Task Management Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

State of flow has been conceived as the optimal mental condition on a learner's part for task engagement and learning (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990). The occurrence of flow experience during language learning activities depends to a large... more

State of flow has been conceived as the optimal mental condition on a learner's part for task engagement and learning (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990). The occurrence of flow experience during language learning activities depends to a large extent on those features of learning environment which are mainly derived from a dynamic view of cognitive-affective functioning. Consequently, a balanced combination of cognitive, emotional and motivational engagement with a language learning task is regarded as a favorable condition for flow sate to occur (Dornyei, 2010). In this study, different pretask activities were used to induce emotional, motivational and cognitive engagement with a vocabulary learning task. The results indicated that each type of task engagement activity was effective in enhancing short-term gains in productive and receptive command of target words. Meanwhile, integrating the three types of task engagement activities led to the enhanced performance on both short-term and long-term assessment of target words, which is interpreted as resulting from flow state in task engagement. The study findings imply suggestions for adding emotional and motivational components to the syllabus and pedagogy of focused tasks in a task-based program. INTRODUCTION Language learning tasks were originally proposed to involve learners in cognitive processing of L2 elements while the primary attention remains on meaningful communication (Skehan, 1998). Nevertheless, 'authentic communication' as a defining feature of language learning tasks allows for affective and motivational dimensions as well to play a role in the language learning process. Cognitive processing of linguistic elements, through focused tasks for example, does not occur in vacuum and void of any affective or motivational impressions (Manolopoulou-Sergi, 2004). In line with this argument, evidence from cognitive psychology and neurobiology advocates a dynamic, integrative and interactive relationship between the three components of mental functioning, i.e. cognition, emotion and motivation (Dai & Sternberg, 2004). Similarly, recent postulations concerning a 'dynamic system' view of SLA motivation (Dornyei, 2010) conceive of motivational processes as being in close interaction with cognitive and emotional elements involved in language learning tasks. In this regard, 'flow state' as "a state of intensive involvement in and focused concentration on a task" (Dornyei, 2010: 254) has been proposed to be resulting from a balanced combination of