context matters: Learner beliefs and interactional behaviors in an EFL vs. ESL context. Language Teaching Research, 26(5). DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Skinner, E. A., Kindermann, T. A., & Furrer, C.
(2009) A motivational perspective on engagement and disaffection: Conceptualization and assessment of children’s behavioral and emotional participation in academic activities in the classroom. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 69, 493–525. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Skinner, E. A., & Pitzer, J. R.
(2012) Developmental dynamics of student engagement, coping, and everyday resilience. In S. L. Christenson, A. L. Reschly, & C. Wylie (Eds.), Handbook of research on student engagement (pp. 21–44). Springer.Google Scholar
*Stelma, J. (2014) Developing intentionality and L2 classroom task-engagement. Classroom Discourse, 5(2), 119–137. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Storch, N.
(2011) Collaborative writing in L2 contexts: Processes, outcomes, and future directions. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 31, 275–288. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
(2019) Collaborative writing. Language Teaching, 52(1), 40–59. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
*Stroud, R. (2017) The impact of task performance scoring and tracking on second language engagement. System, 69, 121–132. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
*Sulis, G., & Philp, J. (2021) Exploring connections between classroom environment and engagement in the foreign language classroom. In P. Hiver, A. H. Al-Hoorie, & S. Mercer (Eds.), Student engagement in the language classroom (pp. 101–119). Multilingual Matters.Google Scholar
Svalberg, A.
(2009) Engagement with language: Interrogating a construct. Language Awareness, 18(3–4), 242–258. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
(2012) Thinking allowed: Language awareness in language learning and teaching: A research agenda. Language Teaching, 45(3), 376–388. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
*Svalberg, A., & Askham, J. (2020) Teacher and learner perceptions of adult foreign language learners’ engagement with consciousness-raising tasks in four languages. Language Awareness, 29(3–4), 236–254. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Swain, M.
(1998) Focus on form through conscious reflection. In C. Doughty & J. Williams (Eds.), Focus on form in classroom second language acquisition (pp. 471–484). Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
*Tavakoli, H., Lotfi, A., & Biria, R. (2019) Effects of CALL-mediated TBLT on motivation for L2 reading. Cogent Education, 6(1). DOI logoGoogle Scholar
*Torres, J., & Serafini, E. J. (2016) Microevaluating learners’ task-specific motivation in a task-based business Spanish course. Hispania, 99(2), 289–304.Google Scholar
Tremblay, P. F., Goldberg, M. P., & Gardner, R. C.
(1995) Trait and state motivation and the acquisition of Hebrew vocabulary. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 27(3), 356–370. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
*Wang, H. -C. (2019) The influence of creative task engagement on English L2 learners’ negotiation of meaning in oral communication tasks. System, 80, 83–94. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
*Wang, H. -C., Huang, H. -T., & Hsu, C. -C. (2015) The impact of choice on EFL students’ motivation and engagement with L2 vocabulary learning. Taiwan Journal of TESOL, 12(2), 1–40.Google Scholar
*Wang, Q., East, M., & Li, S. (2021) Measuring Chinese EFL learners’ motivation and anxiety when completing a video narration task: Initial steps in designing two questionnaires. System, 100(1–14). DOI logoGoogle Scholar
*Wang, Q., & Li, S. (2019) The relationship between task motivation and L2 motivation: An empirical study. In Z. Wen & M. J. Ahmadian (Eds.), Researching L2 task performance and pedagogy: In honour of Peter Skehan (pp. 67–92). John Benjamins.Google Scholar
Waninge, F., Dörnyei, Z., & De Bot, K.
(2014) Motivational dynamics in language learning: Change, stability, and context. The Modern Language Journal, 98(3), 704–723. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Willis, J.
(2024) Practitioners’ perspectives: How teachers use TBLT to accommodate individual differences. In S. Li (Ed.), Individual differences and task-based language teaching (pp. 298–323). John Benjamins.Google Scholar
*Yanguas, Í. (2011) The dynamic nature of motivation during the task: Can it be captured? Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 5(1), 35–61. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Ziegler, N., Parlak, Ö., & Phung, H.
(2022) Interactionist perspectives and the role of computer-mediated communication in SLA. In N. Ziegler & M. González-Lloret (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of second language acquisition and technology (pp. 50–64). Routledge.Google Scholar
Cited by (6)

Cited by 6 other publications

An, Hyejin & Shaofeng Li
2024. Chapter 2. Anxiety in task-based language teaching. In Individual Differences and Task-Based Language Teaching [Task-Based Language Teaching, 16], ► pp. 52 ff. DOI logo
Ellis, Rod
2024. Chapter 12. Conclusion. In Individual Differences and Task-Based Language Teaching [Task-Based Language Teaching, 16], ► pp. 346 ff. DOI logo
Li, Shaofeng
2024. Chapter 1. Individual differences and task-based language teaching. In Individual Differences and Task-Based Language Teaching [Task-Based Language Teaching, 16], ► pp. 10 ff. DOI logo
Oliver, Rhonda & Tatiana Bogachenko
2024. Chapter 9. Task-based language learning and teaching. In Individual Differences and Task-Based Language Teaching [Task-Based Language Teaching, 16], ► pp. 262 ff. DOI logo
Skehan, Peter
2024. Foreword. In Individual Differences and Task-Based Language Teaching [Task-Based Language Teaching, 16], ► pp. 1 ff. DOI logo
Willis, Jane
2024. Chapter 10. Practitioners’ perspectives. In Individual Differences and Task-Based Language Teaching [Task-Based Language Teaching, 16], ► pp. 288 ff. DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 5 july 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.