The role of language anxiety and enjoyment in advanced profciency; Considerations for task-based language teaching research

Abstract

Te current chapter examines the subjective experiences of 14 Spanish advanced learners and 10 low-profciency learners in relation to their L2 anxiety and enjoyment while performing two oral narrative tasks varying in cognitive demands. Results showed advanced participants experienced more enjoyment than their low-profciency counterparts during complex tasks, although anxiety was still present as part of learners’ experiences. Importantly, task factors afecting learners’ anxiety in the advanced group difered from those perceived as more anxiety-inducing in the novice group. Te study raises awareness of the importance of positive and negative emotions when manipulating cognitive task demands. It further emphasizes the complexity of emotional processes involved in learners’ performance and how their dynamic interactions with tasks difer as profciency increases.