Task complexity and second language learner engagement in face-to-face and computer-mediated communication

Link to the Zoom meeting:  https://hsuhk.zoom.us/j/98079663229

Meeting ID: 980 7966 3229

Task-based language teaching (TBLT) has been widely adopted in second language (L2) classrooms. Since its introduction, numerous studies have been conducted to investigate how task complexity or the cognitive demand of a task (Robinson, 2011) affects L2 learners’ speaking performance. The engagement of learners in different oral tasks, however, has been relatively under-explored (Lambert, 2017). L2 learners’ engagement, defined as their “heightened attention and involvement” (Philp & Duchesne, 2016, p. 51), is essential for successful language learning (Mercer, 2019). It is also context-specific and multifaceted (Philp & Duchesne, 2016). A deeper understanding of how L2 learners engage in different types of oral tasks and in different communication modes would shed light on L2 teaching and learning, particularly during the post COVID-19 pandemic period.

In this presentation, I will share with the audience research findings about Hong Kong English-as-a-second-language (ESL)…