Chapter in:
Advancedness in Second Language Spanish: Definitions, challenges, and possibilities
Edited by Mandy R. Menke and Paul A. Malovrh
[Issues in Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics 31] 2021

The role of language anxiety and enjoyment in advanced proficiency

Considerations for task-based language teaching research

| Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (UIC)
The current chapter examines the subjective experiences of 14 Spanish advanced learners and 10 low-proficiency 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-proficiency counterparts during complex tasks, although anxiety was still present as part of learners’ experiences. Importantly, task factors affecting learners’ anxiety in the advanced group differed from those perceived as more anxiety-inducing in the novice group. The 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 differ as proficiency increases.
Keywords: positive and negative emotions, language anxiety (LA), foreign language enjoyment (FLE), advanced language proficiency, cognitive task complexity
References

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