VIETTESOL INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION 2025

Research on second language (L2) learners' engagement highlights the critical role of emotional engagement in task performance and language development; however, empirical evidence remains limited, particularly from a text-driven perspective within task-based language teaching (TBLT) (Tomlinson, 2018, 2023). This mixed-methods study investigates the emotional engagement of Vietnamese EFL learners during two text-driven, task-based lessons designed with reference to specific text genres. The study involved a speaking and a writing task, in which learners engaged in problem-solving activities based on texts across two three-stage lessons. Quantitative data were collected via a post-task questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS v.29, involving 33 English-major students. In addition, semi-structured interviews with eight voluntary participants explored factors influencing emotional engagement, and observational data were used to triangulate the findings. Descriptive statistics indicated high levels of emotional engagement, characterized by strong enjoyment and low anxiety. Thematic analysis revealed key contributing factors, including visual prompts during the pre-task phase, text processing activities, appropriately challenging cognitive demands, and peer monitoring. These findings suggest that well-designed, text-driven tasks can enhance emotional engagement and thereby support language acquisition in EFL contexts.