Engagement in language learning: A systematic review of 20 years of research methods and definitions
By Phil Hiver, Ali H. Al-Hoorie, Joseph P. Vitta, J. Wu. Language Teaching Research, 2021
597 citations recorded by the source corpus.
At the turn of the new millennium, in an article published in Language Teaching Research in 2000, Dörnyei and Kormos proposed that ‘active learner engagement is a key concern’ for all instructed language learning. Since then, language engagement research has increased exponentially. In this article, we present a systematic review of 20 years of language engagement research. To ensure robust coverage, we searched 21 major journals on second language acquisition (SLA) and applied linguistics and identified 112 reports satisfying our inclusion criteria. The results of our analysis of these reports highlighted the adoption of heterogeneous methods and conceptual frameworks in the language engagement literature, as well as indicating a need to refine the definitions and operationalizations of engagement in both quantitative and qualitative research. Based on these findings, we attempted to clarify some lingering ambiguity around fundamental definitions, and to more clearly delineate the scope and target of language engagement research. We also discuss future avenues to further advance understanding of the nature, mechanisms, and outcomes resulting from engagement in language learning.
Subfields: Language and Linguistics, Literature and Literary Theory
View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/417125f91f0b41e6ad86ab496d3ef943f89d10d4
How researchers see this paper
The researchers whose trusted networks rank it highest, strongest advocate first. Every researcher gets a different order.
In Language and Linguistics
- Yongliang Wang
- Lawrence Jun Zhang
- Ali Derakhshan
- Lin Sophie Teng
- R. Erlam
- Aijiao Wu
- Christine Goh
- (Mark) Feng Teng
In Literature and Literary Theory
- Yongliang Wang
- Lawrence Jun Zhang
- Ali Derakhshan
- R. Erlam
- Aijiao Wu
- Christine Goh
- Hossein Tavakoli
- Donglan Zhang
Citations in the corpus
- Researching and Practicing Positive Psychology in Second/Foreign Language Learning and Teaching: The Past, Current Status and Future Directions (2021, background): “Compared to other well-established and extensively researched constructs like motivation, engagement is regarded as a fledging concept (Hiver et al., 2021) as Reschly and Christenson (2012) also call it “a new kid on the block” (p.”