Final published version
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Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Motivational factors in computer-administered integrated skills tasks
T2 - A study of young learners
AU - Kormos, Judit
AU - Brunfaut, Tineke
AU - Michel, Marije
PY - 2020/1/1
Y1 - 2020/1/1
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - motivation
KW - integrated testing
KW - young learners
U2 - 10.1080/15434303.2019.1664551
DO - 10.1080/15434303.2019.1664551
M3 - Journal article
VL - 17
SP - 43
EP - 59
JO - Language Assessment Quarterly
JF - Language Assessment Quarterly
SN - 1543-4303
IS - 1
ER -