Emotional Engagement among Anxious Language Learners from the Perspective of Flow: An Exploratory Study in a University Classroom in Saudi Arabia

A growing body of evidence suggests that engagement is closely linked to learners’ enjoyment and focus on the task at hand, thereby facilitating second language (L2) development. However, the topic of learner engagement has received scant attention in the L2 field. Facilitating the advancement of knowledge about the emotional dimension of engagement, the research presented in this thesis aims to explore engagement from the perspective of flow among learners with speaking-related anxiety in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom in Saudi Arabia. The study utilised a mixed methods approach with a qualitative focus. Data were collected in two phases. In the preliminary phase of the study, which addressed questions related to the underlying mechanisms of speaking-related anxiety, the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale was used to assess learners’ levels of anxiety, followed by conducting classroom observations (11 hours), and semi-structured interviews (n = 30) with students who demonstrated moderate to high levels of anxiety. The second, main phase addressed the practical applicability of flow theory’s principles and assessed the impact of five carefully adapted speaking communicative tasks that meet selected flow principles on anxious learners’ emotional engagement experiences. These speaking tasks were implemented online to a class of 30 students over a period of eight weeks with the aim of reducing anxiety and increasing engagement. Data from the intervention phase were collected using weekly open-response questionnaires (n = 127), stimulated recall interviews (n = 25) and a series of semi-structured interviews with the course teacher (n = 3). The results showed that anxious learners can move towards increased levels of emotional engagement, and in some instances, flow. The findings indicated that task features work together and interact with multiple social contextual factors to produce emotionally engaging task experiences. In light of these encouraging conclusions, implications were proposed, and suggestions were identified for future research.