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Motivational factors in computer-administered integrated skills tasks: A study of young learners

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Published
<mark>Journal publication date</mark>1/01/2020
<mark>Journal</mark>Language Assessment Quarterly
Issue number1
Volume17
Number of pages17
Pages (from-to)43-59
Publication StatusPublished
Early online date16/09/19
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

Previous studies examined the association between motivational characteristics and language learning achievement, but considerably less is known about young language learners’ task-specific motivation in assessment contexts. Our study investigated the task motivation of young learners of English when completing computer-administered integrated test tasks, and the relationship between task performance and test task motivation. Hundred and four learners aged between 11 and 15 years completed three computer-administered assessment tasks: a Listen-Write task, which required a summary of a listening text, and two Listen-Speak tasks, in which learners had to retell a listening text with academic and non-academic content, respectively. Participants also filled in a task-motivation questionnaire, containing items on appraisals of task difficulty, task-related emotions and anxiety, effort and subjective competence. The results indicated that the young learners held positive views on the integrated assessment tasks. Nevertheless, they found the Listen-Speak tasks significantly more difficult, more anxiety-provoking and less enjoyable than the Listen-Write task and they judged their competence to be lower than in the Listen-Write task. Task-motivational factors accounted for a low level of variation in task performance. These findings have important implications for the design and use of computer-administered integrated tasks in assessing young L2 learners.