ERIC Number: EJ1151650
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017-Sep
Pages: 32
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0039-8322
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Measuring Flow in the EFL Classroom: Learners' Perceptions of Inter- and Intra-Cultural Task-Based Interactions
Aubrey, Scott
TESOL Quarterly: A Journal for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages and of Standard English as a Second Dialect, v51 n3 p661-692 Sep 2017
This article reports on a study that investigates the effects of inter-cultural contact on flow experiences during the performance of five oral tasks in an English as a foreign language (EFL) classroom. Using a quasi-experimental design, Japanese EFL learners in the inter-cultural group (n = 21) and the intra-cultural group (n = 21) reported on their perceptions of task experiences for each performance. Under the intra-cultural condition, learners performed tasks with Japanese peers, whereas under the inter-cultural condition learners were paired with non-Japanese international students. The dimensions of flow, as they emerged in the data, were identified via a content analysis of 208 diary entries. The findings revealed that inter-cultural task interaction generated significantly more flow-enhancing experiences and fewer flow-inhibiting experiences than intra-cultural task interaction. An examination of the relative strength of each dimension revealed that learners experiencing inter-cultural task-based interaction benefited from a sense of accomplishment, which increased in strength as learners progressed through the tasks. Results provide insights into how components of flow are interrelated and change over time during inter-cultural interactions, and suggest a model for how tasks can be implemented in the classroom to promote certain aspects of flow.
Descriptors: English (Second Language), Second Language Instruction, Cultural Awareness, Foreign Countries, Student Attitudes, Foreign Students, Interaction, Content Analysis, Diaries, Student Experience, Learning
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Japan
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A