The relationship between task-specific anxiety, enjoyment, and use of planned content across discourse stages of second language learners' spoken task performances

This study examined the relationship between task-specific emotions and learners' use of planned content at two stages of a spoken task performance (i.e., problem and solution stage). Twenty-eight upper-intermediate English-as-a-second language learners from Hong Kong engaged in 10-minutes of collaborative pre-task planning before performing a 3-minute monologue. Planned content used during task performances was measured by coding for idea units that appeared in task performances and pre-task planning, and emotions were gauged using the idiodynamic method. Results showed that 1) levels of both emotions increased non-significantly across the two stages, 2) a significantly larger proportion of planned content was used during the solution stage than the problem stage, and 3) there was a positive correlation between enjoyment during the problem and solution stage and planned content used at the solution stage. Stimulated recall data revealed that learner factors, task factors, and performance factors played roles in influencing task emotions. • Examined task-specific emotions and planned content used in two discourse stages of a spoken problem-solution task • Surges in enjoyment are more associated with conceptual issues while surges in anxiety are more associated with linguistic issues during task performance • Learners more likely to use of planned content in the solution stage compared to the problem stage • Heighted enjoyment in the problem and solution stage is related to better use of planned content in the solution stage