The Effect of Task-Specific Anxiety vs. Task-Specific Enjoyment on Language Mindset in L2 Listening Tasks

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Ph.D. Candidate in Applied Linguistics, Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Humanities, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran.

2 Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics, Department of English Language and Literature, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

3 Professor of Applied Linguistics, Department of Foreign Languages and Linguistics, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

10.22077/ali.2025.9157.1123

Abstract

This study addresses a significant knowledge gap in understanding the effects of task-specific enjoyment and anxiety conditions on the language mindset of Iranian EFL learners in a listening course. Using a quasi-experimental design, 75 male high school students were divided into three groups: a task enjoyment (TE) group, a task anxiety (TA) group, and a control group. The TE group participated in a low-stakes, autonomy-based listening task designed to foster enjoyment, while the TA group completed a high-stakes, evaluative listening task intended to induce anxiety. Data were collected using standardized instruments, including the Foreign Language Enjoyment Scale (FLES), the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS), and the Language Mindset Inventory (LMI). A series of T-tests and ANOVA were conducted to analyze pre- and post-test scores across the three groups. Results showed that the TE group experienced significantly higher levels of task enjoyment and subsequently developed significantly stronger growth-oriented beliefs regarding overall linguistic intelligence and second language learning compared to both the TA and control groups. Conversely, the TA group exhibited significantly higher anxiety levels and a shift toward more fixed language mindsets. No significant differences were found between groups regarding beliefs about age sensitivity in language learning. These findings highlight the importance of considering task-related emotions in language teaching and suggest that fostering enjoyment through autonomy-supportive tasks can promote a growth mindset, while anxiety-inducing tasks may reinforce fixed beliefs about language learning.

Keywords

References

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Applied Linguistics Inquiry
Volume 3, Issue 1
March 2025
Pages 44-57

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History

  • Receive Date: 27 November 2024
  • Revise Date: 05 December 2024
  • Accept Date: 27 January 2025

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