Investigating L2 learners’ engagement with tasks

This article investigates how second language (L2) learners engage with tasks and whether such engagement facilitates L2 acquisition. Drawing on educational psychology and second language acquisition theory, engagement is conceptualised as a multidimensional construct encompassing behavioural, cognitive, social, and affective components. The review examines how task-based language teaching (TBLT) researchers have defined and measured engagement, critically evaluating methodological approaches ranging from discourse-analytic measures to physiological tools such as heart rate variability and EEG analysis. Ellis synthesizes representative studies investigating how task design features (e.g., learner-generated versus teacher-generated content; task complexity) and implementation variables (e.g., pairing arrangements; goal-tracking) influence learner engagement. A significant lacuna identified is that most research examines how tasks impact engagement without demonstrating whether engagement mediates learning. The article compares the use of the complexity-accuracy-lexis-fluency (CALF) framework and the engagement framework, noting that while engagement incorporates valuable educational and affective perspectives, it suffers from conceptual fuzziness and operationalization challenges. The article concludes by advocating for longitudinal, process-product research that links task engagement to implicit L2 learning outcomes, and for studies examining engagement in input-based and written tasks beyond oral interaction.