Factors Affecting Learner's Task Engagement in a Task-Based Course

Research interest on Task-based language learning and teaching (TBLT) has moved from theoretical rational to practice, to task properties and to contexts and the learners as reflected in the themes of international conferences for TBLT. This study investigated factors that affected freshman students' task engagement in a task-based course in a Chinese university. Five surveys of task engagement were carried out over 11 weeks and retrospective structured interviews were done at the end. It was found that the task generating the highest levels of engagement was one that was both fun and most relevant from the learners' perspective. Apart from the features of the tasks, students' knowledge of communication strategies, rapport and their motivation and self-efficacy were also found to influence students' task engagement. In addition to the choice and design of tasks, in a task-based approach the learners also play a big role in shaping their own learning experience. Future studies should explore the dynamics of how learner factors interact with task features in the language classrooms and how learning experience is co-constructed.