Exploring young EFL learners’ motivation: Individual versus pair work on dictogloss tasks

Abstract

Motivation has been widely considered one of the most influential variables in the field of second language learning. Motivation may vary throughout the years, even within the duration of a single language class, and this might occur due to different factors, such as the choice of tasks or the activity type (i.e., collaborative or individual). These two factors have not been investigated in depth with young learners in foreign language settings, and from a task-based perspective. Thus, this paper addresses this gap, and explores the potential changes in motivation of 64 Spanish young learners of English as a foreign language who worked on a number of dictogloss tasks in pairs and individually over the span of a school year. Data was collected several times by means of different tools that measured students' general and more specific task motivation, as well as their attitudes towards individual/pair work. The findings revealed that, overall, these children's motivation was high and consolidated with time, while their level of anxiety decreased. Their attitudes towards the dictogloss were positive from the beginning to the end of the school year, and more so when they carried out the task in pairs. These findings support the benefits of collaborative work, and the dictogloss, as an appropriate task that engages children in their learning of a foreign language.